VLVL Count Drugula, or Mucho the Munificent

[Williams Kris A SSgt 305 MDSS/SGSL]

I don't know what qualifies as 'dangerously' close, but how would you
classify Lincoln's actions with the copperheads, his suppression of
habeas corpus and his assumption of all powers not expressly given by
the constitution?  These actions were belligerently nationalistic.  Is
it only fascism when the guy calling the shots is an asshole?  

b.t.w., I'm glad he did all that.


-----Original Message-----
From: Terrance [mailto:lycidas2 at earthlink.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 2004 11:22 AM
Cc: pynchon-l at waste.org
Subject: Re: VLVL Count Drugula, or Mucho the Munificent


> 
> My intention is to get out of the text what's within. What I don't get
out
> of it is your blind eye to the crimes of the federal agents and the
state
> that is presented in the novel. The novel depicts a -fictional-
reality that
> seemed to require a counterforce, may it have failed or not. I don't
think
> that many Americans would admit that America's been so dangerouly
close
> to fascism as the novel tells.

The USA has never been dangerously close to fascism. It has never had a
dictator. 
No government in the USA, not even  FDR's government during the Great
Depression and the Second World War, was dangerously close to fascism.
Strict social and economic control by a centralized government,
suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, a policy of
belligerent nationalism and racism, these are simply not part of the
history of USA.  Look to Germany, The Soviet Union, China, Cuba, Italy,
Japan, lots of other nations, but not the USA. Pynchon novels may be
read as warnings: what can happen there, could happen to US. But to
argue that the USA was dangerously close to fascism under Nixon or
Reagan or Carter of Clinton or any other president, including FDR, is
reason without reason.