savaging of America by sections of the Left

[barbara100 at jps.net]

Thank, Terrance, for that fine summation of Doug's thougthful and informative posts over the last two weeks. You've convinced me; my support is solidified--I'll ally myself with Doug's savagery over yours anyday! I know a big rocket when I see one. 


Original Message:
-----------------
From: Terrance lycidas2 at earthlink.net
Date: Tue, 02 Oct 2001 13:33:28 -0400
To: pynchon-l at waste.org
Subject: Re: "savaging of America by sections of the Left" 


For the most part Doug, you have called for  peace, criticized the
government, big business and the press. However, the reason you complain
about Rushdie's essay is obvious. 

Here is your complaint: 

"I've yet to encounter -- in person or in print -- any
critic of U.S. policy who seeks "to excuse such an
atrocity."  In fact, virtually every response, across
the political spectrum, condemns the attacks.
Rushdie's rhetorical move here is weak." 

 Rushdie identifies the people he is talking about. He is talking about
sections of the Left. Those sections of the Left are the people you read
and post to this list. And you have done so during the last two weeks.
Your own comments are not as clearly stated, but there is no doubt that
you were offended by Rushdie's criticism of the sections of the Left
because you share their opinions and have yourself savaged America
during a time mourning even as you complain that the government has not
allowed us all to mourn. 

In your posts, in the essays and interviews and articles you have posted
here in the last two weeks, you have allied yourself with the sections
of the Left who are savaging America. 

Your opinion and the  opinions of the sections of the Left you have
posted here is easily described, and Rushdie has provided a very good
description. 


And you drag Pynchon into it: 

"We might also look to GR for insight into the causes
of War -- in the Pynchonian world view -- and how that
might relate to the current situation. No accident
that  the U.S. military and financial powers are the
focus of hatred, given the violence that they have
perpetrated and sponsored." 

Here is an example. You posted this Chomsky interview.  

"Bin Laden may or may not be
directly implicated in these acts, but it is
likely that the network in which he was a prime figure
is -- that is,
the network established by the US and its allies for
their own purposes
and supported as long as it served those purposes. " 

there are, naturally, very strong temptations to ignore one's own
role -- which in this case, is not difficult to unearth, and indeed is
familiar to everyone who has any familiarity with the region and
its recent history. [...] 

--Noam Chomsky, in an interview distributed yesterday

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