Category Archives: Foolish Designs

30 Minutes, Five Days, Decades.

3 Replies

Wednesday I got a notice in my mailbox stating that a package awaited me at the local post office. I was notified, as usual, that the postal staff would be available to assist me in retrieving this package from 8 – 3 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I get to the post office a half an hour late and although the lady who does all the paperwork is still there, I can’t pick up the package. Admittedly, I was late, and no, I’ve never had any massive problems before.

However, I am freshly piqued about the absurdity of this Communist-era system. It boils down to the fact that the pickup window is far too small. Think about it, 8 – 3 on Tuesday and Thursday; working hours on two work days. This assumes that the person who needs to retrieve his/her package will be able to somehow leave work, go all the way to the post office, wait in line, and then return. If this person had a half hour lunch break, this might be accomplished, with little or no time to spare. However, in Romania, the workday trend is to begin early, around 8 and continue straight through until roughly 3. After work, most individuals return home for lunch, which is the primary daily meal here. Therefore, since the odds of a person having a lunch-break are slim, and it is likely that this person’s working hours are at least 8 – 3, the package pickup window, (Tues/Thurs 8-3,) could not possibly be less convenient.

The real kicker, though, is the absurdity of the customs process. Whereas amazon.com shipments are expedited to a full service window, (i.e. they can be picked up any time,) shipments originating from foreign countries necessitate a customs inspection. However, this inspection is farcical at best, and in my opinion, vestigial of the built-in corruption endemic during the Communist era. The pickup process entails 2 stops. First, you present your ID card to a postal worker who writes your ID number somewhere on the package’s shipping label. After you sign somewhere, anywhere on that label, the clerk goes into a back room to retrieve your package. The package is then placed on a scale, at which point the clerk cuts it open.

Then, responsibility is transfered to the visiting customs official. Not simply a lowly postal worker, the customs official has his own uniform and log-book; he has come to the post office from the central customs office to perform his bi-weekly duty. The extent of this duty differs widely. Those customs officials used to snooping and in all likelihood seeking something from which to extract a bribe (in the old days of course,) will take everything out of the package and question why you could possibly want such things. However, I must give credit where credit is due and state that this variety of customs worker has been rare, and reportedly becoming rarer; bravo Romania! Most of said officials will simply peer in the box, or pull out the topmost item only to quickly send you on your way. You need not sign again.

But, here comes the real treat. The past 3 or 4 packages I have retrieved did not even make it to step 2; that is, they were never opened. I’ve heard rumors that this is due to the fact that it is technically illegal to open and inspect these packages; perhaps though the staff have simply lost interest in examining my massive candy shipments. Regardless, this non-enforcement of step 2 renders the customs official a mere looker-overer; his only function in my last few pickups has been to acknowledge, via nod, that the package has been retrieved. As I said, sitting behind his little pane of glass in his neat uniform and large log-book, he resembles a vestigial organ no longer quite sure of its purpose, content only with the fact that it may still, sporadically, cause problems.

So, when I arrived a half hour late to find the customs officer gone and the postal worker unwilling to get me my package which stood just feet behind her, I consoled myself with the fact that my minor inconvenience was simply a symptom of a larger unresolved issue in Romania. Given the country’s unwillingness to engage in sincere reform, many practices from old eras persist to this day. I am positive that this is the case with foreign package pickup. This is also the case with the grade registers in the schools, as well as pretty much all other aspects of the educational system. I’d bet that even if the post office was to begin tracking packages by computer, that when all was said and done, the object of efficiency would still only be available on Tuesday and Thursday, from 8 – 3.

alt.war

6 Replies

I’ve been paying close attention to the events in Israel and find myself conflicted. Personally, I do not advocate violence, however, I am not so naive to believe that it is completely unnecessary. That said, the Jewish state finds itself under attack from a radical ideology which seeks no less than its utter destruction. When faced with an enemy who seeks to annihilate you, I see no problem with retaliation. However, the very nature of the enemy ensures that such defensive actions will lead to civilian casualties. Indeed, the radicals (Hezbollah, Hamas, etc.) operate within the same territory as other civilians. Therefore, when combating strongholds of these terrorist organizations, innocents will be killed. This is not a justification, rather a fact regarding the nature of the battle. Indeed, it seems that even if Israel succeeds in wiping out Hezbollah offices or leaders, the damage done will amount to a net loss. With the death of each innocent, passions in the Muslim world will be further inflamed against not only Israel, but also the US and the West in large. It seems, thus, that Israel’s actions are not prudent.

But to stop the analysis at this point would be incomplete. Although this method of massive retaliation may seem barbaric, so too are the tactics employed by the enemy. And the difficulty here is that, unlike previous global conflicts, this one is even harder to trace to a single source; that is, radical Islamic terrorism, which is the manifestation of the desire for Islam to triumph over all people, is nurtured worldwide. September 11th, the London/Madrid/Bali/etc. bombings all are the “fruits” of this labor. We can expect more.

Unfortunately, it is at this point in the game where types like Bush/Cheney step in, insert the period, while admonishing us to be afraid and to continue supporting their war. Although this is indeed a war, between extremists and a more moderate and pluralistic vision of humanity, our current black/white policies do little to genuinely support our side. Instead, we must blend pragmatism with effective action.

As progressives/liberals we must admit that radical Islam (or Islamo-Fascism) is a real threat. The goal of this movement, as stated before, is world domination in the name of Islam. This idea is not particularly new, nor is it one to which only Islam is prone. The difference is that this specific strain of Islam, which is practiced in many places globally, allows no accommodation for non-believers. To these adherents, Islam is the only true path, and therefore any and all other paths are inferior and to be eliminated. Murder becomes justified, indeed glorified. As far as these people are concerned, the global goal is accomplished through small victories. Since the United States is such a large and formidable military force, it is unlikely that radical Islamists will anytime soon destroy it. However, victories are being won on smaller stages. Just recently, an article in the NY Times described how Sha’ria, or Islamic law, has been adopted in Banda Ache province in Indonesia. Similar victories, outside of the traditional Middle East, signify the success of this de-centralized movement. And just as Americans recruit the best intellectual minds to its Universities, the Islamo-Fascist movement recruits the most gullible/desperate/misinformed/brainwashed to its own training camps. Thus as this army grows, it becomes more internationalized.

Since the destruction of the US is not feasible at present, Israel assumes the brunt of attacks, as witnessed by the endless suicide bombings and rocket fire to which it is subject within its territory. Israel is not the United States. However, to claim that the interests of Israel and the United States do no coincide regarding this issue is pure folly. The hatred of our enemy against the Jews and the West is really one in the same, and though Christians may be larger than the Jews in number, rest assured that you too are unacceptable and will be dealt with. The fate of Israel will largely be the fate of the West, and our ability to combat this enemy globally. Israel may be doing it wrong, but the idea is right. This movement must first be contained, and then eliminated. But this is hard work, and frankly, the traditional notions of combat do not seem to apply. Tanks and fighter planes can only do so much to destroy a perverted ideology. But re-education is not impossible; witness the turnaround of post-Nazi Germany into a multicultural powerhouse.

The real war will involve isolating those who preach hate while assisting those who teach a version of religion that is truly pro-life. But when individuals act out of fear, such nuance is most often lost. With September 11th, we got a taste of that fear, and I fear, like the hawkish Israelis, we are making similar mistakes – namely with Iraq. What we must remember is that radicalism takes hold easily in non-democratic societies. Oppression is the name of the game across much of the Middle East, and thus more moderate voices tend to be silenced. Our task in the upcoming years will be to help build institutions that give such voices a greater audience. This, coupled with the isolation and destruction of those who shamelessly advocate violence, is the real path to victory. The time for action is now, but we must not rush into the battle without some damn good plans. Unfortunately this is not what we have done, and we are now saddled with the additional burden of undoing the damage caused by recent actions. Let’s face up to this threat honestly so that we can truly defeat it.

PSA

I’m working now as a waiter, so sometimes my shift doesn’t start until 4:00. So on days like these I indulge in my guilty TV pleasure: Court Shows. My two favorite are Judge Judy (classic – can’t be beat) and The People’s Court (a close 2nd.) Although these shows themselves could probably be the source of plenty of commentary, I’ll refrain for now.

What gets me more is the advertising that is shown during the commercial breaks. Most of it, predictably is cheezy… “Bank turned you down for a loan??? CALL US!” “Need a car??? CALL US!!” “Need phone service?? CALL US!!!” Then there are the career focused commercials. Most of us can probably recall Sally Struthers quickly reading the list of home degree programs including such professions as TV/VCR Repair and Refrigeration. Although that classic is not to be seen anymore these days, it has been replaced by what I’d like to call the 2nd generation cheezy job ads. The most popular career advertised is as a medical assistant. You know those annoying people that stand between you and your doctor with hundreds of forms? Yeah, those people. This I have been used to for a while. The other top category is as some sort of minor level creative professional… i.e. graphic design. But I’ve recently seen commercials for a different job.

Aircraft engine maintenance.

Yep. So I guess that the demographic which needs the “Local Phone Company” and career options as massage therapists is the same from which individuals who service the engines of the aircraft we fly are drawn. Now, don’t get me wrong. Jobs as medical billing specialists are honest jobs, and it is good to have a country of workers, not public assistance recipients. However, when it comes to maintaining aircraft engines, be they Pratt and Whitneys in Cessnas or Rolls Royces in Boeings, I’d rather the mechanics not be drawn from the daytime TV crowd.

But, perhaps I’m being a little harsh. After all, with the way the economy has been for manufacturing jobs, there are probably plenty of former workers whose jobs have been shipped off to China or Mexico watching Judge Judy tell it like it is to minor scumbags. I am, after all, haunted by Michael Moore’s Roger and Me. So whether this is just a scary fact or an indication of a larger sobering reality, I’m not ready to say. But as soon as I see Homeland Defense on the big list, then perhaps I’ll duck, and cover.