A REMEMBRANCE: GORE VIDAL AND OKC
Last week one of my favorite men-of-letters passed away: Gore Vidal. For me, Vidal was the embodiment of that cultural analysis that I think is so necessary to our future. A man of the political left, Vidal was as unsparing of the moral posturing of Dummycrookery as he was of Republithuggery, though doubtless he would have viewed my characterizations of our "two" political parties as inelegant. At the deeper level, Vidal saw into the roots of the American empire in its heroes and myths.
But it was perhaps for his questioning of the whole official narrative of the Oklahoma City Bombing that Vidal most scandalized the political left that claimed him as their own, for he was just not swallowing the pill... but then again, he never was a part of the matrix.
The Meaning of Timothy McVeigh
See you on the flip side...
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“Just as I expected, seventy-two percent of the male students are circumcised. At Clem’s party I had been reminded of the promiscuous way in which American doctors circumcise males in childhood, a practice I highly disapprove of , agreeing with that publisher who is forever advertising in the New York Times Book Review a work which proves that circumcision is necessary for only a very few men. For the rest, it constitutes, in advertising’s phrase, ” a rape of the penis”. ~Gore Vidal, from “Myra Breckinridge”. Thanks L.G. for sharing this. The psychological implications of circumcised boys (in men’s bodies) performing sanctioned murder is compelling.
“Just as I expected, seventy-two percent of the male students are circumcised. At Clem’s party I had been reminded of the promiscuous way in which American doctors circumcise males in childhood, a practice I highly disapprove of, agreeing with that publisher who is forever advertising iln the New York Times Book Review, a work which proves that circumcision is necessary for only a very few men. For the rest, it constitutes, in advertising’s phrase, ‘A rape of the penis’.” Gore Vidal, from “Myra Breckinridge” in Chapt. 22. Thanks L.G. for sharing this. The psychological implications of cutboys(in men’s bodies) performing sanctioned murder is compelling.
hearing him and buckley go at it was like seeing forman and ali…..read a few of his books.great man!.a TRUE LIBERAL .not the newer borg version.
For being raised in the wrong circles, you might say,
Vidal was an OK guy, you might say
😉
One of those all too rare voices, that got press echoing discouraging words across the vast U.S. plains of the mainstream press chorus. A chorus that sang the governmental hyms of acquiescence, while humming K – ching cash register tunes.
“For me, Vidal was the embodiment of that cultural analysis that I think is so necessary to our future”- for me, too-
“though doubtless he would have viewed my characterizations of our “two” political parties as inelegant”- hardly, Dr. Farrell- if he was aware of you he would’ve probably given you a big kiss and a hug (I’m talking on the agape level- although who knows what Vidal was into in his private life… 🙂 -but we won’t ge there today…)
the “meme” of Timothy McVeigh is on the same level as the “meme” of Lee Harvey Oswald- I think I can safely say you’re preaching to the choir on this one-
many regards,
Larry