I READ THE HARVARD SPEECH

By Larry Parr

Mr. Parr: On 8 June 1978, in his commencement address at Harvard University,
Alexander Solzhenitsyn denounced, among other things, the "television stupor"
of United States culture. Did that occasion have any bearing on your usage of
the expression, "the American TV peasantry"? -- Nickbourbaki2

I read Solzhenitsyn's Harvard speech, but I confess to having no
recollection of his comment about "television stupor."

Still, if stupor is mental dullness and apathy, then it comes close to
how I view the American TV peasantry. Especially apathy.

One of the lesser understood points behind the imperial pomp of
Washington, DC -- most especially, the cult of the presidency -- is to create
within people the feeling that what IS is what WILL BE. This belief is the root
of all apathy.

I think Greg Kennedy and others noted that print journalism is often
little better than the stuff on TV. My response is that print requires an
active engagement of the intellect. Once you bring mind to a problem, you
create the possibility of reading between lines. That's how Russians approached
Pravda and Izvestia. The printed word also leaves traces, and one can compare
what was said yesterday with what is said today.

THE DAY BEFORE IS HAZY

Two weeks ago Colin Powell visited Iraq and extolled our progress. Last
week George Bush sought some 40,000 foreign troops. This week, if you read
papers, you know we are planning to send more reserve units. Conclusion:
success is so extraordinary we are sending more troops. Further conclusion:
chances are 90% that Powell simply lied in Iraq, knowing the real score all
along.

Countries don't sink billions and ever more soldiers into a conflict if
all is getting better and better in a splendid little world.

A big difference between America today and the past is how we glean
information. Those who read the many newspapers of 50 years ago were forced to
think about the words therein and would occasionally notice blatant
contradictions in public speeches and the like. Today, the TV peasant who gets
most information from the tube is essentially trapped in the parochial present
of the instant that an image is flashed at him. The day before has already
grown hazy.