From: gvcarter-AT-purdue.edu
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 16:51:46 -0500
Subject: Re: bush in space



 
> A comic reports on "Wall-Martians" who recruit illegal aliens and pay
> mimimum wages.


Hugh/All,

These sorts of stutters are of considerable interest.  The scanning the surface 
of "Mars," and taking sample soil samples of such childhood rhymes as "going to 
mars to get more candy bars" or energizing any number of movies where "little 
green men" are referenced is, perhaps, a way towards a Mars Invasion.

As Eric points out, the stakes of Mars are considerable, and it's namesake as a 
God of War is not to be overlooked any more than Orson Wells's famous radio 
broadcast.  

But, in counter-distinction to framing Mars in relation to "war," I would 
introduce the term "combat" along Deleuzian lines.  As he explains in a 
essay "To be done with judgment," the notion of combat stands not for a will to 
destruction, God's judgment, or the stretching of strength in its lowest 
strength.  Yes, I agree that Bush's move is to declare war on Mars, on aliens.  
(Interesting, isn't it, that just prior to the Mars project declaration that 
Bush passed strange legislation w/ respect to migrant worker visas.)

What "combat" affords is a supplement of force, a test of forces, a child-like 
inspection of values.  Such moves, like "Wal-Martians" stutterance of the 
comedian, brings various zones into existence.  It will have brought a means of 
seeing what agrees and disagrees with us through symbols already in 
circulation.  

The effect of this is to make going to Walmart like "going to the movies," but 
not for the purpose of escapist science-fiction.  "Wal-Martians," as w/ the 
National Enquirer in Men and Black is to turn comedy into documentary.  

Michael Moore realizes this, after a fashion, and you can bet that his follow-
up to Bowling for Columbine will discuss our relation to Mars in the wake of 
Sept. 11 in some fashion.  

...incidently, I have to say that I find certain signatures so interesting, 
and "Moore" is certainly one of them.

best,
geof