pynchon-l-digest V2 #2300

[Doug Millison]

Big Bird,

I'm assuming you weren't in China to see the anti-Falun Gong propaganda
blitz in August of 1999 and to judge its impact on people, as I was able to
do  (and, you know, it's not too late for you to learn Chinese, if that's
an issue for you -- I bet they teach it some schools right there in New
York City;  French, too -- lots of good stuff to enjoy in both of those
languages).  So, you're hardly equipped to evaluate the comparison I have
made other than to offer more of your signature hot hair and jaw-flapping,
more of your predictable denial and persiflage when Barbara or I dare to
criticize the mighty U.S. of A.

Actually, the US government has shown a remarkable level of control (it's
been widely noted in serious publications in Europe and elsewhere since
September 11) over the news and over the reporting of news during this war
, and this control does, in fact, rise to a level that warrants comparison
with what the Chinese government has managed these past 2 years with regard
to the Falun Gong and whipping up anti-Falun Gong sentiment among the
Chinese people -- I can detail it for you, if you wish (I was inside the
official Chinese government news agency, Xinhua,  the week that propaganda
blitz broke, and had lengthy conversations with the U.S. "foreign expert"
who helped translate and polish the English version of the anti-Falun Gong
materials that went out the day in Xinhua's International news service the
CCP outlawed that organization; I also had a chance to talk to many people
in many different social situations in Beijing, Shanghai, and Inner
Mongolia as that propaganda blitz unfolded over the next month). Obviously
the Bush Administration has been successful in its propaganda efforts when
they -- with the help of compliant corporate media types --  have managed
to convince a reasonably intelligent and apparently well-read person like
you that we have had no alternative but to bomb and shoot missiles no
matter what that costs the Afghan people in terms of casualities and
suffering; pretty darn effective, I'd say.

There's a difference in degree this time in comparison with the Gulf War
propaganda, too, in that the US corporate media has much more compliant,
much less prone to ask tough questions, and much quicker to join the
witch-hunt and clamp down on expressions of dissent.  The reporters have
hardly complained at all about limited access to the War this time,
cravenly accepting the crumbs the military throws their way, and thrilled
to glorify scenes of our boys at war. You're probably too young to have a
really clear picture of what that scene was like during the Gulf War -- you
were still in the video game phase then, I expect. Maybe your Dad can
explain it to you.  There's also been plenty of respectable media critique
that has pointed out the softening of the US journalistic spine since the
Gulf War, if you're not afraid of contaminating your mind with some new
information and ideas.

Please feel free to get back to your bash-Barbara-and-Doug fest that seems
to bring you such delight.

Later,
Doug

P.S.  For a guy who reminds people as often as you do that you had
something to do with a Pynchon web site, and wrote this and that and this
other thing,  and who has crowed and preened about your part in the Pynchon
documentary, you might want to consider attacking others who may point
occasionally to their own accomplishments.  Just a suggestion. Feel free to
be the hypocritical  jerk you want to be.