NP? modernity, terrorism, truth and relevance?

[bandwraith at aol.com]

I would probably reserve sympathy for the time being, but I think it's counter-productive to turn him into a Devil without trying to understand the complexities behind such a monstrous act. That may test the patience of some but it's vital for the health of our society. 

There are some obvious questions: How did "Russian Authorities" get wind of him and become worried enough to contact the U.S. global law enforcement hierarchy? I'm sure it wasn't just because he was hole'd up in a dingy apt. meditating on the Koran. He obviously had contact with more organized factions of at least Islamic Radicalism to make it on to their radar screen. A' and what are the cooperative connections between the Russians and the U.S. in this regard? What else is being shared, and by whom, exactly?

You don't have to be obsessed with Hitler's aftershave, or a neoliberal enforcer with footwear issues to be aware of The Russian Mob and how dangerous they can be. Sometimes the enemy of my enemy is my enemy. Who knows what pressures were being brought to bear on his family, and by whom. Maybe none, but I would venture there's more here than can waved away as "conspiracy theory." Even if not, just the depravity of the actions of someone seemingly normal does not bode well for an open a civil society. 


-----Original Message-----
From: David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com>
To: bandwraith <bandwraith at aol.com>
Cc: pynchon-l <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Tue, Apr 23, 2013 10:58 pm
Subject: Re: NP? modernity, terrorism, truth and relevance?


Dz seems a tragic consequence of big brother/father cult influence.  I feel sorry for him.

On Tuesday, April 23, 2013, wrote:





-----Original Message-----
From: bandwraith <bandwraith at aol.com>
To: pynchon-l <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Tue, Apr 23, 2013 7:31 am
Subject: Re: NP? modernity, terrorism, truth and relevance?


Sorry, mal, I must have over looked this last evening. 
 
It is so hard to see anything good or even human in the actions of the Tsarnaev brothers. Trying to understanding them seems alomost self-hating. Your "Who knew?"- more about my simplistic testosterone comment- seems really more to the point about Dzhokhar's persona. Of all the people who did know him and interact with him prior to the horrendus events, that I heard interviewed, not one of them could believe he could have been capable of such a monstrous lack of empathy. He seems truly Other than "We."
 
The system may put him to death, or no, we'll see, but that's all after the fact. What new barometers will be devised, and how will they be applied, for measuring the potential danger of people who otherwise seem so normal? I find the prospects troubling.


 
-----Original Message-----
From: malignd malignd at aol.com
To: pynchon-l <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Mon, Apr 22, 2013 6:28 pm
Subject: Re: NP? modernity, terrorism, truth and relevance?


<<I think many agree- physically, he's not hard to look at.>> 


He's a murderer but hey! he's cute!  And sociable!  Cut the kid some slack!


<<Men, in general, are more prone to aggression and violence, much of that due testosterone.>>


Who knew?


-----Original Message-----
From: bandwraith <bandwraith at aol.com>
To: pynchon-l <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Sun, Apr 21, 2013 6:14 pm
Subject: Re: NP? modernity, terrorism, truth and relevance?


Dzhokhar is especially troubling and difficult to understand. I think many agree- physically, he's not hard to look at. From what I've read and heard, he's bright and sociable. He seemed to have alot going for him. Maybe there is more about him that will come out. Until then, it's an enigma. 
 
Men, in general, are more prone to aggression and violence, much of that due testosterone. It's tough to say whether background checks would have been useful in this case, but they might have been, given the older brother's encounter with the FBI. Of course, that's part of the reason why extremists of any stripe are resisting them.
 
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: kelber <kelber at mindspring.com>
To: pynchon-l <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Sun, Apr 21, 2013 4:57 pm
Subject: Re: NP? modernity, terrorism, truth and relevance?


It's much easier politically to connect the Boston Marathon bombers with al Qaeda-style terrorism, than to connect them to the mentally ill (i.e. without apparent ideology) gunmen from Columbine to Newton. But surely young men who amass huge arsenals of weapons, for whatever reason, must have some psychological similarities. 


Laura

-----Original Message----- 
From: bandwraith at aol.com 
Sent: Apr 21, 2013 4:48 PM 
To: pynchon-l at waste.org 
Subject: Re: NP? modernity, terrorism, truth and relevance? 


Interesting. The motives and methods of Al Qaeda could certainly use better explanation then I, at least, have been able to come across. It's been sort of like the caution not to speculate on the motives and rationales of Hitler for fear of making him appear sympathetic, or at least human. Get more mileage from a Defense and National Security funding perspective by painting Al Qaeda as pure evil- beyond understanding, rather than trying to understand them, which might lead to counter strategies that actually work. But my liberal skirt is showing...


 
-----Original Message-----
From: rich <richard.romeo at gmail.com>
To: Bandwraith at aol.com <bandwraith at aol.com>
Cc: “pynchon-l at waste.or 
g“ <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Sun, Apr 21, 2013 3:54 pm
Subject: Re: NP? modernity, terrorism, truth and relevance?



john gray wrote an interesting book on al aqaeda


here's a reviewers description of relevance from the Independent

How, th








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