pynchon-l-digest V2 #2194

[barbara100 at jps.net]

Aw, Doug, I know it's hard (especially after reading his Sunday rebuttal),
but do try to be nice to Quail.  He is trying to be humble.  I think he's
like a lot of Americans. At first he was real supportive--even democrats
were 'solidly
behind the president.' But as the war drags on week after week, and we hear
of Afghan food stores being bombed and burned, and convalescent  hospitals
and Red Cross facilities hit in error, and UN workers mistakenly killed, not
to mention the threat here on the homeland only seeming to escalate--it's no
wonder he'd be losing confidence in the whole 'insane' endeavor.  I imagine
that's what happened in Vietnam too?  Folks started out gung-ho about
fighting communism, but as the bodies we brought back year after year, and
images came across the 6:00 news night after night, and the protesters
yelled louder and louder, opinion started to shift.  What were we? three or
four years into it before that happened? Now look, here we are only four
weeks in and maybe opinion's beginning to shift already.  Even here on the
list.  I think it's an encouraging sign. Quail's starting to turn; shit,
even Jbor thinks there should be a halt on the bombing.  I mean, it's too
little too late for our next set of victims, but I'm gonna go out on an
optimistic limb and say I think we're moving in a wiser and more peaceful
direction as a whole.  I think there might be hope for us after all.  I
seriously doubt we'll  end up killing 200 million *this* century.
Oh, God!  What am I saying?  If two million Afghans die this winter and it's
only the first year of the new century--two million x 100 years, Shit,
that's 200 million again by the end of this century! What the hell is WRONG
with us!?!
Well, hell, there is still a bright side.  At least we'll rid the world of
the barbarous Taliban who skin their victims and bathe in their blood (all
six of them) before prayers.  Don't they know how much more humane and
dignified it is to accidentally starve a million or two?  Sheesh, some
people!  Good riddins to the Taliban!

Quail, I'm a little disappointed you don't read Doug's news.  There's some
really good stuff in there.  Like that one the 'Logic of War.'  That's where
I learned 200 million innocents were killed in the 20th century.  Are you
sheltering your mind because you think it will be too painful to
acknowledge?  Or is it just pure spite for Doug that you don't read his
news?  Or is it some other reason I'm not imaginative enough to come up
with?  Regardless, if you haven't read any of his stuff--which really isn't
his at all--I'm not sure how wise it is to take issue with him for posting
it. How can one criticize what they don't read?




----- Original Message -----
From: Doug Millison <millison at online-journalist.com>
To: <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2001 6:12 PM
Subject: Re: pynchon-l-digest V2 #2193


> Quail:
> <Wow, ok, hey! Some ideas and possible solutions!
>
> All of the alternative solutions I mentioned in my earlier post today have
> been mentioned multiple times in previous posts since September 11, either
> my own or material that I have forwarded to the list.  If you want to have
> a conversation, you might consider paying attention to what the other
> person is actually saying, don't you think?
>
>
>
>
> Doug Millison - Writer/Editor/Web Editorial Consultant
> millison at online-journalist.com
> www.Online-Journalist.com