NP Afghanistan

[Doug Millison]

rj/rjackson/jbor/?:
>Your use of the term "dogpack" is offensive.

And butter wouldn't melt in your mouth, I'm sure. I -- and many others --
observe that a small number of folks routinely chime in and attack whomever
it is you're currently disagreeing with on Pynchon-L, beginning with your
earliest appearances on this listserv.  This was the case when "Morris" and
kai joined your relentless attacks on Charles Hollander and Terrance a
couple of years ago, and it happened again when you attacked Derek last
year ( the way kai picked up your argument and ran with it, even after
Derek had noted the anti-Semetic potential of "maus" used as an epithet,
you stood by as kai continued what you had begun) , it's happening now with
me.  They behave like a pack of dogs in your defense, and it's obvious to a
lot of P-listers, most of whom don't see the point in challenging you on
this any more, because it is wearying to have a dozen jabbering voices to
contend with on even the most non-controversial points, to get, as jbframe
said recently, on your shit list. They seem to be attacking specific
individuals and bombing the list on your behalf, and have consistently done
this for a couple of years now. I don't know what to suggest except that
you might want to ask them not to embarrass you in this manner any longer,
unless you like what they're doing.

rj/rjackson/jbor/?:
 >Yes, real people who contribute
>to the pynchon-list disagree with the anti-American position you have staked
>out in regard to the current situation in Afghanisation,

I'm certain some real people do disagree with my views on the War -- about
90 percent of Americans do, according to some polls, and, hard as it is for
me to believe, some people who clam a deep affinity with Pynchon's writings
also seem to support this war.  Only, on Pynchon-L so many of them tend to
show up under goofy names like Pantychrist, Olio, Fester, Dingleberry, etc.
ad nauseum, spouting virtually the same arguments offered by
rj/rjackson/jbor/?, "Morris", Mackin, Quail, Terrance (and only God knows
how many anonymous email accounts he has created), Malign, and Otto.  Looks
funny to me, and you offer no evidence that they aren't your own alter egos
or creations of the members of your dogpack -- no evidence that I've seen,
at least.   But maybe they are real people who choose to post anonymously
-- I couldn't care less who they are, I still disagree with them about this
war.

It's true that a handful of people have spoken up in agreement with some of
the anti-War stuff I've posted, and on my anti-War readings of Pynchon, but
these are not people who have consistently supported my positions on
Pynchon-L. -- were they at my side, for example, in our Holocaust in GR
debate? No.  Were  a whole bunch of funnyfakename P-listers attacking me
during that Holocaust argument with you? Yes.  And I don't see a small army
of fake names coming on line to attack you, or Terrance, or anybody else,
the way your dogpack does with their anonymous ad hominem assaults and
obscenities directed to me or whomever else you're disagreeing with. I
suggest to you that just as, regrettably, there seem to be Pynchon readers
who support this barbaric attack on Afghanistan, there are also Pynchon
readers who oppose it.   But -- unlike your dogpack -- these are not people
who have consistently supported my positions over the past couple or more
years.

I'll let the other folks you've mentioned speak for themselves if they wish
to do so.  I'm sure they don't consider themselves figments of anybody's
imagination, I have exchanged offlist email with most of the people you
name, and I have exchanged snail mail with some, too.   As I've said
before, I encourage you to firm up your own identity and distance yourself
from these anonymous folks who have joined your various crusades against
one and then another P-lister.  If you know who slothrop666 is, I suggest
you tell him or her to stop such a pointed effort to discredit me.  Now
that, apparently, you will finally be joining Charles Hollander and the
other writers for Pynchon Notes, do you really want to be identified with
this pack of dogs who bark in your defense on Pynchon-L?  You are known, to
a certain degree at least, by the company you keep, and you're hanging with
some pretty creepy folks -- and I sincerely I hope this doesn't get in the
way of your efforts to establish yourself as a Pynchon critic.

-Doug

By the way, if you're really from Australia as you claim to be, what
business is it of yours who is "American" or "anti-American"? I'd say
you're off your turf.  Or, maybe you're not who you say you are.




Doug Millison - Writer/Editor/Web Editorial Consultant
millison at online-journalist.com
www.Online-Journalist.com