Death Etc.

In DEATH, ETC., Harold Pinter takes a strong stand against the war in Iraq, President George W. Bush, and Prime Minister Tony Blair. His anti-war stance in Great Britain compares well to that of the late Susan Sontag in the United States. He is courageous in criticizing both George W. Bush and Tony Blair, and amply demonstrates that in order to be a good citizen, you do not have to believe that your leaders are always right, and that it is patriotic to criticize them when they are wrong. Unfortunately, from time to time, he uses profane language, which does damage to the book on the overall.

That social change takes an exceedingly long time can perhaps be taken as an axiom, and an enormous amount of human energy is needed to bring about this change. When goals seem elusive, when discouragement sets in, and when it seems that one has no influence over current events, literature can offer temporary consolation. Strings of words formed into sentences, grammatically perfect or not, can act as a literary catharsis: they activate the proper neurons in the brain, instigating momentary comfort. This small collection of works definitely qualifies for this purpose, and of course much more. One can of course read the poetry, the plays, and the various snippets for their own narrative beauty. It would be difficult though to distance oneself from their content. They are not politically or morally neutral. The author lashes out. But considering current world events, his vituperative excesses seem benign by comparison. Here's some of the arithmetic in the book: The equation of the United States government, full spectrum control = control of air + land + sea + space, must be corrected: Full-spectrum dominance = control of air + land + sea + space + control of the world's resources. United States invasion of Iraq = totally unjustified + illegal + illegitimate + criminal act + act of state terrorism. The Bush/Blair equation: freedom + democracy + liberation = death + destruction + chaos. Bush + Blair = bandits + war criminals. Democracy + The Old Days + The "Special Relationship" + The Bombs + Weather Forecast + After Lunch + Meeting + Death = short + painful to read + accurate reflection of a yellow regime. These equations are all correct.