unthinkable thoughts

[Terrance]

Paul Mackin wrote:

 Each message may be seen by
> some as unseemly. Neither message however it wrong.
> 
> Sounds Poly-Annist but Pynchon thinks it worth a mention.
> 
> P.

Well, as long as both messages are permitted. But that's not what
happened. What we got was extended wiretapping authority, the power to
detain suspicious immigrants indefinitely and without charge, powers
enabling the Justice Department to get financial and other records
without having to secure a warrant and show probable cause, and so on.
How we got it was nearly as frightening as the result. Ashcroft and
company pushed to have the Bill passed in three days and a democratic
congress led by the democratic leadership in both chambers passed it
without giving the nation  an opportunity to debate it. Journalist with
political axes to grind cried foul but pointed their partisan fingers at
Bush and Ashcroft thus  muddying the waters. Why not reconsider? It's
well known that the power to investigate and prevent the kind of attack
that took place on 9-11 were in place prior to the Patriot Act. But the
mood, the passion, the anthrax, the dust and blood, blinded a Nation and
handed the Executive branch more power than it needs, a grave danger to
our system of government. How dangerous? Floating out there is a Patriot
II draft. Patriot II would permit the indefinite and secret detention,
and interrogation of anyone, even US citizens. The Bill, if passed,
would give the government the authority to strip any citizen of
citizenship. I don't feel to secure. I mean, with people like Doug
around d ready to rat me out and all. I can see him now, his fishing rod
and his 12 steps bible and his copy of Gravity's Rainbow, calling the
INS. Immigrants are going back home. The economy is in the toilet.
Unions people are nervous about all this. The AFL-CIO passed a
resolution, "We can not accept excessive secrecy and unaccountable power
that deny Americans the ability to question the authority and evaluate
the conduct of their government." In NYC we are in desperate shape. We
are closing out libraries. It's sad. Really sad. Pynchon live in NYC,
lives in AMerica, but he has nothing whatever to say about all this? 

 The guy doesn't want to say anything about it. If he did he would. That
is, unless Doug is his clone or something.