Ian & Stuart's Australian Mac: Not for Sale/Another.not.for.sale (Australia).iso/hold me in your arms/Geertjan and Doctress/PEACE CORP Geertjan and Doctres

Text File | 1994-10-19 | 21KB | 452 lines

          Monday, 17 October 1994 4:23:23 PM
          alt.cyberpunk Item
  From:           Doctress Neutopia <[e-mail]>,internet
  Subject:        PEACE CORP Geertjan and Doctress love letters
  To:             alt.cyberpunk.movement,internet
                  alt.cyberpunk
                  alt.postmodern,internet
                  alt.consciousness,internet
                  alt.religion.sexuality,internet


From neutopia Fri Oct  7 02:43:18 1994
Subject: PEACE CORP
To: [e-mail] (Geertjan Wielenga)
Date: Fri, 7 Oct 1994 02:43:18 -0400 (EDT)


Geertjan:

     Last night I went to an introductory session of the Peace Corp.
It is an organization that was stated in the '60's.  Back then
American students wanted some way to feel like they were helping
the Third World, so the Kennedy Administration set up the Peace Corp.
However, I had a sociology professor tell the class that the Peace
Corp was founded as a way to get radicals out of the country.

     My reason for going to the introductory meeting was to find out
more about the organization and to see if it could be a way I could
travel and work in South Africa.  Only yesterday Nelson Mandala
announced that he was going to allow Peace Corp volunteers into South
Africa. Nevertheless, the Peace Corp representative said that it would
be at least a year before South Africa would be ready to accept Peace
Corp volunteers.  You can request the area of the world you would like
to serve in, but there is no guarantee that they will assign you to
your desired location.

     But what was most disturbing was that they made it perfectly
clear that if the Peace Corp accepts your application, then you are
seen as representing the United States of America.  Peace Corp
volunteers are not allowed to attend political rallies or join
political organizations in the "foreign" country which they are
assigned.  If you start expressing a political or religious philosophy
which is different than the American Dream, then you will be fired and
sent back to the United States.

     Part of the application requires a fingerprint and a security
check of the applicant to find out if they have a criminal record or
or to find out if they are a "security risk".  I don't know if I
can pass this part of the test since I have been a political
activist against the capitalist ideology of the United States of
America, the freest country on Earth!!!   In fact, when I asked
the Peace Corp representative if we had to forfeit our constitutional
right of freedom of speech in order to get a Peace Corp job, he said
"Yes, the Peace Corp is not the place for revolutionaries.  We want
people who will do their job by helping the people."

     By helping the people, he was referring to the Peace Corp jobs.
They are looking for English teachers, not political philosophy
teachers who are really looking into the people's problems. The Peace
Corp could be seen as a big coverup for capitalists to perpetuate their
values of colonization and domination to other parts of the world.
They want to expand their markets so that everyone owns a house
on the hill with several cars in front of it so that they can travel
to the nearest shopping mall. They want to teach teenagers how to
become young entrepreneurs.  The Peace Corp can help them teach the
American way of life to everyone. After all, isn't business the way
to create a good world?  Nelson Mandala obviously thinks so!  But
isn't he in trouble?  How can he create a new South Africa without
foreign investment?  Sick, the whole mess is *so* sick!

    I have been offered a ticket to South Africa....but I don't know
if I can take it. (more about that later)

    Maybe I will fill out the application and see what happens.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 07 Oct 1994 09:39:34 +0200
From: Geertjan Wielenga <[e-mail]>
Subject: PEACE CORP -Reply
To: [e-mail]
Message-id: <[e-mail]>
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
X-Gateway: iGate, (WP Office) vers 2.01a - 1008
Status: OR

Doctress

Joining the Peace Corp seems to mean losing your SELF - you'd
have to conform to some sick capitalist standard. Apart from the
fact that you *shouldn't* do something like that, I also think
that you *couldn't*! From what I know of you, you are UNABLE to
prevent yourself from speaking truth - you are unable to stop
undermining the system and all of its contradictory assumptions.
So apart from being morally unable to accept such a job, I think
you're also PRACTICALLY incapable of following such a path to get
here.

I'd rather never see you than to see you after you have
compromised yourself to such an extent.

The most convenient telelphone to use here for our conversation
is a call-box. Is that okay, or must the phone be a private one?

Globally yours,
Geertjan
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From neutopia Fri Oct  7 08:33:11 1994
Subject: Re: PEACE CORP -Reply
To: [e-mail] (Geertjan Wielenga)
Date: Fri, 7 Oct 1994 08:33:11 -0400 (EDT)


Are you online?  If so wait a minute for my reply.

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From neutopia Fri Oct  7 08:45:42 1994
Subject: Re: PEACE CORP -Reply
To: [e-mail] (Geertjan Wielenga)
Date: Fri, 7 Oct 1994 08:45:42 -0400 (EDT)

Geertjan,

     I look at all the contradictions in my life and my life is
sickening.  My father, a capitalist, pays for my survival.  I am
biting the hand that feeds me.  Some of my friends say that because of
this, I will never be a effective revolutionary or a feminist or a real
human being.  There are other contradictions--I have a car which
I know every time I drive it I increase the global pollution.  To that
I say that I am a slave.  But I could sell it or give it away I walk
every where I go.

     You are right that I could not do the peace corp.  I feel stuck,
unable to self-actualize or to *be*
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From neutopia Fri Oct  7 20:29:05 1994
Subject: call-box
To: [e-mail] (Geertjan Wielenga)
Date: Fri, 7 Oct 1994 20:29:05 -0400 (EDT)


Funny you call it a call-box.  We call it a pay phone.  In the United
States, pay phones are used mostly by the poor or by the rich in an
emergency. Most people in the United States have a private phone in
their home, but those who don't have to use the pay phone located on
the streets. Those phones will accept a calling card which is like
a credit card for phone calls, but if you are poor, you will not have
a phone card so you have to put coins into the machine every few
minutes.  For long distance calls, this is very obnoxious because you
can hear the sound of the coins as you are trying to speak.  It
breaks up the flow of the conversation.  Plus it cost more to use
a pay phone than a private phone.  This is another way capitalists
screw the poor by making them pay more for their calls.

Anyway, if you give me the number of the call-box, I can give it to
the MCI phone corporation. Then I will get a lower rate for international
calls. I signed up for this service today, but it will take a week
before I can use it.  So we will have to put off our voice
conversation until next week.  Give me the number of the call-box when
you get a chance.


                                         Joint calling,
                                         Neutopia


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Date: Sat, 08 Oct 1994 12:47:30 +0200
From: Geertjan Wielenga <[e-mail]>
Subject: Great Expectations
To: [e-mail]
Message-id: <[e-mail]>
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
X-Gateway: iGate, (WP Office) vers 2.01a - 1008
Status: OR

Hello.

I'm glad you feel the same way about the Peace Corp as I do. Of
course there are contradictions - I'm also dependent on my
parents; I too make use of vehicles which pollute the air; I'm
part of an institution which pumps out ideal little lawyers as
cannon fodder to feed the needs of capitalism; etc etc etc. I
suppose its impossible [under the current system] to live without
contradictions - the trick is to minimise them as much as
possible!

About the call-box thing: We also call it a pay-phone here
[interchangeably] and we also can make use of phone cards [which
is quite a recent thing - only made available in the last few
months]. Perhaps I can call you sometime by making use of my
phone card.

Recently I read that in the States there are public libraries
which have computers linked to the Internet so that the general
public can also have access to this means of communication. The
article argued that this should also be done in South Africa so
that access could be extended beyond those who privately own
computers [and beyond those hwo make use of them through
Universities or businesses]. Is this really true - is general
access made easier through public libraries in the States? Its a
pretty good idea. I guess its the same principle as with books -
the poor cannot afford such luxuries as books [since everything
is spent on surviving the rat race] and hence public libraries
cater for the need to read and access to information etc.

Thus, in the same way access to this new form of communication
can be extended to computers! Great in principle, but how is it
working down there? This is I think a definite break-through in
our recurring discussion about extending use of the Internet's
potential to "the poor" or "the working class" or whatever you
want to call it. I find the possibilities in this area pretty
amazing, as you might gather!

Exhilirating global love
    - Geertjan -
--------------------------------------------------------------


From neutopia Sat Oct  8 12:00:12 1994
Subject: Massive Housing Program
To: [e-mail] (Geertjan Wielenga)
Date: Sat, 8 Oct 1994 12:00:12 -0400 (EDT)

Dear Global Lover,

     I agree with you that we must minimize the contradictions in our
lived as much as possible.  Our *power* lies in *being* true to the
Self, so we don't want to loose our Self by compromising our selves to
the opportunistic ways of global capitalism.  If we were to do this
then we are certain to loose each other.  Our dream of revolutionary
orgasm would then be lost! [or are you still dreaming about me in this way?]

     When I went to North Carolina several weeks ago to visit with my
parents, I spoke to them about you and told them that I would very much
like me meet you.  I found an airline service where I could become a
freelance courier.  Being a courier means that I would receive a lower
rate on the airline ticket (about 900 dollars round trip from New York
to Johannesburg) because they take over my luggage space.  I could
only travel with a carry-on bag.  So I told my father about this and
he said to go ahead and charge a ticket to his credit card.  Of
course, it was premature to make such plans since I had not even
talked with you on the phone and I had no idea when it would be a good
time for me to visit you.

     The next day, there was a big article in the business section of
the Greensboro Daily News about how Nelson Mandala was now urging
American business men to invest in South Africa.  The former
apostle of corporate divestment was now calling for corporate investment!
The article said that the Governor of North Carolina was leaving for a
trip to South Africa the following day to seek out business
opportunities for North Carolina businesses.  My father owns a small
wholesale lumber business so he was very interested in this article.

     Since he never fathered any sons, he had hoped that someday either
my sister or I would take over his business.  I worked as a secretary
for him and realized that I had no interested in business and found it
against everything I believed to be true and beautiful.  But the
United States of America is about business.  Everything here is about
business.  Even schools, hospitals, and churches think in terms
of having customers and making money.  My father thinks I am very
strange that I don't have such thoughts which he thinks any
normal American should have.

    The article about Gov. Jim Hunt's trip to South Africa gave Daddy
the idea that he could sponsor my way to South Africa as a
representative of his business.  Then he could right off the travel
expenses as a business trip. Hunt says, "I really believe this is an
historic opportunity.  I think people who are first, who are
aggressive and who are friends will benefit in the long run." The
article stated that "Hunt also believes that North Carolina's thriving
financial community could also benefit, as South Africa works to
develop a strong currency and banking system.  Hence, First Union,
BB&T, and First Citizens Bankshares are sending representatives on the
trip."

    My father was interested in the part of the article which talked
about the "massive housing program" which Mandala is soon to embark
on. The article reads, "Hunt said that could provide an opportunity to
sell lumber and other materials to South Africa."  So Daddy said that
this was my opportunity to go to South Africa and travel around to
different building sites and lumber companies to spread his company's
name around. He would pay my travel expenses.  All I would have to
do is to make a few calls to lumber companies in Cape Town and other
cities where the development is occurring.

   Well, I was horrified with the thought of traveling to South Africa
as a capitalist! I felt sick to my stomach even though I knew it would
be a way for me to come see you and see first hand what is happening
there.  My interest is in housing--not for capitalist reasons--but for
social relationships and the potential to move us beyond the nuclear
family model of development.  Is there a dialogue going on there about the
architectural blueprints on what *kind* of housing Mandala is planning
to build?  I feel housing is an issue where a revolutionary social
ethic could be created.

     Will you please send me any information you find on the building
projects of the Mandala regime?  When I was in that course on
revolution with Maki Mandala, my final class presentation was about
revolutionary architectural designs.  I remember she and the professor
just laughed at my thoughts when I said that what kind of
architectural plans the revolutionary regime had would determine the
success or failure of the movement.

                               What should I do?
                               Neutopia

----------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Sat, 08 Oct 1994 18:01:32 +0200
From: Geertjan Wielenga <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Great Expectations -Reply
To: [e-mail]
Message-id: <[e-mail]>
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
X-Gateway: iGate, (WP Office) vers 2.01a - 1008
Status: OR

I'm going to fh now, will be ther until 19.00 here.
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From neutopia Sat Oct  8 12:47:31 1994
Subject: Re: Great Expectations -Reply
To: [e-mail] (Geertjan Wielenga)
Date: Sat, 8 Oct 1994 12:47:31 -0400 (EDT)

>
> I'm going to fh now, will be ther until 19.00 here.
>

Geertjan,  I don't understand the above message.
Did you try calling?  If so, I was finishing my letter
to you entitled MASSIVE HOUSING PROGRAM.  Sorry,
I wasn't off line.  Could we try it tomorrow at the
same time.  19:00 ?  12:00pm here?

                                      lib
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Date: Sat, 08 Oct 1994 18:54:11 +0200
From: Geertjan Wielenga <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Great Expectations -Reply -Reply
To: [e-mail]
Message-id: <[e-mail]>
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
X-Gateway: iGate, (WP Office) vers 2.01a - 1008
Status: OR


Sorry - I meant that I'll be at the foothills talker. You know,
telnet marble.bu.edu 2010

I've been trying to reach you with "talk" as shown by Ted, but
you seem to be offline.

I'll be at foothills again now until later tonight.
----------------------------------------------------------------

From neutopia Sat Oct  8 14:18:15 1994
Subject: Re: Great Expectations -Reply -Reply
To: [e-mail] (Geertjan Wielenga)
Date: Sat, 8 Oct 1994 14:18:15 -0400 (EDT)


Sorry I missed you at the Foothills.
Maybe we can try to meet there tomorrow.

                             missing your love,
                             Neutopia
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From neutopia Sun Oct  9 11:32:41 1994
Subject: Re: Great Expectations
To: [e-mail] (Geertjan Wielenga)
Date: Sun, 9 Oct 1994 11:32:41 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Doctress Neutopia" <neutopia@titan>

Dear Geertjan,

     The library system around here, as far as I know, does not have
Internet access.  In other cities, people are fighting to get
Freenets. Some cities actually have them.  This is where people can
access the Internet for free, but some of the services are limited.
Capitalists who want to make money by making people pay for Internet
access oppose the idea of Freenets. The argument is that Cyberspace
is a public forum which no one can own, but the capitalist are trying
to figure out ways to make it into a commercial zone.  They ruined the
potential television had of being the conscious of the world, now they
are trying to ruin Cyberspace in the same way.

     Our aim as revolutionaries is to create a society where
everyone is computer literate and everyone has *the time* to spend
doing their "own" thing at the computer.  Most people in the United
States don't even have time to read.  In their off hours, they are
so busy doing other things like house work and food preparation that
reading books or working at the computer is out of the question.  Even
many students who are not in computing fields are so busy with their
school work that they don't have time to play at the computer.  Many
students still don't know how to use email.

     There needs to be a world-wide campaign to get everyone so that
they can access the Internet and enough computers so that everyone has
access to them. In order to make such a world computer system requires
that we redesign cities so that everyone has equal access.  Is the
"massive housing program" which President Mandala is proposing going to be
places where high tech is used to liberate the people? Now, people with
private computers and leisure time are the privilage class.  I think
what we need is "each one teach one" to get everyone online.  The
Internet needs to become a world-wide transversity.  To read more
about my vision for the Internet read the last chapter of my
dissertation entitled THE INFORMATION LOVOLUTION.

     Tuesday evening I have been asked to speak about the Internet
and Cyberlove on the campus radio show UMASS Talks.  I will be
promoting the idea of Freenets, talking about global intimacy [our
relationship], cyborgasms, and why students need to get online.
Then I hope to discuss university goverance and why the students *must*
takeover the administration and implement Neutopia.  If it goes well
and I don't stumble over my words too much, I will send you a copy of it.
Do you have access to a tape recorder so that you can listen to it?
I wonder what happened to that photograph of yourself that you sent
me?  Did you send it by ship?  If you sent it my air mail it should
have reached me by now.  Maybe it was lost.....

                                          Titillating love,
                                          Doctress Neutopia








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From: [e-mail] (Doctress Neutopia)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.movement,alt.cyberpunk,alt.postmodern,alt.consciousness,alt.religion.sexuality
Subject: PEACE CORP Geertjan and Doctress love letters
Date: 17 Oct 1994 16:23:23 GMT
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