Re: “Look It Up, Check It Out”: REX 84 and the History of an American Conspiracy

[Mark Kohut]

And a man, a more trivial observation from me than Thomas', who was
declared by the state of Virginia
as not of good enough character to get a gun license. in the 90s.

On Tue, May 8, 2018 at 3:17 AM, Thomas Eckhardt <thomas.eckhardt at uni-bonn.de
> wrote:

> 'Oliver North is, hands down, the absolute best choice to lead our NRA
> Board, to fully engage with our members, and to unflinchingly stand and
> fight for the great freedoms he has defended his entire life," NRA
> executive vice president and CEO Wayne LaPierre said in a statement on the
> pick.'
> https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/07/politics/nra-oliver-north/index.html
>
> On Oliver North, Rex 84, its historical context and its impact on
> literature ("White Noise", "Vineland") and the popular imagination, see:
> https://wearethemutants.com/2017/03/13/look-it-up-check-it-
> out-rex-84-and-the-history-of-an-american-conspiracy/
>
> That is a Pynchon quote in the title:
>
> "‘In the olden days we called it the last roundup,’ DL explained. ‘Liked
> to scare each other with it, thought it was always real enough. The day
> they’d come and break into your house and put everybody in prison camps.
>  Not fun or sitcom prison
> camps, more like feedlots where we’d all become official, nonhuman
> livestock.’
> ‘You’ve seen camps like this?’ At once there seeped into the cheery space
> a silence like a stain in the light. Ditzah, at her editing table
> trembling, seemed to turn her body from what DL would say, to present less
> of a target, but DL only answered evenly.
> ‘Yep, I’ve seen ’em, your mom was in one, you’ll recall, but better than
> us reminiscing and boring you, go to the library sometime and read about
> it. Nixon had machinery for mass detention all in place and set to go.
> Reagan’s got it for when he invades Nicaragua. Look it up, check it out.’"
> VL, 264
>
> "Transcripts from the Iran-Contra Hearings in 1987 record the following
> dialogue between Congressman Jack Brooks, Oliver North's attorney Brendan
> Sullivan and Senator Daniel Inouye, the Democratic Chair of the joint
> Senate–House Committee:
> [Congressman Jack]
>
> Brooks: Colonel North, in your work at the N.S.C. were you not assigned,
> at one time, to work on plans for the continuity of government in the event
> of a major disaster?
> Brendan Sullivan [North's counsel, agitatedly]: Mr. Chairman?
> [Senator Daniel] Inouye: I believe that question touches upon a highly
> sensitive and classified area so may I request that you not touch upon that?
> Brooks: I was particularly concerned, Mr. Chairman, because I read in
> Miami papers, and several others, that there had been a plan developed, by
> that same agency, a contingency plan in the event of emergency, that would
> suspend the American constitution. And I was deeply concerned about it and
> wondered if that was an area in which he had worked. I believe that it was
> and I wanted to get his confirmation.
> Inouye: May I most respectfully request that that matter not be touched
> upon at this stage. If we wish to get
> into this, I'm certain arrangements can be made for an executive session."
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_84
>
> "Ollie for President, he'll get things done."
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJMP0FEz51U
>
> Look it up, check it out.
>
> --
> Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
>