[Newspoetry] thanks for opinions / poem take II

[John Wason]

Please disregard and don't include my previous message in the digest.  It
had a very uncool subject line.

John

**********

>Message: 3
>Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2001 13:45:29 -0600 (CST)
>From: gillespie william k <gillespi at uiuc.edu>
>To: <newspoetry at lists.groogroo.com>
>Subject: [Newspoetry] thanks for opinions / poem take II

>I wanted to respond to a number of responses to the Goff piece that
>were sent to me privately and through this list. I'll go out on a shaky
>limb and just admit that some of the things Goff pointed out were new to
>me. That oil consumption is peaking and that alternative energy sources
>can't compensate for the diminishing oil reserves is a new one. To respond
>to Sam, I mostly get the sense from (a stereotyped conflation of) leftist
>environmentalists that we could all live happily in the suburbs using
>solar power and squeaky clean natural gas, and fill our SUVs with manure
>and gasahol and burning dollar bills after the peaceful demise of
>capitalism. I guess I didn't (as Goff sez) "do the math." Goff also offers
>explanations for US intervention in Bosnia and Kosovo, two "peacekeeping
>missions" for which I had no coherent official or cynical explanation.  I
>*liked* the Luxemburg quote and the degree of paranoia Goff managed to
>attain. It is very hard to distinguish a sound appraisal of the facts from
>a "pessimistic" attitude. To help me with my attitude, I cherish those
>moments when people older than me assure me that things used to be worse,
>as recently as last century. There is scattered evidence that the human
>race is slowly evolving and might someday become civilized.

I'd love to hear THAT evidence.  :)  That's one of my favorite debates.  I'm
older than you, and I maintain that human nature hasn't changed in however
long man has been around, and that the evil in man predominates over the
good.  I know that hardly anyone agrees with me, because everyone wants so
terribly badly to believe that man is evolving toward some higher state.
And that's OK.  I'd like to believe it myself.  It would make me much happier.

As for the dedication of your poem, WillGill, thanks for your gesture of
welcome.  I appreciate the encouragement.

John