[lit-ideas] Re: Amis Antithesis

  • From: "Lawrence Helm" <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 18 Sep 2006 05:08:07 -0700

I try to assume that you will show some sense and you produce this.  Ah
well, I must stick to my modus operendi: hope springs eternal.  

 

You are terribly misinformed.  The "whole world" said nothing of the kind.
We would have had the same deal going into Iraq that we had going into
Afghanistan had France and several other countries not had secret (not so
secret) deals with Saddam and guaranteed him that they would block the US
from forming a coalition to enforce the UN resolutions.  Our choice was
caving in to France & Saddam or enforcing the resolutions with a coalition
of the willing.  Forget the garbage you are throwing out.  It is Leftist
nonsense -- just not true.  You are sniffing the wrong glue. 

 

You just aren't interested in really thinking about these things, are you?
You stick to the Leftist party line and prefer Bush-bashing.  Okay, forget I
said anything.  I'm off to the river with my dogs.

 

Lawrence

 

  _____  

From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Mike Geary
Sent: Monday, September 18, 2006 12:58 AM
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Amis Antithesis

 

The thing is, Lawrence, the whole world told those stupid,
plutocratic-fascist little shitheads in Washington not to invade Iraq.  But
they knew that they understand the world better than anyone else, even
though they'd never experienced the world beyond their country clubs and
library stacks.  Surprise, surprise!  What everyone told those geniuses has
proven to be true.  So now we have a clutch of Stasi boys running around the
world torturing and disappearing and assassinating people and generally
destroying what little moral standing America has left in the world in the
name of saving her.  And, get this, Lawrence, now our President --
unarguably the most dense and incompetent man in world (except maybe for the
Pope) -- holds forth that a Third Spiritual Awakening is taking place in
America.  Dear God.   And yet you still believe in them and their henchmen.
My, my.  If the last 6 years hasn't taught you anything, Lawrence, I have no
hope of doing so here.  

 

So, I'll sign off and pledge anew not to engage in these fruitless debates.


 

Mike Geary

hoping not to relapse

Memphis   

 

 

 

 

 

----- Original Message ----- 

From: Lawrence <mailto:lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>  Helm 

To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 

Sent: Sunday, September 17, 2006 11:45 PM

Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Amis Antithesis

 

Mike,

 

As to Pankaj Misra's article, this is all Leftist-party-line stuff I read a
long time ago -- regurgitated simplistic stuff -- a waste of time to read --
at least for me.  I've actually been reading some cutting-edge theories
recently (Olivier Roy, James Bowman, Gilles Kepel for example); scholars
thinking through the issues and voicing their own opinions -- and don't
bother saying I'm reading stuff I agree with because I don't agree for the
most part with two of those three authors and have serious doubts about the
third but they are fascinating to read.   

 

I don't know what you mean about taking orders, but think of my focus this
way:  I have always wanted more time to study as well as write.  I had a
good deal of free time in aerospace but now I'm unfettered.  I have a good
pension and 401 and can afford to buy all the books I want, and I have the
health and leisure to read them.  My ambition is to know.  I'm not a member
of any group.  I'm not an activist.  Even a cursory familiarity with what
I've been reading should show you I've been reading widely.  Yes, I've
eliminated the rereading of the Leftist point of view (which says to you,
Irene, Andreas, Simon, etc that I am missing the one true truth), but I have
studied it.  I am not terribly interested in revisiting it because it was
the failed view of Edward Said and John Esposito (both of whom I've read) --
the view that failed to anticipate Militant Islam.  But I have been seeking
out various points of view, even the viewpoint of the Islamists themselves.


 

Lawrence 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Mike Geary
Sent: Sunday, September 17, 2006 7:18 PM
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Amis Antithesis

 

LH:

>>And this one too, sent out without comment?????  What is it?  A nervous 

>>twitch?  Hitting the reply/send instead of "delete"?  One too many Jack 

>>Daniels?  Banging the keyboard in frustration and accidentally sending 

>>these uncommented upon messages to Lit-Ideas? <<

 

 

No, not Jack Daniels unfortunately, just some interruptions and a badly 

aimed cursor.

 

I must say, I was surprised at your response to Pankaj Mishra's article.  I 

found it spot on and your response to it jejune.  But you probably won't be 

surprised at my response either.  I don't see any sense in arguing it as I 

suspect you're too deeply mired in your My Country Right Or Wrong 

simplicities to understand anything but an order from a superior.  Alas, 

that's your life.  Just thought you should know that Pankaj and Simon aren't


alone.

 

Mike Geary

Memphis 

 

 

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