BtZ42/12 -two links and two questions

[Mark Kohut]

from Laura:
Here's an interesting take on the propaganda activities of the Political
Warfare Executive, from the point of view of Richard Crossman, who headed
the German section of the PWE, and therefore was responsible for
propaganda. A passionate devotee of all things German, to the point where
some questioned his enthusiasm, he opposed the heavy-handed American
propaganda, in favor of a more muted approach, to get inside the German
mind. Specifically, black propaganda which pretended to be pro-Nazi, while
sowing seeds of doubt and dissent.

Richard Crossman got more real fame, even in the US, when this postwar
BESTSELLER was published. His idea and
lassoing of writers. Was still selling when I was a young bookseller. Fed
into the anti-Communism atmosphere.

Once in charge of propaganda, everything might be seen as propaganda.

as Monte and Morris are always saying.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_God_that_Failed

On Wed, Jun 1, 2016 at 2:18 PM, <kelber at mindspring.com> wrote:

> The fictional BBC propagandist, Myron Grunton, appears to be based on this
> guy (whatever's in wikipedia MUST be true, right? Couldn't find a better
> source):
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sefton_Delmer
>
> Here's an interesting take on the propaganda activities of the Political
> Warfare Executive, from the point of view of Richard Crossman, who headed
> the German section of the PWE, and therefore was responsible for
> propaganda. A passionate devotee of all things German, to the point where
> some questioned his enthusiasm, he opposed the heavy-handed American
> propaganda, in favor of a more muted approach, to get inside the German
> mind. Specifically, black propaganda which pretended to be pro-Nazi, while
> sowing seeds of doubt and dissent.
>
>
> https://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/mrc/explorefurther/digital/crossman/urss/shaef/
>
> Two questions about Episode 12:
>
> 1. "Maybe because this is 1945." That's a pretty explicit statement from
> Pynchon that this is happening in 1945. It's made in the context of the
> Hungarian doctor Rosie's (for short) ruminations on how to keep funding
> alive post-war. But Weissburger insits that "someone fell asleep" because
> this is supposed to be December 1945, in terms of the narrative. All I can
> say is, if we grant Weissburger this mistake, then I get to declare that
> Peter Sachsa's 1930 death is also a mistake (that year of his death
> creating a timeline where Bianca is older than the 12 years we're told she
> is at the time Slothrop meets her).
>
> 2. There's a reference to Dr. Rosie's accent and gestures being an attempt
> to cash in on a resemblance to his most famous compatriot. I'm stumped. Not
> Dracula, who's Romanian. Personally, I think his stylized accent sounds a
> lot like Dr. Strangelove. I know I'm about to be rendered into an idiot
> when someone here points out the obvious. I'm OK - enlighten me, please!
>
> LK
>
>
>
> - Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?listpynchon-l
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