Citizen Gore Vidal

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• Reader Comments (4)

  Page 1 of 1 pages

  People will say this is hyperbole; sadly, it is not when you can get outside of yourself and mentally envision what this country looks like to others.  Sometimes you can just trust your instincts:  mine say we’ve slowly turned into a stinking, self-absorbed, lawless, and cruel piece of crap, a narcissistic country that was fundamentally flawed from the beginning, with its “freedom” only for rich, white males until it was forced to recognize other inhabitants with no rights whatsoever—and threw us a bone.

  It’s the rare person who really thinks for her- or himself; most can’t take the criticism hurled their way and go along to get along, to feather their own nest (and shit in it), at the expense of everyone else, something that is, unfortunately, the death knell for the experiment known as the US of A.

  Posted by Gloria on Nov 4, 2008 at 11:17 AM

  Hmmmm?  I’m not sure if Gore Vidal looks upon America as a defeatist or as an existentialist. Whichever, if either, he speaks the truth.  America is what is, and it will be as it becomes.  I loved this interview.  At times I was wondering if he loves America or even likes it.  He must care for the country or he wouldn’t be so abruptly disappointed in what he is saying is inevitable.

  Towards the end of reading this piece I was imagining, forgive me, a complex fish tank.  One may have fish tank with the presumption he likes to watch fish.  Relaxing?  In this tank are peaceful fish, volatile fish that fight, fish that only hide, fish that eat their young, fish whose job it is to clean the the tank.  The owner of this tank watching the mayhem, routing for the survival of the fish community, but inevitably giving into the the chaos.  Frustrated he cannot bring himself to abandon all hope and flush them.  He decides to let nature take it’s course allowing them live it out until they destroy themselves.

  I agree with Gore Vidal.  However, I do have hope another type of society may rise from ashes.  We can try to correct as much as we can.  So we wont be the biggest or the best or the richest or the rightest.  Our natures and ambitions are changing.

  Great interview.

  Posted by Story.McQueen on Nov 9, 2008 at 1:21 AM

  no! Gore Vidal i am a persian in neighborhood of both iraq and afghanistan those countries really was what that insane said, my uncle is suffering from chemical weapon that innocent iraq used like more than 100000 people of my country and more than 4000000 of my people are addicted to opium that other innocent country produced
  if bush is not a wise president it will not fade the role of usa in freedom of my people from the hands of two dangerous neighbors
  and now mullahs are the most dangerous wolf that want destroy the world that dose not want obey them i feel it and see it like a nightmare in 30 years of my 40 years old life in iran
  sincerely
  behrang iran

  Posted by behrang on Nov 9, 2008 at 10:57 PM

  Gore Vidal probably should be on television 24/7 with his insights, wisdom and honesty, something the country needs desperately.

  Posted by Henry Pelifian on Feb 26, 2009 at 2:22 AM

  Page 1 of 1 pages

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