NP - Ashcroft to Pursue Suicide Doctors

[barbara100 at jps.net]

The 'NEWBY' said:
<and finally i do  not know the source or veracity of the number 7.5 million
[ ] who "lay on the brink of starvation,"


It was in Doug's post this morning.  In case you missed it, here it is
again--
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=11855
It's a fine article.  I suggest you give it a read.  Try Noam Chomsky too.
He's all over  http://www.zmag.org/ZNETTOPnoanimation.html  He's got his own
section practically.  I've been reading a lot of him lately.  The big
project at work fell through what with the budget; I've suddenly got nothing
to do.  I tell ya, though, you gotta be tough. It's a hard truth to swallow.
I'm getting madder and madder by the day, thinking my government's owned by
a bunch of corporate conglomerates and managed by hi-tech terrorists.  It's
very discouraging.  Almost makes me want to go live out in the woods with
just me and my pig, you know?  Very discouraging. Sometimes I don't know
what to do; I wanna give up caring about it, I feel so powerless. That's
when I remember my belly's full and I'm warm and literate and I have a voice
and a computer and dollars to spend (or not)--there's no excuse for me to
shut up and take it while others around the world suffer and die. It's the
least I can fucking do.
So how many you think's died so far? in those icy cold mountain hills of
Afghanistan. Will you feel any better when  you hear the death toll reach
4800-5100?  I wonder what our own victims would have to say about that...
Barbara

http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=11855
" [...]Experienced, respected food aid organizations warn that even before
the bombing of Afghanistan began on October 7, some 7,500,000 Afghans were
[...] at risk of starving to death this winter. When the bombing began,
almost all delivery of food from the outside world stopped. Now, roads and
bridges are destroyed, millions more people are dislocated, and the snow is
steadily approaching from higher elevations and from the north. [...] aid
organizations, along with voices from throughout the region, have been
begging the United States to call off its bombing campaign, at least for
long enough so that aid agencies can conduct the massive transfer of food
into and throughout Afghanistan that is necessary to prevent death on a
scale the world has not seen in a long, long time.






----- Original Message -----
From: olio fargolio intempre <olio at hvc.rr.com>
To: Pynchon-L <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2001 5:44 PM
Subject: Re: NP - Ashcroft to Pursue Suicide Doctors


> dear barbara100: as a 'newbie' to the list i'll tread this minefield
> carefully.  first, i thought this was a 'pynchon' list, in which his work
> would have a degree of primacy.  is this not correct?  second, discussions
> of this type actively pursued by all or some of us who have a vital
interest
> in the six areas of very important concern to which refer would create a
> chaotic list, i presume.  however, i would be amenable to discussing these
> issues in a non-rant discourse, back channel.  i did not join this list to
> engage in the heavy intricacies of assisted suicide, abortion, the
> viability of the soul, the number of unidentified, unverified afghanis
> "blown to bits", (btw, i believe that there is conclusive proof that c.
> 4800-5100 american innocents perished on september 11, 2001), and finally
i
> do  not know the source or veracity of the number 7.5 million (close to
30%
> of the population, i think) who "lay on the brink of starvation,"  nor my
> slight inference (deduced from your 'all caps') that about a month's worth
> of questionable aggressive military effectiveness on the part of the u.s.
> over 30 days could wreak starvation, so quickly, to so many, so
effectively
> that this number of afghanis would reach their terminal point of existence
> on this blessed and cursed earth.  finally, could you do me a favor? one
> exclamation point is as effective as 4,  i understand these issues are a
> source of upset to you.  i stand ready to discuss some or all of these
> issues privately with you, as well as the hordes of bipolar schizoes who
> frequent this list. ah, it is good to lose one's virginity in front of so
> many complete strangers.  love/olio/xxx
>
> I think it's pretty interesting that some of our politicians care so much
> for the terminally ill and the unborn, and work so hard to protect them,
but
> don't bat an eye when hundreds of viable souls are blown to bits
> *accidentally* and 7.5 MILLION LAY ON THE BRINK OF STARVATION!!!!
>
> Makes a person wonder what's going on in their minds, ya know...