Foreowrd "The Habit of Point-for-Point Analogy"

[Cyrus]

Malignd wrote:

><<"Now, those of fascistic disposition--or merely
>those among us who remain all too ready to justify any
>government action, whether right or wrong--will
>immediately point out that this is prewar thinking,
>and that the moment enemy bombs begin to fall on one's
>homeland, altering the landscape and producing
>casualties among friends and neighbors, all this sort
>of thing, really, becomes irrelevant, if not indeed
>subversive.  With the homland in danger, strong
>leadership and effective measures become of the
>essence, and if you want to call that fascism, very
>well, call it whatever you please, no one is likely to
>be listening, unless it's for the air arids to be over
>and the all clear to sound.  But the unseemliness of
>an argument--let alone a prophecy--in the heat of some
>later emergency does not necessarily make it wrong. 
>One could certainly argue that Churchill's war cabinet
>had behaved no differently than a fascist regime,
>censoring news, controlling wages and prices,
>restricting travel, subordinating civil liberties to
>self-defined wartime necessity.">>
>
>I have read the above a number of times and I find it
>interesting and vexing; vexing primarily because of
>lack of a sure context within the larger piece, but
>also because of (what seems to be, anyway, given the
>lack of context) a sloppiness of attribution or flow
>on Pynchon's part.
>
>The first sentence enunciates what Pynchon feels would
>be an argument from "those of fascistic disposition"
>and perhaps less rabid government justifiers that
>enemy bombs and casualties make "all this sort of
>thing irrelevant, if not indeed subversive." 
>
>I'm assuming this "sort of thing" is complaint against
>those who hold with "any government action, whether
>right or wrong."
>
>Translated: {Those of a fascistic disposition would
>say that]people who complain about a too-controlling
>government shut up right quick when their protection
>is at stake.  So I read it, in any case.  
>
>  
>

Given the lack of context, this seems fair.

>Here it becomes tricky.  The second sentence,
>beginning "with the homeland in danger ..."  Is
>Pynchon continuing to enunciate the fascistic
>disposition?
>

Yes.

>  If so, is he in agreement with it?
>

Apparently not.

>  Or is he speaking there in his own voice?  And, in either
>case, is he not in (at least limited) agreement with
>the position, that "strong leadership and effective
>measures become of the essence"?  
>

Nothing in this extract can support such a conclusion.

>The unseemly argument would seem to be, in P's opinion
>(or P in agreement with the rhetorical fascist),
>Orwell's calling the British government fascistic,
>unseemly during time of war.  Further, Pynchon is
>saying that such complaint that a government is acting
>fascistically when there's a war on is "unseemly,"
>even if true.  Unseemly (even if true!) to point out
>that Churchill's war cabinet behaved no differently
>than a fascist regime ..."
>
>Again, I'm hobbled by the lack of continuity and
>context as well as questionable syntax.  But, is
>Pynchon not saying here that, with a war on, one does
>best to shut up and support the troops?
>
>Hardly a radical position, but one I should think not
>in accord with attitudes readily assumed and
>attributed to Pynchon by many on this board.
>

I'm afraid here you're deducing things that aren't there. By saying the 
argument in question is "unseemly even if true", you stress the 
"unseemly" part. Pynchon is stressing the other part. This sentence 
comes as a sort of answer to the "fascist" reasoning before it. It's 
perfectly clear to me that what he means is: although the argument in 
question may be considered by the "fascists" unseemly, it still remains 
true. However, using either your reading or mine, it does not follow 
that Pynchon is saying that with a war on on does best to shut up and 
support the troops. This seems to me a sort of ... er ... malignant 
deduction.

Btw, I don't find P's syntax questionable, nor sloppy.

Cyrus