Delmore Schwartz Quotes
Even paranoids have real enemies.
Atlas, James. Delmore Schwartz: The Life of an American Poet. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1977.
“They” refers to the West. It is actually believed by many Arabs and Muslims throughout the West is deliberately causing Islamic deaths by deliberately spreading disease and resorts to these means because the West has not other way of controlling Islam. Arab oratory emphasis exaggeration and frequent repetition as persuasive techniques. Factual analysis and independence of thinking is not part of the tradition so Islamic leaders are often believed regardless of how absurd the accusation. AIDS which is plaguing the world, is thought to be, by many Arabs, an Israeli plot to weaken and destroy Islam. The supporting evidence is that the Israelis have a very sophisticated biomedicine capability. Israel itself has a very low rate of AIDS, and AIDS is spread by promiscuous sex. Everyone knows that Islam does not allow promiscuity so therefore AIDS in Islamic lands must be being spread by the Israelis. Ironically, Arab nations have a relatively low AIDS rate.
Resentment over the Southern loss of the Civil War did not dissipate. Hatred and anger were taken out on any Northerner who appeared. The local politicians not only didn’t keep the peace but they were the instigators of much of the violence and made sure that no Southerner would be convicted for violence against a Northerner. The President however, a Southerner himself, vacillated as to how to deal with the situation and lawlessness over reconstruction and race issues was encouraged throughout the South leading to almost 100 years of lynchings, Ku Klux Klan and other violence and intimidation.
During her adult life, she was the de facto ruler of China. Officials then did little or nothing to curb the attacks on the various foreigners and foreign power that occupied and exercised some control over parts of China. The Government itself could do little as it was too weak militarily with many key officials bribed by the foreign powers. The Boxers were a grass roots xenophobic movement devoted to getting the foreign powers out of China by violence.
The Barbary Pirates had an incredible extortion racket going in the Mediterranean. If nations would pay them an annual sum each year, they would not attack and seize merchant ships of that country and sell the ships and goods while holding the sailors for ransom.
Delmore Schwartz was an American poet and short story writer.
