Flagging Down the Confederacy

We arrived in Israel last week.  The trip to airport was uneventful.  The flight, while constituting what surely will be ranked as one of the top ten events of our lives, was itself mostly uneventful.  The only thing noteworthy was some kids whose parents lacked the skills of instilling discipline in their children, and it showed in their interactions with the brats.  But one of the stewardesses (to use the outmoded politically-incorrect terminology for a female flight attendant), a bit on the old side for an El Al stewardess, did bring the situation under control at some point over the North Atlantic. 

This woman, while friendly and cheerful enough, was definitely not big on bullshit; turns out that she is an Israeli Air Force Reserve officer with the rank of Rav Seren (or, in military jargon, "Rasan"), equivalent to an American O-4 (Major or Lieutenant Commander).    In any event, when the kids impeded passage of the service cart through the aisle one time too many, the stewardess called herself up for reserve duty, firmly grabbed the kids by their arms, sat them down in their seats and, with the parents impotently dropping their jaws, gave the kids a scary lecture (which, while physically addressed to the kids, was actually directed to the parents).  The parents, not desiring a full-blown confrontation with the woman (and mindful of the fact that she would exercise some control over the service they would receive until deplaning), took the hint and the flight was thereafter mostly free of outbursts from the brats.

Our son picked us up with his pick-up at the airport, and drove us to the apartment he had gotten for us.  We got settled in, and are still completing various arrangements for utility bills, parking permits, and everything else.  Our internet service was connected this morning, and I am now back online.  We still await delivery of our stuff from the USA; should come through in about a week or two.

We have already begun to make connections with other Americans in our new community.  Also some Brits, Aussies, South Africans, Canadians, and other Anglophones (or, as we call ourselves here, "Anglos").  One topic of discussion was about this Confederate Flag controversy in South Carolina; the issue came up in a discussion with a couple who lived in South Carolina for a few years.

I have no strong feelings about the Confederate Flag; I'm not yelling outrage to remove it from the South Carolina State House grounds, but neither can you expect to see it flying from my halyard or emblazoned upon my jacket, or on a bumper sticker attached to my vehicle.  I do, however, understand why some people would be quite upset about such a piece of cloth, and I can appreciate the comparison between the Confederate Flag and a flag with a swastika from Nazi Germany.

Never mind the discussions over whether the flag represents hate and slavery, or whether it is a testament to the bravery and valor of the soldiers who died in the Civil War.  And I shall not now split hairs over the many flags of the Confederacy, and whether, say, the Bonnie Blue Flag is or is not any more offensive than the battle flag most commonly associated with the Confederacy.  And neither will I delve into the plusses and minuses of the institution of slavery, other than to state most definitively that, try as I may, I have been utterly unable to find any plusses or advantages to it; slavery is a root cause of a long list of political, social, and economic problems that persist years after slavery is abolished.   And neither shall I write a brief for the Confederacy itself (though on the Union side, General Grant did attach his name to Order Number 11, a piece of paper that shall live in infamy in the hearts and minds of the Jewish people).

What I will do, however, is address those who stand and demand the removal of the Confederate Flag from displays, official and otherwise.  You certainly have reason to despise the Confederate Flag and the regime it represents.  You have reason to see that piece of cloth as a glorification of slavery, an institution that ought not be glorified.

But if indeed you find the Confederate States of America to be such a reprehensible entity, then you should be grateful to those who brought it down and made it a defunct entity.  And this includes the hundreds of thousands of white soldiers who served in the Union Army, who fought and died to put an end to slavery in America.  If, when you are not standing outside the South Carolina State House, you are spreading your anti-white vitriol, or are applauding those who spew such garbage, then you are an ingrate who is no better than the Confederacy.

A Scotsman Crosses Ethnic and Gender Lines

The "No True Scotsman" fallacy goes something to the effect that one Alistair MacTavish reads a story in the Edinburgh Evening News about a violent crime wave in London, which the Metropolitan Police Service detectives believe has been perpetuated by a single individual.  "No true Scotsman would ever do that," thinks MacTavish to himself.  The next evening, the finding of the mutilated body of another victim is reported in the Evening News, and a horrified MacTavish again insists that the perpetuator cannot possibly be a Scotsman.  After another two weeks, with another victim almost daily, the suspect is apprehended by the Mets.  The suspect is identified as one Duncan Forbes MacPherson, a native of Glasgow.  "He is not really a true Scotsman," declares MacTavish.

Amongst the insular Jewish religious community, there were similar sentiments expressed about two years ago during the Leiby Kletzky affair.  Leiby Kletzky, you will recall, was an autistic boy who, having become disoriented, was abducted, murdered and mutilated.  The murderer was a member of the same community, but a local shopkeeper named Eva Rosenbluh told a New York Daily News reporter that "To me, he is not an Orthodox [Jew] because an Orthodox Jew wouldn't do that."

Well, Eva Rosenbluh is in the New York Daily News again.  Eva is now arguably a victim of violence, having  had her wrists slapped by U.S. District Judge Allyne Ross.  Seems that in 1994, Eva's father died, but Eva continued to collect the old man's Social Security payments for 18 years.

So, Eva, pray tell just where do we draw the line between what an Orthodox Jew would and would not do?

But my scrutiny and interest are directed not only at Eva, but at the Social Security Administration and at Judge Ross.  Shouldn't the SSA know when someone dies?  Especially if the person dies in a nursing home in New York City, where the death is sure to be reported?

Note that Eva got 3 years probation, no fine, and no jail time, but had to repay within 90 days the $218,194.52 she collected in her father's name after the old man died.  And the prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Paulsen, observed that this constituted "essentially a 20-year, tax-free loan from the government."

And Judge Ross, you said, "I believe the punishment effected by the loss of her home, the restitution and personal pain is sufficient."  And you say that Eva is unlikely to reoffend, and that jail time would serve no purpose. 

 

Yes, Your Honor, I can sort of see some justice in the conditions you placed upon Eva's probation, including the repayment (without interest) of the $218,194.52 within 90 days, which supposedly will necessitate the sale of Eva's home and her eviction therefrom.  And I can even see sparing the taxpayers the cost of incarcerating Eva if indeed she is unlikely to commit any more crimes.  I suppose that what really galls me here is that Your Honor seems to have fallen for defense counsel Jacob Laufer's line that Eva is a "profoundly decent person" whose charitable deeds included helping out poor brides with their weddings.  A noble cause indeed, but how noble can it really be if done with stolen money?

Another religious Jewish woman behaving poorly.  Or not.  After all, aren't we supposed to buy into the notion that no true Orthodox Jew would ever do something like that?

Big Dipper: Update #8

The New York State Union of Teachers has published its take on the double-dipping controversy. This 2-paragraph piece appears in the 13 March 2006 edition of NYSUT's party line paper, New York Teacher, on page 6:

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"Wasteful spending contributes to property tax issues.

NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi said that Newsday's investigation into school district expenditures on law firms shows that wasteful spending is a contributor to rising property taxes affecting communities statewide.

Because of the property tax increases, some lawmakers are calling for tax caps that would impose limits on the amount public schools could increase spending in any given year. NYSUT has opposed these caps, saying they would curb investment in public schools. They have hurt education in other states where they have been implemented and would lock in disparities that exist among school districts throughout the state, NYSUT leaders say."

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Hold it right there!! It's wrong for the school districts to waste the taxpayers' money on pensions for outside attorneys, but its okay when the NYSUT milks the taxpayers with the teacher pension costs? Milorganite!!!!

Howcum whenever my household has a cash crunch, we have to cap our spending, but when the school districts have a cash crunch the just raise taxes?

Why can't my wife and I just ask our employers for a salary increase whenever our household spending crosses the line?

NYSUT costs the taxpayers far, far more than Larry Reich costs us. Dick Iannuzzi is one big hypocrite!!!

Why can't the school districts and the teacher's unions live within their budgets, just like the rest of us?