Category: Politics

State of the Unions Errata

December 21, 2005 Politics

The New York Post has some excellent coverage of the strike including some history of past strikes and apparently, my observations from yesterday could have used a little more research.
The Transit Workers Union was formed way back in 1934 and even went on strike in 1966. Back then, the public sector employees were subject to the “Condon-Wadlin Act” which also prohibited city workers from striking, but imposed such harsh penalties that it wasn’t enforced.
Although then Mayor Lindsay acquiesced to the union, Governor Rockefeller commissioned a new panel to reevaluate and redefine the labor arrangement for employees of the public sector. This panel was chaired by George W. Taylor and its recommendations ultimately became The Taylor Law. Striking was still prohibited, but the penalties, while harsh, were more reasonable and thus would have a better chance of being enforced by the courts.
That said, I still share the views of the many angry New Yorkers who are fed up with the union.



State Of The Unions

December 20, 2005 Economics, Politics

After weeks of posturing and threatening the Transit Worker’s Union (TWU) finally went on strike, thereby disabling New York’s public transportation system. Personally I’m not really affected by the strike. My inability to find an apartment has, for once, worked out to my advantage since my commute requires New Jersey Transit as opposed to the subway.
However, like most New Yorkers, I am thoroughly annoyed at the TWU.

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N.O. Man’s Land

September 2, 2005 Politics

In a recent year long Batman story arc, Batman’s Gotham City is virtually destroyed by a cataclysmic earthquake. Due to Gotham’s reputation as being a difficult and crime-ridden city the government deems the city not worth saving, and basically seals off Gotham from the rest of the United States declaring it a “No Man’s Land.” In the NML, the citizens lack basic resources and are terrorized by gangs while the power brokers consolidate and manipulate for their own personal or political gain.
Sounding familiar?
As the news comes in from New Orleans I am increasingly reminded of Batman’s frightening scenario. While there aren’t super-villains (in the literal sense at least), there is still the tragedy, despair, lawlessness, and political wrangling. “Chaos” and “anarchy” are the most common descriptions, and the comparisons to third world countries are not even hyperbole anymore.
The Independent writes:

    Robberies, carjackings and even reports of rape and murder have all abounded in a city where the dead have been left lying where they fell or else float eerily down the rivers created by the water-filled streets.

Oh, and martial law is getting underway as well.
People are already questioning if New Orleans is worth rebuilding. Even the the Speaker of the House has already given up stating that part of New Orleans “could be bulldozed.”
Yet despite all the obvious problems, the media seems to focus more on placing the blame be it on the about blaming the President, FEMA, or even the residents themselves.
This entire tragedy has been mishandled from every angle imaginable. There is plenty of blame to go around, all of which can be sorted out later. But the first priority has to be making sure that people get the help they desperately need.
As today’s WSJ lead editorial reminds us, maintaining civil order isn’t easy in a crisis, especially when there is “complacency born of prosperity and the resilience of our legal and civic institutions.”
But unlike Gotham, we don’t have a bat signal to bail us out.



A Stab In The Heart

August 8, 2005 Politics

I just finished watching the three parts of the video “A Stab In The Heart” and was one of the more powerful things I have seen on the current disengagement (the first part especially, it gets a bit redundant afterwards).
Every Jew ought to watch this video, regardless of your positions of the disengagement or of Israeli politics in general. You may be for or against disengagement. You can think it’s good, bad, or a necessary evil for the country.
And that’s entirely not the point.
This film is an important reminder that even with Eretz Yisrael we are still very much in galut. I cannot think of anything more appropriate to watch during the 9 days.



YUTOPIA’s Election Recap 2004

November 4, 2004 Politics

At risk of losing my blogger’s license, today’s discussion is on politics. I’m not going to discuss whether or not the results are “good” or “bad” on any level, but I did notice two ironic results. The first was picked up by The Daily Show in their election recap. The Bush camp claimed that John Kerry was soft on terrorism and would be too weak of a leader. Despite these accusations, Kerry easily carried New York, the state most directly affected by the 9/11 attacks.
Similarly, Kerry attacked Bush’s economic policies which supposedly cost jobs while giving tax breaks to the wealthy. However, as Nicholas Kristoff mourns, Bush carried all the “middle America” hard working states.
It could be that the candidate’s directed their messages to the wrong people – in the sense that they weren’t able to change the people’s minds. Or, you could say that they simply sold their positions to whomever wished to hear them.
Anyway, I’m also interested in the role religion played in people’s decisions. Between the left-leaning liberal Jews and R. Eliyashiv’s pesak to vote for Bush, I’ve gotten several IM’s asking for my opinions. Maybe for when I get back to Chicago.



Protest Warriors

June 24, 2004 Politics

Today’s topic is inspired from the people at www.ProtestWarrior.com. I’d recommend checking out the whole site including the FAQ, a high-schooler’s experience, the photo gallery, and videos. For the abridged version, take a look at their sign collection.1
These “ProtestWarriors” peacefully demonstrate for their cause using the democratic rights given to all American citizens. Whether or not one disagrees with their politics, they have an equal right to freely express their positions. By facing their “enemy” head on, they become warriors of protest.
In contrast, Israel is faced with a different type of protest warrior – the soldiers who are protesting the government’s orders. A while ago, several soldiers refused to serve where their personal or ethical beliefs were compromised. Today, many rabbis are calling for a similar insubordination to protest Sharon’s withdrawal plan.
As expected, some support and some criticize these insurrections, often changing their views on if they agree with the politics. Prof. Asa Kasher2 has been particularly critical, but in reinterpreting his ambiguous code of ethics, the dissenters may have rights themselves.
What are the legitimate rights of protest for soldiers? On one hand, we would expect soldiers to be obedient to their superiors. On the other hand, in the case of crimes against humanity, most would reject the defense of “we were just following orders.” The U.S. created a special category of “conscientious objector” for some servicemen. However, were this to be applied in Israel, the entire military would be dismantled since everyone would object to some element of the government’s policies.
Is it be possible for a military to have its own Protest Warriors without jeopardizing the delicate chain of command? When should we expect soldiers to disobey orders?

1. Ironically, I first noticed this sign on campus which was taken down by the next day.
2. Also son of R. Menachem Mendel Kasher, author of the Torah Sheleima, and to whom I am (or was) personally connected in an exceedingly roundabout way.