Aftermath

AFTERMATH
And Other Topics
By Hidesato Sakakibara

This month Hideo takes a brief look at NYC after the terrorist attacks of September 11, and discusses his views on various topics.
January 1, 2002

It is over one year since I wrote EMPIRE CITY, BOOGIE NIGHTS. It is also only a few months since I posted THE RELIGION. Amazing, that the events of September 11th could be so related to those two stories.

Just when M and I thought that NYC was getting to be a really good place to live, the attacks take place, and a very major part of the skyline has been altered forever. Yes, the developers are already making blue prints for the World Trade Center site, and many-a-contractor is licking his/her lips at the mere thought of getting even a fraction of the order, but that area, and NYC, will never be the same again.

People here are still stunned, for those readers who are not in the US. One reason is that the attacks are the first major attacks on the US by any foreign power. That's right the first. Pearl Harbor doesn't count because it was an attack on a US military installation in the territory of Hawai'i, not yet a state.

The WTC site was perhaps the most important part of lower Manhattan, and without it, going downtown, as M and I did a few weeks back, seemed empty and lifeless, as if we were visiting a morgue, with the staid odor of dust still pervading.

Development throughout the rest of NYC is still continuing at a fast clip. Times Square, which I wrote about in EMPIRE CITY, is becoming even better, with more new hotels and stores and office blocks being built. In just one year, with the exception of downtown, the entire island of Manhattan has improved greatly.

However, the economy has gone from bad to worse. I discussed in WORKING that the US economy was never as strong as it was hyped up to be. A lot of the so-called "boom" was limited to a few certain industries, such as Information Technology (IT), and high-ranking investment bankers and lawyers. For the past year now the economy has been getting sour, or, should I say, has been removing its "boom" makeup and showing its real face to the world.

I.T. is down the tubes. Programmers who made USD75,000 are getting the ax, with many over 40 happy to land jobs that pay USD40,000. Laywers, investment bankers, and others who reaped the harvest of the past few years are now getting squeezd. Worse, education and experience matter little. Companies are overstaffed and are laying off. The more one makes the more likely a target he will be for restructuring.

My point? If you have a job in your home country STAY PUT! I have said this before but it is worth repeating. Many PLUS Asians are coming to these shores, only to find themselves out of work and without visa.

The lesson? That things are rarely the way we are told they should be.

Foreign students and others seeking to enter the US must expect very hard times. I expect student visas to get harder to obtain for a while, at least until the nation gets over its shock of being attacked. In particular, I expect harder times for Middle Easterners and even South Asians.

I know that Asia, with the exception of China, is going through a wrenching recession. Singapore, one bright spot of the 1990s, seems to be hitting rock bottom, with many businesses collapsing. Times are rough there, as they are all over Southeast Asia.

However, I strongly urge all PLUS readers in the region to avoid coming to the U.S. Things are worse now than when I wrote WORKING. Again, if you have a job, hold on until the economy improves. I expect things to pick up into next year. Wars get the economy moving, and the current war in Afghanistan should get the US economy back on track.

And what of the attack? It was appalling. Each time I think of the thousands that lost their lives I get sad. Each time I see the WTC site, called ground zero, I literally get sick to my stomach. When the second plane hit the south tower of the WTC, I knew that it war was inevitable.

For the PLUS community, triumph over the Taliban and Al Qaeda will be the best thing to happen in a long while. To them, we are pariahs, existing only to be killed, only because that is the way they, the Bolshevicks, see us (read THE RELIGION). I have not received any news as to the stance of the Northern Alliance on PLUS, but given the Taliban, I doubt it can get any worse. In fact, I believe it can only get better.

From my own personal study of Al Qaeda, as well as Wahabiism, the unofficial "official" religion of Saudi Arabia, I believe that this is religious Bolshevism at its worst. They are not alone. A few "Christian" leaders in the US at first indirectly blamed the PLUS comunity of the attacks of September 11th, and were later proved wrong. Again, I appeal to all PLUS, it is time for us to take back religion, and destroy the notion that we are outside of God's blessings.

NOW MORE THAN EVER, IT IS TIME THAT WE TAKE BACK THE LIGHT!

Whether you are religious or not, support and encourage the PLUS religious groups that you believe are good of all religions. Also, regardless of your religious affiliation, send your support and ideas to Muslim PLUS religious groups. It is important that Liberal Islam prevails in this war against Talibanism and covert threats from Wahabiism. Why? Because Islam is the second largest religion in the world, yet there are almost no liberal views springing forth from its leadership. That's right. Islam is said to be the fastest growing religion in the US, and is fast growing in other parts of the world as well, including China as well (I mean eastern and southern China). Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing if Queer Jihad, the PLUS Muslim group in the US, were to be able to set up a forum for liberal Muslim thinking, with both PLUS and nonPLUS attending? Of course, other PLUS religious groups can do the same, if not already.

It is time we come out of the religious closet. Religion can no longer be allowed to be left as an instrument solely for the Bolshevicks to use against us.

As the attacks on the WTC have proved, we are all involved, whether we like it or not. The PLUS community must make a far-reaching attempt to reenter the religious fold, and to be heard.

The demise of the WTC also meant the ceasing of operations of many Japanese companies which called the complex their home. Due to this, my M lost his job, although luckily, not his life. So at home he sits until he finds his next gig. Again, we were totally not involved or concerned with the Middle East or with the Taliban, but we are now losing income because of it.

Interestingly, the attacks on the US as well as the sour economy have not impeded immigrants from trying to make it to America's shores. My contacts in the INS (US immigration authorities) and elsehwere inform me that applications for student visas and work visas are rising fast, as are those for marriage visas. My contacts also tell me that come January 1st, 2002, procedures are going to get much, much tougher. Hard to imagine, but they will.

Many coming are Asian and from eastern Europe. PLUS Asians in the US, in NYC in particular, are now everywhere. It is only a matter of time before we start to see PLUS Asian bars and discos, not only those devoted to RQ:PQ relationships, but places for PLUS Asians to meet other PLUS Asians, take root here. It is all a matter of time.

Some readers have written me concerning living in Thailand. For information concerning immigration, consult a lawyer and the Thai consulate in your country. Aso, read MY THAI HIGH. For most of us it may be best to wait until we are 55 years old before moving there. This way you can get a retirement visa with almost no hassles. One only needs to show a minimum monthly income. Food for thought.

However, for those readers with money to spare and a time horizon of more than a few years, now may be the time to invest in real estate in Southeast Asia. Thailand, in particular, is incredibly cheap, with great condominiums going for as little as USD30,000. I still believe, as I wrote in MY THAI HIGH, that Thailand is an excellent place to live, and an ideal retirement destination, especially for those on limited retirement pensions. This may be the bargain of a lifetime. Do look into it.

And for those of us that want to look really good, I will post an article on cosmetic surgery and inexpensive yet safe ways to have procedures done. Again, Thailand may be an excellent destination. As I continue to do the research for this article, I am getting excited. One informant had liposuction of his entire abdomen, waist, and buttocks done for USD5,000 total! In Japan or the US this would cost about USD20,000 or more, not including hospital stay. Looking good has always been especially important to PLUS men. I hope readers will find the article useful.

Many say that Asia will be in the doldrums for the long haul. However, Western retailers do not seem to think so, and are setting up operations there and are buying land at a fast pace. What do they know that we don't know?

So my M is at home now. He has been at home for over one month. This brings to mind the fact that our PLUS union is still not accepted. Had we been legally accepted, I would be able to cover M as my spouse for family health benefits. Because we are not, we must pay USD300 per month for his health insurance (not covering dental insurance). Nonsense. If I were able to get him coverage, then he could take his time and look for work. Perhaps he would not have to work outside of the home at all. I earn enough to support us both. Perhaps...

But that is not the case. Yes, more companies in the US, as well as municipalities, are extending benefits to same-sex couples. However, they are still the exception and not the norm. Then again, I suppose that we should be greateful in that we are both in this country legally. Each time I think of the countless PLUS couples that are torn apart only because their union is not accepted by the hetties, it tears me apart. (Read PAPER CHASING)

There is news that the US is moving toward granting same-sex partner immigration benefits. I am estatic, but do not expect any real move for at least five more years, IF THEN. In fact, if PLUS are able to sponsor their partners here in five years I will consider that a major, major victory for PLUS rights here and everywhere, because I do believe that the US is the bellweather country for the world.

To all the PLUS foreign partners waiting for this development, my advice is to find alternate ways to get immigration to the US. Unfortunately, the wait for immigration rights for PLUS partners may take a very long time.

America, love it or hate it, for better or worse, is calling the shots now. With the all-but-certain victory in Afghanistan, I expect US influence to grow even more.

Some readers have written asking my advice on how to stay "married" to their partners. In other words, they have found their Mr. Right, but wonder how to stay together as a real couple. They hear about so many PLUS couples breaking up, and wonder if that will be their plight.

This topic is one of great interest to many PLUS couples, especially to those hoping to be a couple. Now that PLUS rights are progressing, this is becoming the ultimate next step for many. I would love to briefly give my advice here, but will refrain for the moment. This topic requires an article all its own, which I plan to post in the near future.

Speaking of PLUS rights and benefits, I recently cancelled all of my Japanese life insurance/annuity policies. I had continued contributing to them even after coming to the US but stopped when they told me that they would not allow me to name M as my beneficiary.

Why not? When I had first become a member I was told that I could name anyone. But that was decades ago. Since then due to insurance scandals, they now limit beneficiaries to family members only. Worse, since these were annuities that at one time promised heft annual income, they lost their value with the plunge of the Japanese stock market for over 10 years.

So I cancelled, and am in the process of getting term life insurance policies in the US to cover my M should I expire. M will do the same once he is employed again.

PLUS rights in Japan are moving ahead, and hopefully in the near future many of the problems that we had to face will be solved. PLUS relationships will be recognized. But, as in the US, I do not see this happening for some time.

However, let us hope that the new year will bring with it even greater moves toward equal rights and priviledges.

H.S.

If you have any opinions you would like to express or questions, please contact the author at hsakakibara1@hotmail.com. The author gladly receives all comments, good, bad and in between, for posting. Readers may, if they wish, use pseudonyms.



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