Who we are and where we go

Couple of days ago I had a long and unproductive conversation with a Russian correspondent on merits of Oath of Allegiance and, wider, on responsibilities of US Citizen vs. Resident Alien.

My opponent, like many contemporary Russians of his upbringing, didn’t see much difference between allegiance to country/to nation/to Constitution. I was trying to explain that the Oath request newcomers to denounce allegiance to foreign power, monarch and state – but does not require same allegiance to American state, but (as appropriate for free people) to Constitution and the Law. He was incensed:”I know that American nationals are good guys and they will not die for Constitution, some document written by oldies 200 years ago – but will take arms and die, like I would, for my country and state. What you are trying to tell me is slander” &&&.

I promised then to bring the topic here, quoting verbatim on twists and turns and ask for your input (after all, I didn’t have an advantage of  studying “US Constitution” class in H.S., what do I know). So I am doing now, but half-heartedly. The reason being, I’ve listen through an hour-long video  [via Ex-Dissident] explaining our current condition of the nation – the real State of the Union  – and now am convinced: we are in free fall.

So, in this light, discussions like I described before are probably only of academic interest.  Who cares about semantics, ideals and principles when house is devoured by fire…

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21!

Presented below is my so called Alien Registration card – also known as “green”, although in reality it is white. It is dated, as you can detect,  02/04/1992 – the day I arrived to JFK, and indicates my nationality as “Stateless”.

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How my Army career ended before its start

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
DA NER WEST POINT MILITARY ACAD
ATTN XXX
THOMAS HALL BUILDING###
WEST POINT NY  10996-ZZZ

Dear    ETat
Your status for the position below is as follows:
Position Title:   Interior Designer
Series/Grade:
1008/11

        Promotion Potential:      11
Vacancy ID:       #######
Agency:   Army Installation Management Command
Considered For:    Directorate of Public Works Engineering Div
Duty Location:
West Point, NY

We have reviewed your application for this position.  Your application will receive no further consideration, for the following reason:

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Quote of today

[K]ак нам недавно сообщили, по передовым данным науки, государство также создаёт и богачей – иным словом, все классы созданы государством из первобытного хаоса.
В начале общество было пусто и безвидно, и Дух Государства витал над водами. И сказало Государство – да будет Рабочий Класс, и стал Рабочий Класс. И отделило государство Средний Класс от Рабочего Класса, и увидело, что это Хорошо. И постановило Государство, что Рабочий Класс будет работать, а Средний Класс – служить, по роду их, и назвало это Экономикой. И сказало Государство – да воскишит Экономика Дорогами, Мостами, Бизнесменами и Миллионерами. И стало так. И всё заверте…

Stas

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Not even a year

…and there is another blast.

Here’s what I wrote in March of last year.

Москвичи, примите мои соболезнования.  Moscowites, please accept my condolences.

Now it ‘s not just “Moscowites“: the explosion happened at the exit of baggage claim, close to International Arrivals. Some news sources say many killed people were passengers from Tajikistan, from Dushanbe flight. Other countries are mentioned, too: France, Slovakia, Italy.  Again, like last year, like many times before, there is talk of corruption, unpreparedness, indifference, lapsed security, pre-election provocation by FSB, greedy taxi-drivers, blood donations…It became routine, a nightmarish deja vu.

Примите мои соболезнования, семьи и друзья погибших и раненых.

My condolences to families and friends of the murdered and wounded.

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Masters and masses

Russian government still is better than general population in its recklessness and fatalism: without external control and fear of punishment most Russian people would behave in more criminal and irresponsible fashion than average government official.

Same old, same old

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Pocket change

Went to  a seminar by NYSERDA. An hour of detailed explanations how much money an Owner/Client can receive from the State claiming improvements in energy use and equipment. Very thorough description of the bureaucratic net that makes the public to shell out money for yet another newly formed government agency – including patronizing permission to charge the Client up to 3% higher design fee for the time preparing on his behalf paperwork application to that agency. Naturally, they didn’t forget their pockets either, no sir.

The most interesting, though, was Q&A portion. The audience consisted of design professionals – engineers and architects; the crowd that is used to elevated language of presentations, sales pitches and “green” siren songs (many of them employ it themselves). So they came to the bottom line. A figure of $83 mln available reward funds stunned the audience. Several asked where it comes from, how much from that original number (towards the end of the year) is still available and what is the long-term outlook of this program.

“Don’t worry”, – said the NYSERDA rep, – the money will always be there. It comes from everyone’s ConEdison or NationalGas bill – here, on the screen, pictured the enlarged copy; see this portion at the end? The State collects it and uses for the rewards that NYSERDA help to obtain. That’s why we are confident in telling you that the program is a-political: whoever is in Albany at the moment, either party,  that portion of your energy bill will be there – in fact, as soon as $83mln will be exhausted, there is a planned increase in  this energy-bill charge. By 30-35%.”

Property is theft, indeed. With one qualifier added before “property”: State.

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Suggest the title

There is a new installment at David Thorne site – this time regarding secure anti-bear-access trash containers. Or small-time American bureaucracy losing to lone Australian. Or following rules versus following logical rules. Or a dog named Further wrapped in a blanket. Or cats, their elderly owners and rations for bear population of Virginia.

You decide.

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Same mistake the Left makes

Ben H.:

“If you really fear rising Islamic influence in New York, there’s no better way to stymie it than to let its supporters break themselves on the rocks of New York building regulations. Charles Martel’s “Wall of Ice” has got nothing on Amanda Burden’s “Forest of Red Tape”.

Except when the red tape is removed as if by a magic wand when is concerns the “right” people or “politically correct” cause, like building the mosque to snub Americans.

The State is not omnipotent, universal and impartial. Its laws, rules and regulations are comprised by people and used as pretext – or overlooked when convenient – by people, too. That’s the mistake the Left often makes – inserting State between peoples’ affairs, be it religious strife or criminal infighting: they think the State, as an uninterested 3rd party, will be impartial and methodical in following the letter of Law. It will not. To every barricade composed of red-tape barriers there is a fine-print clause that could be dragged in out of obscurity make the red-tape obsolete.

New Yorkers definitely should not rely on DOB convoluted regulations contraption in opposing the Cordoba House: these regulations are meant for ordinary people. Not the favorite PC pets of our ruling elite.

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Palms

Blogosphere sent signal de jure yesterday, and it was palms.

First, I noticed this beautiful (as always) drawing in my Flickr favorites by Gerard Michel, sketched in San Francisco:

, then

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