Noam Chomsky's statement on killing of Osama bin Laden

[Mark Kohut]

I know this isn't directed at me, but I just want to add, Joseph, after our last 
exchange---
and with statements of your vision (if I got it right)  I alluded to positively 
in another post or two I made 

last evening, 
I think I agree with a lot of your observations about our--US; West; 
world's--militaristic undergirding,
about the slow--and sometimes faster---turn to undemocratic decision-making; to 
the creep of "friendly--and
very not so---fascism" and more...................

My general love of Pynchon is because of his vision toward seeing that 
stuff.....

I guess I see my politics that partly comes out of the above, differently than 
you do yours........

And I'm often unhappy with mine....but so be it.

Mark



----- Original Message ----
From: Joseph Tracy <brook7 at sover.net>
To: pynchon-l at waste.org
Sent: Sun, May 15, 2011 7:12:09 PM
Subject: Re: Noam Chomsky's statement on killing of Osama bin Laden


On May 15, 2011, at 10:02 AM, alice wellintown wrote:

> Actually, although quite difficult to measure, the growth of democracy
> continues at an astounding pace.

Democracy is growing where the US has  lost control:  most of the southern 
Americas but most tenuous in Mexico, Columbia and  Honduras where our influence 
is strongest.  The hunger for democracy is strong and growing across the world 
and not least in places where we have supported dictators like Mubarak. My 
argument is entirely about the the US military economic empire and its 
corrupting effects on Constitutional Law and democratic process here and 
abroad.. The point about energy is that our current  bi-partisan solution is the 
anti-democratic use of force, the propping up of a predatory and still 
unregulated banking system, and the denial of meaningful measures to address 
carbon emissions, or conserve energy .  


Things are not getting better. The Gulf is being turned into a dead zone, we are 
at the beginning of a long period of climate catastrophes like the flooding in 
the large river systems  and droughts in many regions, we rely on unsustainable 
agricultural practices, and we spend an insane  amount of money on wars that are 
doing far more harm than good. The point is not about democracy as an idea  with 
global appeal. It's about us. Where is the great democratic improvement in Iraq. 
How is the US exhibiting or promoting the  best values of our history. 


At any rate democracy is useless if it leads to fracking, wars of aggression, 
investment scams  and  mountaintop removal.  But these problems are not caused 
by a tyranny of the majority , but the ability of the elite to obstruct the will 
of the people. Obama is on the side of that elite. His promises sounded good but 
they were all lies.  One more president to substitute military adventures  and 
wall street deals for the courage of his stated convictions.