[lit-ideas] Re: Is Huntington right?

  • From: "Lawrence Helm" <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 21:33:12 -0700

I can't be right about that, "actually," because that wasn't part of our
discussion; furthermore it isn't anything I believe.  As to loving guns
being a sign of militarism, baloney.  Our early pioneers appreciated guns
because they got food with them and they used them for protection against
the Indians.  We love our Second Amendment right because it enables us to
defend ourselves.  Prior to World War II, despite all our guns we were
basically an isolationist country.  We had to be talked into supporting the
allies in WWI and WWII.  We were (despite our guns) extremely
unmilitaristic.  Only after WWII when it became clear that Europe and the
rest of the world was hopelessly messed up did we decide not to withdraw
once again behind our two-ocean blanket and pull the covers back up over our
heads.  

 

Lawrence

 

 

 

  _____  

From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Andy Amago
Sent: Monday, April 10, 2006 9:22 PM
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Is Huntington right?

 

You're right, actually.  We love our guns, big guns, little guns, useful
guns or useless guns.  We love 'em all.  So obviously do the Japanese.  It's
hard to imagine that people who love guns are not militaristic.  It might be
why they buddy up to the gaijin Americans.  It's unlikely that they would
actually start a war since they having an aging society (so few workers they
might be either importing Chinese workers or exporting work to China) but
America is their Jungian Shadow, their counterpart.  We do what they used to
do, only not as savagely.  We are their stooges, running around the world
going boom boom with our real tanks.  Birds of a feather ...

 

 

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

From: Lawrence <mailto:lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>  Helm 

To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sent: 4/10/2006 11:46:43 PM 

Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Is Huntington right?

 

You needed to overlook what I wrote to manage this one.  I wrote We did
indeed clash with them in 1941-1945, but once their militaristic government
was overturned, they have evinced an enormous number of similarities to the
U.S.   

 

I indicated some of the things I admired about Japan, their poetry, their
Samurai tradition, a sensitive writer like Shohei Ooka, and a courageous
warrior like Sabaru Sakai, but Omar concluded that I must like them because
they are racist and you conclude that I shouldnt forgive them because of
the 1937 Rape of Nanking during their militaristic period.  Quite
imaginative of you two.  

 

Lawrence

 

 

 

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