pynchon-l-digest V2 #1794

[Mike Weaver]

>
> > All laudable acts of humanity at an individual level,but collective
> > political action is what we are discussing, which is a different level to
> > individual actions.
> > Try again please.
>
>But but but but but McMurphy, collective political action is
>what I am saying people should not claim is advocated by the
>implied author Thomas R. Pynchon.



>Saying that one is against globalization

As I pointed out in my last post, no one arguing with you on this one is 
(as far as I can tell) against globalization. What we are against is 
globalization of a capitalist kind. Because we attack the FTAA and related 
bodies does not put us in bed with the bed with radical right 
protectionists and
nationalists.


>and this is in line
>with what one reads in Pynchon's books is a big problem not
>only because this argument is a misreading of the books, or
>because Pynchon is an artist and not a political activist,
>his books are art and not political manifestos,

Many of us on this list were inspired politically by Mr P. I'm sorry we got 
it so wrong but we just can't see it any other way. To us he is a great 
artist who employs his skills, among other outcomes, to explore the 
multitudinous aspects of political activities and perspectives, the 
conflicts between different levels of existence (personal, political, 
corporate...), and their effect on individuals. His broad political 
sympathies, and antipathies are clear to see, but he isn't writing 
manifestos not because his books are art ( a false opposition) but because 
he is a political illuminator, not a strategist and activist.


>  but because,
>as I said, his "Project," if P can be said to have one at
>all, is practical activity and the affirmation of the
>particular experiences of individuals. These may be
>political acts, best if they are funny and disruptive acts
>of young boys and girls, or writing a satire or making a
>satirical music or blowin that kazoo, giving the Bronx cheer
>to the manager, director, mayor or President, signing a
>protest letter as intellectuals do or writing books, by any
>means anarchistic and chaotic, but collective organized
>political struggle is debunked in P's fiction.

>Please give your examples to counter this

His portrayals of the anti Nazi protests in GR, and of U.S. unionism in 
Vineland alone is sufficient for me.  His sympathy with the Luddites, the 
Diggers (old and recent) and that "now everybody" at the end of GR. The 
Counterforce?

Before you point out that each was defeated can I paraphrase Rosa 
Luxembourg "The path to revolutions are paved with defeats"

or as Piet Hein put it:

The road to wisdom is
  very easy to express
Err and err and err again
And less and less and less

Terance you are quite free to interpret the texts solely in terms of art 
and religion. I'm not going to tell you you shouldn't. Please refrain from 
telling us politicos what we should or shouldn't claim.