Eminem (was: Influenced by GR?)
jporter
jp4321 at IDT.NET
Tue Jul 25 08:45:28 CDT 2000
> From: "jbor" <jbor at bigpond.com>
> Not many black races genociding, colonising or assimilating white ones in
> the history books I've looked in Sorry if I was obscure but I thought this
> would be pretty obvious.
OK. But I'm still unclear about who you feel were/are "the winners" and who
"the losers" in all this. The details and ramifications of "genociding and
colonising" are anything but obvious- complex might be a better word.
>And that's why I really have to speak out when
> apparently intelligent people say absurd things like this
>
>> Yeah, it comes as a surprise to find out that inspite of paragons
>> like Tiger Woods, and the Williams sisters, most of "them" are average, or
>> worse, whether from nature or nurture, just like the majority of uncolored,
>> and like the colorless, use what ever little advantage they might have in
>> any given situation to further their own cause.
>
> and seek thereby to excuse two hundred or more years of racial oppression.
If you're in the mood for speaking out, an apology might be more
appropriate. My words, which you lifted out of context from my response to
Terrence, do not "seek thereby to excuse two hundred or more years of racial
oppression," but rather, to hi-lite the mythologizing and demonization of
blacks (and whites), of which this is a convenient example:
> I'm quite flabbergasted and disappointed by it in fact. It's the black
> person's "averageness" -- their equality -- indeed, their very *humanity* --
> which has been constantly and wholeheartedly denied by centuries of white
> suprematism.
I don't think Pynchon's work in GR or M&D would be as effective and thought
provoking if it were merely a diatribe against "white suprematism." It's
just not that simple- which is not to deny racism, by any means.
>> better the empty booth than no booth at all, I suppose.
>
> Yeah, it's that choice of two or more evils again, i'nt it. But "democracy"
> is a bit of a sham, surely?
I don't think so. Here's a resource for you. It's called Freedom House:
http://www.freedomhouse.org/
Coincidently, Chris Karanytsky's brother, Adrian, is the president. He's
quite good and he works hard to promote democracy in third world countries,
like Zimbabwe, e.g., where even the black majority has so much difficulty
making it's voice heard over the self-serving and racist policies of a
Mugabe. Adrian was interviewed on National Public Radio, WNYC AM, on July 3,
at 11 A.M., (in prep for Independence Day) by Brian Lehrer. You can probably
hear it on the web, archived at:
http://www.wnyc.org/
(Go to _On the Line_ and check the archives for the segment: Phoney
Democracy)
Democracy, like any of the better examples of western culture. is obviously
not perfect, but it's the best chance poor disadvantaged people in the third
world have of gaining control over the institutions used by the people in
power- often of the same race- to keep them poor and disadvantaged. It
doesn't come easy, though, and sometimes a little help from friends, at the
risk of being called patronizing, can make a difference.
> Congratulations to yourself and millison on graduating with honours from the
> Brock Vond College of Reactionary Cynicism. : )
Don't gauge my level of cynism by whether or not I think there's a chance
Pynchon will be widely read by the masses. The same claim is equally valid
for Joyce, Gaddis, DeLillo, etc. It's just the way things are and probably
always will be. I think Pynchon et.al. are comfortable with that. Their
works are purposely demanding and difficult. Democracy, economic freedom and
freedom from tyranny, however, are a dfferent ball of wax. Giving up on
spreading those ideals would surely be cynical. I'm not sure if Pynchon's
work is cynical in that regard. In my opinion, it is not.
jody
//
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