dagblog - Comments for "Infinite Winter: The Causes and Effects of Terrorism"

Nice! Thanks, LULU.

Michael Maiello — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 16:46:14 +0000

In reply to You might be interested in

Nice! Thanks, LULU.

You might be interested in

A Guy Called LULU — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 16:44:13 +0000

In reply to Infinite Winter: The Causes and Effects of Terrorism

You might be interested in this audio discussion of Infinite Jest. Included is a link to Aaron Swartz on the novels ending.

Except it's not cyclical and

PeraclesPlease — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 09:10:04 +0000

In reply to I'm blogging as I go and have

Except it's not cyclical and it's fading. When was the last Far East or Latin American war? Europe's separatist movements have chilled the last 15 years, Yugoslavia's mostly settled business, and the Ukraine flareup was mild for a civil war. The Mideast has been the center of our oil intrigue and our legacy religious battles, so its symbolism and conflicts are a bit hard to shake off, but with oil growing less critical, there's less Great Game needed.

Though France/Belgium problems are more about their colonialist adventures and their North African populations. ISIS is largely irrelevant.

Onecycle though is the US sees its Tom and Jerry role as patient Tom, putting up with annoying disturbing mice until he's had enough, reaches out and slaps, whereas the rest of the world sees the big puss as provoking and prodding until things break open.

Presuming Hillary wins, Im hoping she's not as isolated and caught up in this Washington self-righteousness - my biggest concern about her, whether foreign military actions or internal US security and surveillance. Every terrorist event lets us overreact a bit more.

I'm blogging as I go and have

Michael Maiello — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 01:04:14 +0000

In reply to Maybe everything has been

I'm blogging as I go and have weeks of reading ahead. I will make a post to address your point along the way. You're giving purpose to my reading. I'm not personally fatalistic, by the way, but I am wary of proposing solutions the same day that so many people died or were hurt. Trying not to lecture during lecturing times (the primaries, a major news event, etc.)

Infinite Jest is very much about cycles. The phrase "annular" keeps coming up. The books is also about addictive behavior, which is frequently cyclical. Are we addicted to the cycle of violence and revenge? If so, that sounds bad, but Wallace didn't think addictions were inevitably unconquerable. So... maybe? Future post, but this is where it starts.

Thanks, Oxy!

Maybe everything has been

Oxy Mora — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 00:56:07 +0000

In reply to Infinite Winter: The Causes and Effects of Terrorism

Maybe everything has been tried except understanding where episodic violence fits into an actual historical cycle, of violence, revenge, violence revenge.

What happened in Brussels is part of a process, with real antecedents. Politicians are not interested in analysis, only reactions which serve their own purpose.

You seem to end in a fatalistic mood. Does the book have a solution, and if not, is it moral, and if not, what's it's value?

Not being argumentative, just spit ballin'.