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| QUOTATIONS 1987-2005 |
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| 1987.Since I've never been a teacher I don't know how accurate this popular American saying "those who can do, those who can't, teach" is. But as a life-long reader the truth of such a derivative from the original as "those who can live, those who can't read" was always painfully obvious to me. 1988. MY FIRST JOB - MY BEST JOB As I look back at almost forty years of my working life, my first job was probably the best I ever had. The school year was over, the summer just began, and several months before I've turned 16 and received my internal passport without which no one could work in the Soviet Union. To keep me out of troubles, into which the idle young men are so prone to get, my father found me a job with the company he was working for and which was responsible for maintaining the harbor of my native city Odessa – a port on the Black Sea in the Southern Ukraine. We were three men an a boat, plying the harbor's waters, and our job was to measure the depth of it, so that the ships wouldn't run aground. I would usually handle the oars, another man drop a lot to take measurements, and the third one write them down. It went like this day after day, back and forth across the harbor, but I was never bored. The constant commotion, the coming and going of the ships, the smell of the sea mixed with that of the tarred ropes, the salty breeze, the scream of the seagulls, the sun and the wind - it stayed in my memory forever. Of course, there were rough days, the strong wind blowing from the shore, the huge waves driving our boat into the open sea, no matter how hard I rowed, almost to the point of tearing my muscles. But, as I said, I was 16, full of strength and vigor of that age, and nothing seemed to matter. After two weeks of work I got the first paycheck and took my friends to a restaurant where we spent it all in less than an hour. My mother, who counted on it to improve our life a little , was furious. She reminded me, in no uncertain terms, how desperately poor we were and how important my wages were to make our situation a little more bearable. I was deeply embarrassed, for she was absolutely right. From then on I gave her all I earned and she would give me allowance. I did this job just for two summers, but for the next 40 years of working no other job gave me as much satisfaction as this first one. Of course, it was back breaking and the pay was very low but I enjoyed it nevertheless. Now, come to think of it, this unfortunate combination of hard work and low pay has become a curse (or a blessing) of the rest of my working life. But, as the saying goes, the membership in such, not so exclusive club, has its privileges: the overworked and underpaid, since they have so little to loose and always in a great demand, have much wider latitude in expressing their opinions than your average ass-kissing, brown-nosing, ladder-climbing, money-coveting careerist. And because, no matter where I worked and what I did, I always valued freedom of expression above any career or material consideration, I found this trade off fair enough and there was never a shortage of the greedy bosses who would put up with someone like me as long as they can work me to death and pay next to nothing. Nevertheless, working hard, being paid little , and telling honestly what one thinks, regardless of the consequences, takes inevitably its toll, both physically and psychologically. Now I cannot work any longer, but I still speak my mind freely, no matter what – the old habit never dies. 1989. When the Soviet Union disintegrated into 15 independent states it was assumed in the West that these new states will proceed to develop democratic form of government and transform their hitherto planned socialist economies into the market driven capitalist ones. It was also expected from them to do it as soon as possible to prevent retardation or even reversal of this process. Consequently, they were and still are judged by their ability and willingness to realize those assumptions and treated accordingly. Thus Estonia, for example, which fully confirmed to the prevailing assumptions and expectations is praised, encouraged and occasionally helped, while Belarus which hasn't shown sufficient enthusiasm in pursuing democracy and capitalism is routinely condemned and ostracized. The opinions about and treatment of the rest lie between these two extremes depending on degree of success or failure to fulfill the original assumptions of the West. But how valid those assumptions were? It is either forgotten, or not emphasize enough, than unlike the former socialist countries of Central Europe (with which they are often unfavorably compared) in case of the Soviet Union the primary motivations of the newly emerging on its territory states were ethnic nationalism and quest for self-determination and political independence, while attitudes toward democracy and capitalism were decidedly ambivalent –some people were in favor, others against, and very few, if any, knew too much about it. The majority simply wanted a better life "by any means possible," and were willing, for a time being, to go along with anyone who promised it. And if independence and democratic capitalism will get us there so be it. This however hasn't meant that the connection between the two, sovereignty and capitalism, was obvious to anyone but a few leaders. And even to them it was a kind of revealed truth rather then well thought through conclusion. Thus the legitimate question may be asked: "Is there necessary link between independence on one hand, and democracy and market economy on the other?" I will leave to the people better qualified than I am to prove or disapprove the theoretical necessity of such link, and instead appeal to the well known historical fact, which are as follows. First, the history of civilization is a history of independent states. They were classified by Aristotle according to their forms of governments into monarchies, oligarchies and democracy. While these types of governments still exist, though in somewhat modified forms, during 2400 year since Aristotle wrote Politics the new models such as constitutional monarchy, republic, totalitarian, authoritarian, etc., evolved. So, as we can see, the independence does not preclude variety of governance. And neither it is necessary connected to a particular economic system. Again, during the long history of civilization the economies of independent states were based on the free or slave labour, were feudal, capitalist and socialist. And all the while the various combination of political and economical system existed. Both Republic of Rome and Democracy of Athens were based economically on slave labour, and so was American Republic until 1865. United States is still a republic, governed essentially by the same Constitution but its economy now is capitalist in nature. Or compare Cuba and Quebec. Cuba is socialist and independent, while Quebec is capitalist and not. Clearly, from purely empirical point there is no causal connections between independence and particular form of governmental and economic system. So, where have those Western assumption that the newly independent states emerged from the ruins of Soviet Union should become democratic and capitalist come from? My own answer is as follows. It has been accepted as axiomatic truth in the capitalist West that socialism, being a pernicious deviation from the rule, which is capitalism, would never be chosen free but has to be imposed by force and since this was believed to be the case with the countries comprising the former Soviet Union, as soon as these countries obtain freedom and independence they would naturally embrace democracy and capitalism. And while they struggle for independence any help from the West, both during this struggle and after its success, was predicated on their unquestioning acceptance of such outcome. Most of these new countries, some more enthusiastically than others, held to this bargain anticipating economic aid and direct investments and to be fair the West held to it too, with varying degrees of quality and quantity. Yet, on the whole, the results so far have been less than spectacular. The high hopes have been dashed and overly optimistic expectations frustrated. But instead of blaming each other both side, and especially the West, has to accept as a fact of life that there is no such thing as preordained the best possible combination of political and economical systems, that each country has to follow (and be allowed to) its own path and, of course, live with its consequences. And that, hopefully, would make the world somewhat less troubled than it is now. For as long as one doesn't expect what the other cannot deliver we shall all get along well, or as well as humanly possible. 1990. Don't take me wrong. I prefer morality to immorality any time, and given a choice would rather deal with moral than immoral people. What puts me off, however, is a halo of self-righteous smugness the virtuous ones are wearing about them, the airs of humble yet conspicuous superiority they assume. It is as if they're governed by some lofty motivations unreachable to the rest of us – the incorrigible sinners, when in truth the greatest driving force of moral behaviour (few saints are excepted) is fear of retribution in a kind of reversal of the Golden Rule –I am afraid you would do unto me what I did to you. So, at the bottom, morality is but a glorified self-interest, egotism disguised as virtue. 1991. People everywhere want democracy, i.e. to have a say in how they live and how they are governed. It is the most natural human desire, both individually and collectively. The difference between those who achieved it or not is mainly in the strength of the forces hostile to this universal human aspiration and in their resolve to use any means possible to thwart it. 1992. God is a symbol and religion is an expression of man's refusal to accept reality as it is, to fully reconcile himself to the fact that "he is but a flesh," a part of nature no less, no more than a flower or a fly and that like them he is born to die and to suffer in-between. 1993.The Jewish long history of unremitting suffering produced two extremes of human responses to misery —an excessive religiosity as an embodiment of profound pessimism and all-encompassing revolutionary spirit as an expression of boundless optimism regarding man's ability to improve his lot, the first signifying absolute reliance on God, the second on man to change the world. And the only point on which both agree is that this world must be change. Thus, the means are different but the end is the same. So, at the end, they are not as different as they appears, or as they think of themselves to be. 1994. Living for the last 30 years in Toronto, the unofficial world capital of successful multi-culturalism, I had ample opportunity to observe the inner solidarity of various ethnic groups comprising this city, in which it is claimed almost 100 different languages are spoken. In my apartment building the superintendent is a Serb, and so are all the repairmen. Clearly, he helped them to get those jobs, and I've never heard any tenant saying that something wrong with it. In Toronto it is taken for granted that if you can you will help your former compatriots first, before anybody else. There is a large Italian community in Toronto and its members always assist each other in daily affairs, both professional and personal. I have witnessed on many occasions then when two strangers discover their common Italian background they'll instantly warm up to each other as long separated relatives would do when finally meeting again. The same applies to Ukrainians, Poles, Greeks, Filipinos, Somalis, etc., etc. I would need several pages to list them all. Unfortunately for me, a Jew, the same could not be said about Toronto Jews, or I suspect about the Jews anywhere in the world, for that matter. Like with all other myths about the Jews, the myth of Jewish clannishness (notice how, as always, a positive attribute like "solidarity' turns into a negative one "clannishness" when applied to the Jews) doesn't meet the test of reality. For unlike any other ethnic group which find itself in diaspora, Jews are always afraid to be accused of doing special favor to one of their own. On the contrary, they will go out of their ways to show how impartial they are. The same attitude could be observed in all kind of gathering. As if ashamed of each other, the Jews usually avoid to be seeing together and to publicly display any ethnic solidarity and mutual good will, which any other people on this planet would do naturally and automatically. There is a reason for this. The tragic legacy of antisemitic persecution is a distortion of the natural and universally accepted and admired feeling of closeness among members of the same ethnic group. This persecution taught the Jews "to hide" and they're still hiding. By avoiding each other in public, they employ "dispersal" as a sort of a camouflage, a basic tool of survival, for survival became the paramount goal of Jewish existence. And it is easier to hide alone than a group. Thus, the Jews were robbed even of the last refuge available to everyone else in the world –the security and warms of belonging to a group. For, for a Jew, the group, the group of Jews, doesn't mean safety, but on the contrary, it brings only increased danger and vulnerability. Alas, at the end, the only refuge is left to a Jew is loneliness, the utter, absolute Jewish loneliness which has no counterpart in the world. For one who cannot afford to feel kinship with his brethren is completely alone in this world. As it is often the case, every medicine has some negative side effects, and what cures also harms. So, what helped the Jews to survive physically damaged them psychologically. To conclude, the so-called Jewish unity is a figment of antisemitic imagination, the natural outcome of prejudice, which takes the worst possible stereotype and extrapolate it on the whole hated group, disregarding any differences that exist between its members. In reality, the Jews are the most fragmented and disunited ethnic group in my experience. And believe me I know. I am a Jew. 1995. I am not a sheet of paper to be drawn on. I am not a lump of clay to be molded. I am not a block of granite to be chiseled. You are not the artist, and I am not a passive matter. You cannot create me in your image. I am what I am. 1996. Meddling in other peoples' affairs must be the second oldest profession, and has always been resented and resisted by the unwilling recipients of unsolicited "good advices." Always, that is , until psychiatry and psychotherapy attained the status of legitimate occupations and provided the congenital and inveterate meddlers with opportunity to use them as cover to engage in their favorite pastime –interfering with someone else's life. From then on all resistance became futile, for anyone with some problems was automatically declared "a patient" in need of "a treatment." Moreover, the number of these "patients" seems to be miraculously keeping up with growing supply of psychiatrist and psychologists. I guess, the meddlers will always be with us, and by all indications in ever increasing numbers. 1997. Being always right, undoubtedly a great ego-booster, has it downside. For it could be very stressful to constantly confront those who though obviously wrong nevertheless stubbornly and quite unreasonably refuse to admit it. So, perhaps being always right should be regarded as a curse rather than a blessing. 1998. The well known fact that life is not perfect doesn't seem to deter anyone from looking for perfection. 1999. My attitude toward other people's behinds is strictly neutral – I neither kiss nor kick the asses. For it is not in my nature to be either obsequious to those above, or to be obnoxious to those below me. Whether one is in a position to help me, or looking for my assistance doesn't make any difference. I treat them all equally. It makes people in power resentful and angry, and those in need grateful and somewhat irreverent. Which is okey with me. I neither eager to please nor have an uncontrolled urge to offend anyone. I do what I do because of who I am. It is as simple as this. 2000. Monastic Orders with their emphasis on otherworldliness, poverty and humility have been for a long time a fig leaf of meekness to cover the naked trust of passion for absolute power and dominance by Catholic Church, which saw itself as a rightful successor to Roman Empire with a Pope, like an Emperor before, playing a double role both of ecclesiastical and political ruler. These orders came into existence when such tendencies became too obvious and embarrassing to a religion which professes to be of and by the poor and downtrodden and their modest garments and frugal living were suppose to disguise the growing opulence, grandeur and influence of the Church. And on the whole they were very successful in this endeavor. The Church could always point out to its Monastic Orders as a shining example of its faithfulness to the original teaching of Christ and to the purity of its humble beginning. 2001. A word "jew" must have some magical grammatical properties because just by adding it a positive adjective turns somehow into its negative opposite. For example: frugal + "jew" = stingy, ambitious + "jew" = pushy, witty + "jew" = insulting, authoritative + "jew" = overbearing, and so on, and so forth. It is like some kind of sinister pigment which when it is mixed with red, green, blue, orange, etc., turns them all into a monochromatic black. 2002. In human affairs one wins not so much by making all the right but rather the least of the wrong moves. 2003. There is no worse preparation for life than being brought up by a woman of above average intellect who has nobody to talk to. In this case a child ceases to be treated as a child quite early, but instead becomes a substitute for an adult companion and interlocutor. He/she is encouraged to participate as equal in all kind of conversations, and his/hers opinions and pronouncements are welcomed. A child is listened to attentively, and praised, when saying something clever and witty. But when such a child finally confronts the real world, as everyone must at some point, the shock could be truly severe. For the world is not interested in one's opinions, it does not want to hear the clever remarks. This world is a cruel step-mother and expects one to be silent unless spoken to and given permission to reply. And one who, by his/hers upbringing, is not ready for it is condemned to suffer for the rest of his/hers life from disregard, rejection and scorn. And if such a person still wants to talk he/she would have to learn how to fight for the right of being heard, the right which is not given but has to be won in relentless and perpetual struggle with the others claiming the same privilege for themselves. And like in any struggle there will be winners and there will be losers, and how one was brought up, to begin with, may prove to be a decisive factor in determining the outcome. 2004. Many carry around and rehearse every now and then their last words on the death bed, the words they seems unable, as if afraid of consequences, to utter aloud until they know there wouldn't be another chance to do so. But very few ever have the opportunity to say them when the time comes. 2005. The Truth everyone is so exercised about is not in facts and effects which are not so difficult to ascertain but in their causes which are usually multiple, elusive and often misleading. |
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