Pokler

[David Morris]

Pardon me, Barbara, but I think you need to re-read my last post.  It was 
wholly civil and the condescension you saw was not there.  I provided you 
with links to subjects you expressed ignorance about that were a part of our 
discussion.  Was that where you saw  condescension?

It's fine that you love the Pokler segments of GR, but you were 
characterizing my attitude toward technology and personal responsibility as 
similar, which to you meant "giving up."  I have suggested a more rational 
and less "feeling" approach might serve this discussion better.  Your saying 
that my post "feels" like Pokler was just plain sloppy discussion (BTW, it 
was also a bit insulting, but I did not take offense.  Was my taking offense 
what you were expecting?  Is that why you saw my response as 
condescending?).

As for Pokler, he demonstrates many things other than the "giving up" or a 
"what the fuck" attitude you suggest.  He is a passionate dreamer who is too 
immature and self-absorbed to be responsible for a family, and his passion 
as well as his alienation from his stronger wife make him ripe for being 
co-opted and then coerced into a goal which perverts his original ideals.  
Does that mean his ideals were unworthy?  No.  What makes the perversion of 
his original passion "evil?"  Many things, none of which condemns his 
original passion (which is relevant to my central point about stem cell 
research not being an evil thing):  The rocket is a killing machine.  People 
are dying in its production.  His family is being held hostage, and he 
continues in Their employ. And re. his "giving up," Pokler has been 
carefully manipulated and conditioned into his resignation.

Sincerely (as before),
David Morris


>From: "barbara100 at mail.jps.net" <barbara100 at mail.jps.net>
>
>Then tell us, David, by all means--What does Pynchon mean to say with 
>Pokler? He's my favorite part of the whole book, and I'm really quite 
>interested. It doesn't serve your point very well to just hammer me with 
>condescension.

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