Late capitalism a quote

[David Morris]

On Fri, Dec 24, 2021 at 6:27 PM Joseph Tracy <brook7 at sover.net> wrote:

> in ATD, Kit and Lake's path were a lot lonelier than Reef or Frank’s.


I’m just getting back to ATD since my first reading when it was brand new,
so I don’t remember much about the stories of the paths of all Webb’s kids. *I
don’t think any of them could be seen as a referendum on their fate
relative to their fidelity to following Webb’s directions.*  Is that what
you were looking for?  If not, I’m not following your implications in your
statement above.  Innuendo?

But a more careful reading might tell us some more nuanced things.

I do remember Reef participating in some kinky cum-trading three-way sex
(on a train?).  And I think he was a rich-lady’s rent boy who tried to get
it on with her toy poodle (?).  I don’t think the Unions have much to do
with those scenes.

And one can only be so surprised that union members did not want to
> identify with someone who had just been murdered by company thugs.


Right.  It’s not like he gave his life for them, or anything.  Umm.  Wait!
What???

Blah, blah, blah…

>    The primary and most effective tactic of the unions was the non-violent
> withholding of labor to achieve bargaining status. This cost them many
> lives and made things better for future workers. Do people have a right to
> self defense or violent revolution against an oppressive government? US
> history started twith that premise,  but violence has many downsides as a
> means to justice, quickly becomes a bad habit. Pynchon seems to be able to
> offer a nuanced  picture of these struggles but not much sympathy for the
> violence of plutocrats or state aggression which were far out of proportion
> to the relatively rare instances of anarchist violence.
>