My Weblog

Bad Analogy Dept.

William Tucker in  American Enterprise Online, "Staying the Course in unpopular war"   find’s a historical parallel between George W. Bush and Abraham Lincoln in their roles as wartime leaders. George Bush’s Iraq war more aptly resembles Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon’s conduct of the Vietnam conflict. Both the Tonkin Gulf Resolution of 1965, that Johnson used as authority to expand the war in Vietnam and the war resolution of October 2002, that gave Bush the authority to start the war in Iraq were obtained after the Executive branch provided false and misleading information to Congress. Johnson and his administration also complained, as Bush does today, that the media was only focusing on the bad news and in not reporting the good news from Vietnam. When Nixon was elected in 1968 he promised that he would have the South Vietnamese (ARVN) army take over the war from American forces. It took more than 2 more years before America’s directed involvement in that conflict ended. Nonetheless, “Vietnamization” ultimately failed with the collapse of the South Vietnamese government in 1975. Similarly, this administration promises that the Iraqi army will eventually shoulder the full burden of fighting the insurgency but can’t provide even a general estimate as to how much time is needed for that to happen.

 

Finally, Mr. Tucker glosses over the facts that Japan and Germany declared war on the United States and that the Confederacy started the Civil War by attacking the Union army at Ft. Sumter. In contrast, the war in Iraq was started by the Bush government, although we had not been subjected to any hostile action from Iraq.

 

Merhaba!

Lucy and I recently started taking Turkish lessons at the Hudson Turkish American Cultural Association in Ridgefield, New Jersey. One of Lucy’s close friends at Bergen Community College is from Turkey and she urged her to enroll in the free Sunday evening classes. I went along out of curiosity and because of a long-term interest in the country. When I was in college majoring in Political Science I took a course in Mid-East politics and learned that the region’s cultural, political and religious landscape is complex and should not be easily generalized. Turkey is a case in point. The country straddles both Europe and Asia with the Bosporus straits serving as the gateway between the two continents. Starting in the 1920’s Turkey, under the leadership of Kemal Ataturk, embarked on a program of becoming more like Europe, such as with the adoption of a Roman style alphabet. Political reforms followed and Turkey is now one of the few true democracies in the region. Turkey is eager to join the European Economic Union and began negotiations in 2005, a process that is likely to take a decade.

I worked with a Turkish co-worker at a travel agency during the 1980’s and again when I was at Merrill Lynch a few years ago. Until now that was my only experience in meeting Turkish people. I came away with a very positive attitude towards Turks because they were both very professional and exceedingly personable. Now that we are having the opportunity to meet and talk with many more Turkish people, I’m finding that that previous experience was no anomaly. 

Bank of New York - Rude behavior to job applicants

     Last October I was recruited by a placement firm for a position with the Bank of New York's brokerage division in Iselin, New Jersey. I had an initial interview with the hiring manager that I thought went very well and fully expected to get called back for a 2nd and more technical interview. After a week when I didn't hear anything I contacted the recruiter who told me that they had left voice messages and sent emails but had not heard any status on my application. Over the next few weeks I would periodically check with the placement firm for an update only to hear that they had not heard anything.  Two months later I wrote this letter to Thomas A. Renyi, Chairman and CEO of Bank of New York:

Dear Mr. Renyi:

I am writing this letter to complain about a recent experience that I have had with the Bank of New York. I recently interviewed at your Brokerage division in Iselin, New Jersey for a position as Sr. Trader Systems Engineer.  This was on October 28^th of this year. I met with the hiring manager, Damian Mascolo, who explained the position’s responsibilities and also gave me a briefing about the Bank of New York’s brokerage division. I thought that the interview went well and I expected to hear back later from Mr. Mascolo to schedule a 2^nd and more technical interview. The next week when I didn’t hear back from the recruitment firm, Mlogic, that placed me for the position, I asked them if I could get a status on my application. They told me that they had been unable to get a status from Bank of NY despite leaving repeated phone messages. I felt it best to contact Mlogic and not Mr. Mascolo since they are the placement firm for this position. I continued my calls and emails to Mlogic over the next weeks without hearing any further word. This recruiter has stopped returning my phone calls or emails regarding my request for a status.

Since more than a month has elapsed since this interview I do not reasonably expect to get this position. I find the conduct of your firm to be extremely unprofessional. I took the time to prepare for this interview and to take time off from my present position to drive to Metro Park and meet with one of your employees. I do not think that is unreasonable for me to expect either a yes, no or a no decision has been made type response from the Bank of New York on my application.

I would appreciate it if you would review my complaint.

Yours truly,

It's been two month's since I wrote this letter and I haven't received any response from this company. Once upon a time a firm of this size and reputation would at least send a form letter in response to a complaint. Maybe I'm beating a dead horse but I think that I'm justified in publicizing this rude and unprofessional behavior. Something to think about if you're considering a Bank of New York product or service and especially if you are a job applicant (good luck).

Eli Amdur, who is a noted job coach in New Jersey, has written extensively as of late about this phenomenon for The Record, a major daily newspaper here. Check out his web site at http://www.wellmanagedcareers.com/.

Review - Saigon Republic

I think of Yogi Berra’s remark that nobody was going to a certain restaurant anymore because it was too crowded whenever I think of  Saigon Republic  in Englewood, New Jersey. We would be more frequent patrons if it wasn’t so popular and in such a small space. We’ve been regulars for a number of years now and it’s only improving with time.  Our advice is to catch them when they open at 5:00pm, before the big evening rush when reservations are an absolute must.

We visited the spot twice within the last few weeks and we are in no danger of getting weary of their excellent Vietnamese cuisine.  We started off with the New Zealand mussels served with a wasabi and ginger sauce that was quite naturally spicy but not so hot as to overwhelm the delectable flavor of this shellfish.  We also enjoyed the summer rolls with your choice of duck, shrimp, chicken, beef or vegetable mixed with mint, cilantro and julienne pepper wrapped in rice paper. We chose the duck filling which was tasty and not in slightest greasy. This appetizer was far superior to the dumplings which were surprisingly bland and unexciting.  Last Friday I was adventurous enough to deviate from my usual habit of selecting their terrific Phad Thai and  decided to try one of the specials. Lucy and I both went with the Asian flounder, lightly fried with caramelized onions and served with a ginger sauce. The fish was tender and flavorful and we ate every morsel. I’m not that crazy about the deserts. On our earlier outing we had the taro with sweet rice wrapped in banana leaves. I found it to be a little bit too under stated for my Western sweet tooth. Far better was the simply prepared fried bananas with vanilla ice cream that topped off our early evening meal quite nicely.

Saigon Republic does not have a liquor license but there is an excellent liquor store nearby on West Palisades Avenue that specializes in wine only. Ask them about it.  Street parking in Englewood can be as frustrating as it is in Manhattan and we suggest you allot some extra time for this hunt. They are located at 58 West Palisades Avenue in Englewood, New Jersey. Their number is 201-871 4777 and as previously noted, we strongly recommend that you call ahead for reservations.

Talk about celestial bodies

The Saturday night visitor sessions at the Emil Buehler Trust Observatory at Bergen Community College in Paramus, New Jersey have become a hot ticket as of late.  The Astronomy Club at BCC openly invites the public every Saturday night, weather permitting, to join them and view the heavens.  Two weeks ago Mars and Earth were within 43 million miles of each other, a position that they will not reach again until 2018. That Saturday night’s session at the observatory was heavily publicized by the Bergen Record newspaper and other New Jersey media. The night sky was completely cloudless and it would have been a perfect night for Bryan and I to catch a glimpse of the red planet through the observatory’s 15-inch reflecting telescope. I say would have because there were over 700 people in line to take a peak and we were discouraged by the estimated two hour wait.

            Last Saturday with no particulary noteworthy celestial phenomenon occurring, we thought it would be a better opportunity to take advantage of another cloudless night and a certainly crowdless observatory. When we arrived a little after eight pm we saw an extended family of eight, including one very enthusiastic five year old, also waiting to go inside. Later, sometime after nine when we all left, there must have been at least fifty people in the nearby auditorium waiting to climb the stairs to the second story at the science building where the observatory is located. The almost full waxing moon meant that it would be an optimal night for lunar observation but signifigantly less so for planetary or distant star viewing. Fortunately our group had two excellent astral guides from the astronomy and physics departments who worked and focused the telescope on two lunar craters, Tycho and Copernicus and on one binary star system (it sounded like Calabria?).  The moveable dome has an open window section that can be rotated at will and with a GPS control the telescope can be positioned through that opening and focus on the object. I was a little less interested in the craters and more intrigued with the binary stars. It was explained to us that that the stars were of different sizes and that we would see distinct colors, an indication of their luminosity. I had what I thought were reasonable expectations. I knew that squinting through a telescope would not reveal a Lucas Films vision of a distant star. The five year old was not so restrained. After every opportuity to put his eye to the lens he exclaimed, "Awesome!". When it was my turn I was surprised at the strong colors of these stars. They looked like two red and blue Christmas lights and not like the hazy dim orbs that I expected. My interest in astronomy is not a momentary fancy. Guess who might be getting a telescope for Christmas this year? 

1890 - The Right's favorite year

I remember a television special hosted by Woody Allen that was broadcast sometime in the early 70's. Strangely enough for a comedy show he had William F. Buckley as one of his guests. Woody told him that he wanted to see a conservative government elected in the U.S. so that we could all see how terrible that would be and get the then growing interest in conservatism out of our system, once and for all. The studio audience thought that was his funniest remark of the night. At the time I agreed, just like the offhand remark he made in one of his films (I think it was "Take the Money and Run") that his mother owned a digital computer. That was hysterical for a time when digital computers meant mammoth room sized ENIAC type mainframes. The idea of a conservative dominated U.S. government seemed equally incongruous to the image of a digital computer in one's apartment. Today it's hard to see the humor in both statements. You had to be there.

With Samuel Alito's pending nomination to the Supreme Court seeming to be a sure thing, Democratic filibuster or not, the Right is on the cusp of achieving that goal of controlling all three branches of the government that Allen casually proposed more than 30 years ago and what they have been seeking for as many years. The prize they have sought is almost won, to paraphrase Walt Whitman.

The ideal America that conservatives have been seeking, in the electoral process and in the cultural and economic sphere was realized once before near the end of the nineteenth century. In 1890 there were few government regulations of the private sector. Anti-trust laws had only recently been enacted and were seldom enforced; accept in the case of labor unions, which were often ruled to be acting in restraint of trade. The Federal Food and Drug Act would not be enacted for another 16 years.  There was no federal income tax and no SEC oversight of the financial markets. The only government agency that most Americans had any dealings with was the Post Office. Spending on social programs was non-existent. The government could easily have been drowned in a bathtub, the often repeated aim of conservative activist Grover Norquist. Tort reform was not a discussed political issue as large jury awards for punitive damages in civil trials was unheard of.

There was also no mistaking America for anything other than a Christian nation in 1890. Abortion was a crime in every state and prayer in the public schools was an unquestioned daily practice. The Supreme Court ruling that enunciated the principle of the "Separation of Church and State" would happen 35 years later. The courts in 1890 were very pro-business and overturned most federal and state laws, such as setting minimum wages and worker safety rules as unconstitutional interference in commerce.

Is this an exaggeration of the ideal America that Weyrich and others have been advocating? Does America really want to return to 1890?

New Zealand's General Election

New Zealand is holding a general election on September 17^th.  Helen Clark, the incumbent Labour Party Prime Minister since 1999, is facing off against

Don Brash, leader of the National Party. There are a number of other parties including the Maori Party, Green Party, Liberal (ACT) and the New Zealand First Party but the main event is between Labour and National. The main issues in this campaign are over taxation and the settlement of land rights with the indigenous Maori people. New Zealand offers a generous social safety net in the form of national health care, state financed pensions for the elderly and unemployment insurance benefits. The cost is that the top tax rate is 39% for those earning over $60,000 and a sales tax called the GST of 12% on virtually everything sold. Both of the main parties have tax cut plans with the National Party offering the most dramatic. The country is also grappling with the settlement of land claims by the Maori’s dating back to the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi. Forty Maori chiefs signed that document that recognized British sovereignty in exchange for protection against encroachment on their land from settlers.  Within the last thirty years the Maori became more assertive in the courts and a commission was established to resolve these claims. Each of the main parties has different target dates for final adjudication.

Being the political junkie that I am I avidly read the newspapers and television news accounts of this election while I was there with great interest. It seems that real issues and policies were being debated.  I didn’t hear of any personal attacks by either side or the dredging up of any candidate’s youthful indiscretions. In the United States the President is the head of government and is also the head of state, while in nations such as Great Britain and New Zealand the head of state role is vested in the monarchy.  There is less reverence shown to the Prime Minister, as Tony Blair experienced when he spoke to television audiences in England during the last British general election.  Despite being the six-year incumbent, Helen  Clark does not enjoy an imperial advantage over her opponent. Coincidently, Kiwis are having one of their periodic debates about whether they should continue as a Commonwealth nation or remove the Union Jack from their flag, replace it with their unofficial symbol, the silver fern and become a republic. I see great virtue in having a virtually powerless monarch be the living symbol of national admiration while the men and women politicians who actually hold the real reins of power are not put too high on a pedestal that they cannot be sufficiently taken to task for their mistakes.    

Return from New Zealand

My family and I completed a 15 day trip to New Zealand

when we flew back to New York from Auckland on

Saturday September 4th. It was an uneventful if

interminable flight back, making me swear to never fly

12 hours again in coach class. Our experience at Los

Angeles Int'l Airport was quite dismal - topped off by

the annoyance of having to wait on line for an hour

in order to go through airport security even though we

were international travelers who had done so when we

embarked at Auckland Airport. We've vowed to avoid LAX in our future travels.

We started our trip with five days in

Wellington where I was pursuing possible IT

opportunities with some recruitment firms there.

Wellington is that nation's capital and it is a small harbor

city with a population of less than 400,000

A lot of comparisons have been made between Wellington

and San Francisco and there are indeed a number of

similarities. Wellington is nestled at the foot of

some considerable hills and like San Francisco it probably

would be a challenge to drive around with a manual

shift car (there's enough difficulty in learning to

drive on the left side of the road. Fortunately I got

my first taste of doing that in the mostly rural South

Island). Wellington also has a cable car that takes

you up to the city's Botanical Gardens and an

Observatory where you can enjoy a beautiful overlook

of the city and harbor. With it's Cuba Street section consisting

of numerous Malaysian, Indian and Chinese restaurants,

a mild if very windy climate, a well preserved

and brightly painted wood frame

buildings from the late 19th and early 20th century in

a style that I call late British Empire, and with

streets that are fun to walk, the comparison between

Wellington and San Francisco seems even more apt. New

Zealand like California is on a major geologic fault

line and Wellington experienced a severe earthquake

in 1855. There are stark differences in this comparison. I saw only

one man panhandling on the streets, the city is

immaculately clean and crime is so low that traffic

accidents are the main stories in the local

newspapers. I walked those streets among hurried

commuters off to their offices and students heading

for the cafes after class and I could easily picture

myself a denizen of this city.