dmcanzi@watdcsu.UUCP (David Canzi) (09/10/86)
In article <1071@hoptoad.uucp> tim@hoptoad.uucp (Tim Maroney) writes: >Because you demanded it, pilgrim, herewith the quotes proving Heinlein's >support for nuclear war. These are taken from "Ghastly Beyond Belief", >an anthology of bad and embarrassing science fiction excerpts. > >First, from "Pie in the Sky": > > There are so many, many things in this so-termed civilization of > ours which would be mightily improved by a once over lightly of the > Hiroshima treatment. Allow me to restore some missing context. Since we have every reason to expect a sudden rain of death from the sky sometime in the next few years... it behooves the Pollyanna Philosopher to add up the advantages to be derived from the blasting of your apartment, row house, or suburban cottage. It ain't all bad, chum. While you are squatting in front of your cave, trying to roast a rabbit with one hand while scratching your lice infested hide with the other, there will be many cheerful things to think about... There are so many, many things in this so-termed civilization of ours which would be mightily improved by a once over lightly of the Hiroshima treatment. There is that dame upstairs, for instance, the one with the square bowling ball. Never again would she take it out for practice right over your bed at three in the morning... [three pages of descriptions of civilization's aggravations omitted, often in spite of strong temptation] I don't mean to suggest that it will all be fun. Keeping alive after our cities have been smashed and our government disintegrated will be a grim business at best... [about 3/4 page skipped] Of course, if you are so soft that you *like* innerspring mattresses and clean water and regular meals, despite the numerous advantages of blowing us off the map, but are not too soft to try to do something to avoid the coming debacle, there is something you can do about it, other than forming Survival Leagues or cultivating an attitude of philosophical resignation... It should be clear that Heinlein was not advocating nuclear war in his essay, Pie From the Sky. As for whether he does so in Farnham's Freehold, we must either reserve judgement, or go read the book, or accept the word of somebody who has read the book recently enough to remember enough details to judge by. -- David Canzi "...for I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the minds of man." -- Thomas Jefferson
davest@tektronix.UUCP (Dave Stewart) (09/11/86)
It seems to me that the upshot of `Pie in the Sky' was that the reasoned response was to prepare yourself for the worst by getting yourself in shape physically, learn all sorts of survival skills and be ready to jump for your hidey-hole when the big one comes. (Although this might not have been in `Pie in the Sky' I *know* it was expounded by Heinlein in one of his magazine essays). This is highly motivational and quite noble. However, in light of the current view of the ecological impact of an all-out nuclear exchange, it would not matter where one is located on the planet - it's probably lights out. WAR DAY and all aside, it is naive to think that the survivalist approach will work. Does this imply that Heinlein is naive? Possibly. However, RAH is one of those authors who is not afraid to make outrageous statements in order to evoke reaction. I respect him on this, even though I strongly disagree on most of these stated opinions (especially his statements on religion). There is some benefit in this: after all, it gets people off the fence and into the arena of discussion on crucial issues - and there is no more crucial issue that I know of than racial suicide. -- David C. Stewart uucp: tektronix!davest Unix Systems Support Group csnet: davest@TEKTRONIX Tektronix, Inc. phone: (503) 627-5418
crm@duke.UUCP (Charlie Martin) (09/17/86)
In article <8559@tektronix.UUCP> davest@tektronix.UUCP (Dave Stewart) writes: > However, in light of the current view of the ecological impact >of an all-out nuclear exchange, it would not matter where one is located >on the planet - it's probably lights out. WAR DAY and all aside, it >is naive to think that the survivalist approach will work. Can't argue with you -- but at least as far as "Pie..." is concerned, it is worth noting that it was written in 1947 -- we didn't know about nuclear winter (or nuclear autumn, as some studies suggest -- just a slower starvation, no need to worry). -- Charlie Martin (...mcnc!duke!crm)