Gene Wolfe's Politics

brunians at brunians.org · 01 Apr 2009, 13:46 · from 2009-April.txt.gz

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From: brunians at brunians.org (brunians at brunians.org)
Date: Wed, 1 Apr 2009 09:46:24 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: (urth) Gene Wolfe's Politics
In-Reply-To: <49D34B3A.6010709 at verizon.net>
References: <mailman.1321.1238555237.12296.urth-urth.net at lists.urth.net>
	<49D34B3A.6010709 at verizon.net>
Message-ID: <3980.67.142.130.45.1238593584.squirrel at brunians.org>

Yes. David, you know, I wish I didn't have to say this, but you are very
loud, very emotional, and very wrong.

> I knew you would blatantly, simplemindedly, and yet disingenuously
> misinterpret. I was pointing out the "and everything pertaining
> thereunto." Vast black budgets, aggressive state secrecy, waste,
> corruption, influence-peddling, revolving doors, oligarchy, torture,
> pointless and illegal war.

I was thinking more of health care for disabled veterans - did you know
that veteran's have specialized health problems?-  personally, helping
them buy houses, get on with their civilian careers (which may require
some retraining) etc. I guess that just shows the difference between the
ways our minds work.

>                             That's the main purpose of government?

The main purpose of government is to prevent bad people from killing you.
I know, I think that they are making too much effort to do it also, but
there it is.

>                               Even I
> don't think you believe that.

Consider the emotional load you bring to each sentence, it seems to me
that this statement becomes truer with the omission of the first and
fourth and subsequent words. Pure gut reaction, mediated by propaganda:
the fully trained American subject in his early twenty-first century
glory. There's a scholalry paper in you and your attitudes, did you know
that? I'll never write it, thank God.

> The ONLY purpose of government, obviously, is to spend taxes as the people
> (and their corporate overlords) see fit. Period. This alone has nearly
> infinite meanings. It means "regulate interstate commerce," for example.
> (Boring, I know.)

Chilling, more like it.

> Your positioning of the military as the "main" purpose of government
> illustrates your infantile, pseudomasculine, and gun-obsessed worldview.

Ah, well I do agree with you that our conversation is going nowhere. And
since there are people who represent a more reasonable version of your
position, and do it in a much more civil manner, I think I am going to
leave you hang, boy. Argument does not consist of insult, no matter how
much contempt you may have for yourself, your interlocutor, the matter at
hand, or thought in general.

> Even Wolfe would see right through it.

You are so silly. Perhaps someday you will realize that.

Until then,

.

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