It seems odd that someone interested enough in Pound to read this list would
hold that he was puerile and moralistic. It should be obvious enough by now
that the power trip, is going to end by turning the earth into a radioactive
waste. Yes, Machiavel has ruled until now; now he must depart. I believe
utterly in self-defense. I would hold our nuclear arsenal for that. SELF
defense. Against another state. Sept. 11 was blowback, carefully calculated
to be untraceable. We are headed for more. Tom White

> From: Daniel Pearlman <[log in to unmask]>
> Reply-To: - Ezra Pound discussion list of the University of Maine
> <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2003 02:18:12 -0500
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: laureates against the war
>
> Pound's puerile, moralistic view of history is no guide to the real world,
> I'm afraid.  Civilizations occasionally profess to live by principles, but
> power is their and our bottom line.  I do believe, however, that Western
> civilization is the only one ever to even profess humane ideals--and, when
> we can afford to, we actually try to put these fine principles into
> practice.  In principle, for example, we care about the Other and we even
> profess love for our fellows.  In no other region of the world except the
> West have such ideals ever been professed, and in fact they appear
> laughable to every other culture on earth.  It is true that we betray our
> gods whenever it is necessary or expedient to do so, but our gods are
> nevertheless nicer guys than others' gods.  Pound is important because he
> reminds us of who our gods are, but his hope that, in historical time,
> principle will someday guide practice is utopian.  Pray to god but pass the
> ammo.
> ==Dan