Some of EP's best friends, like Windy Lewis, held exactly the same
opinion about him.  Even jackasses can write great poetry.
==Dan

At 08:27 AM 02/13/2003 -0600, you wrote:
>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

=====================================================
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