"fascistic disposition" paragraph

[Michael Joseph]

I agree. Besides, bombs begin to fall on one's homeland refers to a
generalized fear, a myth of loss, a discourse about acts of repression
that takes on a ritualistic, restorative, function. Bombs falling on the
homeland is real in the existential sense because it adverts to an
exemplary situation, which may be why fixing its meaning here where nobody
seems ever persuaded of anything, seems of such moment. The sacrifice of
civil rights that necessarily follows the falling of the homeland becomes
tantamount to an imitatio dei, a national sacrifice whose ontological
value sits well below ideological conflict.

Michael



 On Mon, 12 May 2003, barbara100 at jps.net wrote:

> From: "jbor" <jbor at bigpond.com>
> If he had wished to address that particular day
> > specifically, or even as part of the general allusion, then something like
> > "the moment one's homeland comes under air attack" would have served the
> > purpose.
>
> Now how lame is that?! You're putting words in Pynchon's mouth. "The moment
> one's homeland comes under air attack" vs. "the moment enemy bombs begin to
> fall on one's homeland.
> He would never say it your way. It has no beat, no rhythm, no flow. And it's
> in passive voice!  Coming under "air" attack as opposed to the bombs having
> a falling action of their own, on the homeland.  It's much crafter when
> active. And our man is crafty...
>
>