Pynchon and fascism

[s~Z]

>>> Hence the discussion has moved from
political activism per se to the relationship between govt and
electorate. <<<

And an understanding of whether or not a given perspective is 'fascist'
requires looking at the historical context and the perspectives of both the
govt and the electorate with as little knee-jerk labeling as possible.
Pynchon works overtime in the essay, and in his novels,  to avoid
oversimplified caricatures of very complex issues. Perhaps this is why he
does not directly go for emotionally laden topics such as the Holocaust or
9/11, because the horror of such events, and the proximity of the latter,
leads to knee-jerk reactions on all sides of any debate. During such
emergencies we are most vulnerable to fear and 'fascism.' In perusing an
essay we can step back and look more dispassionately at the intricacies of
the big picture, including the perspectives of enemies and possible
fascists..

Thanks to Paul N for offering a detailed analysis of the essay with which we
can interact. I'm still chewing on other matters in his posts.