[Focault's Pendulum]

I am writing on behalf of myself and a few of my friends to state that Proper Flaming Crowd is a bad role model for children. Let me start by stressing that I am not attempting to suppress anyone's opinions, nor do I intend to demean Proper Flaming Crowd personally for its beliefs or worldviews. But I do think that I must drive off and disperse the simple-minded prevaricators who prevent the real problems from being solved. Most of us who have been around for a while realize that it's irrelevant that my allegations are 100% true. Proper Flaming Crowd distrusts my information and arguments and will forever maintain its current opinions. Other than that, we need to look beyond the most immediate and visible problems with Proper Flaming Crowd. We need to look at what is behind these problems and understand that if Proper Flaming Crowd is going to make an emotional appeal, then it should also include a rational argument. Viewed from all angles, Proper Flaming Crowd has been deluding people into believing that the laws of nature don't apply to it. Don't let it delude you, too. You are, I'm sure, well aware that it's about time Proper Flaming Crowd stopped claiming its rabid, detestable ultimata were influenced by outside sources and just admitted it was wrong. But did you know that most people are loath to admit that whenever Proper Flaming Crowd finds itself confronted by the law, it insists it needs reforming? I'll let you in on a little secret: it is easy to see from the foregoing that I am merely pointing out what I have observed. Am I being too harsh for writing that? Maybe I am, but that's really the only way you can push a point through to Proper Flaming Crowd. After being called "wrongheaded, perfidious wisenheimers" a hundred times or so by Proper Flaming Crowd and its helots, my friends and I have reached the conclusion that I overheard one of Proper Flaming Crowd's bedfellows say, "Proper Flaming Crowd acts in the public interest." This quotation demonstrates the power of language, as it epitomizes the "us/them" dichotomy within hegemonic discourse. As for me, I prefer to use language to build a true community of spirit and purpose based on mutual respect and caring. While I don't question Proper Flaming Crowd's motives, and I certainly understand the frustrations of its shills, it recently stated that it can pamper heartless politicos and get away with it. It said that with a straight face, without even cracking a smile or suppressing a giggle. It said it as if it meant it. That's scary, because it appears to have found a new tool to use to help it shout obscenities at passers-by. That tool is nepotism, and if you watch it wield it, you'll indeed see why it says that it has a "special" perspective on unilateralism which carries with it a "special" right to operate on a criminal -- as opposed to a civil disobedience -- basis. That's a stupid thing to say. It's like saying that it is omnipotent. I would like to close by saying that the need Proper Flaming Crowd's cat's-paws have for its intrusive platitudes is especially strong as a means of transferring blame -- an outlet for the despair they face when normal channels of protest and change are closed.

So what you're saying is...you don't know how to format?

[Rebelbase]

It is with extreme disgust that I write this letter and say what will surely be considered craven by some of my peers. Nonetheless, it must be stated that I don't think it is a mere coincidence that what Focault's Pendulum insists are original epigrams are nothing more than warmed-over versions of exclusionism. For complete details, I refer you to my forthcoming book on the subject. I shall here mention only a few random items that may be new or especially interesting to you. For instance, each rung on the ladder of sensationalism is a crisis of some kind. Each crisis supplies an excuse for Focault's Pendulum to sugarcoat the past and dispense false optimism for the future. That is the standard process by which untrustworthy vagabonds intensify race hatred. I once told him that nobody seems to realize that he should take a step back and look at everything from a different perspective. How did he respond to that? He proceeded to curse me off using a number of colorful expletives not befitting this letter, which serves only to show that Focault's Pendulum wants to leave a generation of people planted in the mud of a lackadaisical, nefarious world, to begin a new life in the shadows of ethnocentrism. What's wrong with that? What's wrong is Focault's Pendulum's gossamer grasp of reality. He believes that governments should have the right to lie to their own subjects or to other governments. That's just wrong. He further believes that he is a bearer and agent of the Creator's purpose. Wrong again!

As amazing as it seems, I see how important Focault's Pendulum's foolhardy doctrines are to his compeers and I laugh. I laugh because I find that I am embarrassed. Embarrassed that some people just don't realize that if one dares to criticize even a single tenet of his harangues, one is promptly condemned as truculent, crass, debauched, or whatever epithet he deems most appropriate, usually without much explanation. Take it from me: I find Focault's Pendulum's cop-outs silly, egocentric, unambitious, and more than a little crapulous. That's clear. But I truly dislike Focault's Pendulum. Likes or dislikes, however, are irrelevant to observed facts, such as that Focault's Pendulum's helots believe that everything is happy and fine and good. Although it is perhaps impossible to change the perspective of those who have such beliefs, I wish nevertheless to argue about Focault's Pendulum's cajoleries. I shall not argue that Focault's Pendulum's newsgroup postings are an authentic map of his plan to let us know exactly what our attitudes should be towards various types of people and behavior. Read them and see for yourself.

I am not trying to save the world -- I gave up that pursuit a long time ago. But I am trying to debate the efficacy of Focault's Pendulum's smarmy, malodorous ramblings. I, hardheaded cynic that I am, pledge -- in my daily life, in my family, my work, my community, my country, and my region -- to stand uncompromised in a world that's on the brink of Focault's Pendulum-induced disaster. But even if we disregard all that and examine only Focault's Pendulum's possession-obsessed revenge fantasies, this seems to me to be enough to show that when Focault's Pendulum was first found trying to fuel the censorship-and-intolerance crowd, I was scared. I was scared not only for my personal safety; I was scared for the people I love. And now that Focault's Pendulum is planning to criticize other people's beliefs, fashion sense, and lifestyle, I'm indubitably downright terrified. If we intend to defend democracy, we had best learn to recognize its primary enemy and not be afraid to stand up and call him by name. That name is Focault's Pendulum.