Subject: KV / socialism/politics/charity
Date:Thu, 13 Aug 1998 20:04:34 GMT
From:crystaloro@hotmail.com
I'm trying to get a handle on Kv's poltical/moral stance. I believe that
in Timequake he mentions that the US should "try" socialism, but is he
serious? Also, does KV act on the sentiments of equality etc., that he
constantly expresses? The man must be quite well off, and I wonder if he
"gives back". I will delibrately leave this vague, as to encourage greater
response.
Subject:Re: KV / socialism/politics/charity
Date:14 Aug 98 12:24:58 GMT
From:docF94@hamp.hampshire.edu (skylark)
Kurt Vonnegut's politics are his legacy, I think. He was adopted by the
radical youth departure from mainstream politics in the 60s, but has since
1948 been part of a literary school of postwar liberalism. Other notable
members of this school, as well as fellow soldiers in WWII, are Jospeh
Heller, Norman Mailer, George Orwell, William Golding, Arthur Koestler,
James Jones (NOT the Kool Aid man, Walter Miller, and a bunch more.
Vonnegut has stood up time and again for things that he sincerely believes
in, but like most people in the group above (not Mailer) he has not
entered politics or political battles as anything but a confused outsider.
His literature provides him with greater perspective, which might easily
be lost if he got involved with the minute and petty political matters
that, albeit are politically important, have no immediate relevance to
him.
Therefore, Vonnegut's greatest domestic and international political impact
(outside of his fiction) have mostly centered on freedom of speech and
anti-censorship efforts, some examples of which are well documented. (Palm
Sunday).
Vonnegut has also acted as a writer and speaker in oppostion to nuclear
war and in a sincere and openminded attempt, over the last fifty years, to
make sense of the Second World War, to understand it and its consequences.
You may remember the extensive index after the last page of jailbird.
Vonnegut authorized hiring an indexer after he was invited to speak before
an indexer's society, which he was invited to after making a character of
Cat's Cradle (I think) an indexer. The index of jailbird has been the
easiest and briefest way for me to display the range, intelligence, and
political commitment of Vonnegut's fiction to people who think esoteric
blunderbusses like Thomas Pynchon are the be-all, end-all of American
literature.
Does Vonnegut give back? It is a good question, but one which I believe he
would decline to answer (since he hasn't thus far). It is none of our
business, even as scholars of Vonnegut, because his political impact rests
on his written work, which is the finest and most thorough political
expression of his generation.
Now back to criticizing Darrell's spelling...
Dan Crocker
Subject:Re: KV / socialism/politics/charity
Date:14 Aug 1998 06:59:05 GMT
From:yrahyar@aol.com (YRahyar)
> I'm trying to get a handle on Kv's poltical/moral stance. I believe that
>in Timequake he mentions that the US should "try" socialism, but is he
>serious?
Well, I don't know about Timequake, but here's from the "Address to Bennington
College" in Wampeters, Foma and Granfalloons (pages 167-168):
"When it is really time for you to save the world, when you have some power and
know your way around, when people can't mock you for looking so young, I
suggest that you work for a socialist form of government. Free enterprise is
much too hard on the old and the sick and the shy and the poor and the stupid,
and on people nobody likes. They just can't cut the mustard under Free
Enterprise. They lack that certain something that Nelson Rockefeller, for
instance, so abundantly has.
"So let's divide up the wealth more fairly than we have divided it up so far.
Let's make sure that everybody has enough to eat, and a decent place to live,
and medical help when he needs it. Let's stop spending money on weapons, which
don't work, thank God, and spend money on each other. It isn't moonbeams to
talk of modest plenty for all."
As far as how "serious" he is, you'd have to ask him.
--yama rahyar;-)
