Publicani

“I am just a private citizen who is sick and tired of other people coming to me and taking something from me and explaining to me that’s it’s done in my own interest.”

From the “MaryAnne Show” on WGCH (1490am) on Friday 4/11.

Q. Once again, we are speaking to Zak Maymin. He wrote a book “Publicani.” He came over here with his family from Russia in 1980. He is here about 28 years now and we are happy you do. So, Mr. Maymin, you are not happy with the government of the United States, or you were not?

A. I was happy, I am not happy right now.

Q. You are not happy right now?

A. And it’s not just the government, I am not happy with the people.

Q. The people?

A. Yes, and I want to change…

Q. You want to change?

A. Yes, I want to change certain things that people think about, the way they think about it.

Q. So, I understand, so…

A. Government is just mirror, it’s just a reflection of the people. We keep voting this government to the power, right?

Q. That’s correct. That’s correct. So, you would like to make a difference in the United States of America.

A. Yes.

Q. And you gonna do that.

A. Yes. I am doing that.

Q. You are doing that?

A. Yes.

Q. You are doing that with this book Publicani?

A. I am doing it right now on your show.

Q. I like that!

A. We are doing it already.

Q. Ha-ha-ha! So, wait a minute, maybe this is one of the first things we could do on my show, we could start changing things!

A. We are already changing things. The fact that we are talking about this, talking that there is a problem in this country, we are changing things.

Q. But you know, Mr. Maymin, I never talk politics on my show.

A. Call me Zak.

Q. Thank you very much Zak, I will. I never talk politics on my show. I never tlak about religion. Religion, I talk about going to Church on Sundays, things like that. But… everyone is different. Jewish, Catholic, Muslim, Lutheran, Episcopalian, everyone’s different, but there’s one God.

A. Ok.

Q. I believe this. And I don’t think the world changes, I think the world stays the same. I think the people become different.

A. I am not sure the people are becoming that different. In a sense we are still running in the jungle. And if we see something that somebody else has and we don’t, we can justify how we can come to this person and take it from him. And that’s the main problem that I see in today’s America.

Q. Do you work with a group of people that feel the same? Like an organization?

A. No, I am not a politician either. I am not starting any religion or any movement, nothing like that.

Q. Right.

A. I am just a private citizen who is sick and tired of other people coming to me and taking something from me and explaining to me that’s it’s done in my own interest.

Q. Ok, so you don’t feel like it’s done in your own interests at all?

A. It’s not even that. It’s not a good reason to take something from me. Even if it’s in my interest? Who are you? If I don’t volunteer it, don’t take it forcefully from me.

Q. In other words, you should give it with your heart, or don’t give it at all.

A. Yes.

Q. I understand. So this is why Mr. Zak Maymin is on my show right now. He is gonna make a difference in the United States of America. Correct?

A. Correct.

Q. You gonna make a difference with the people.

A. Yes.

Q. Change the people.

A. Yes.

Q. I’ll tell you, I wish you luck

A. Thank you very much.

Q. So, tell me Mr. Maymin, how you gonna go about changing people, people’s thinking. People are people. You know, you can’t really change people. Do you think you can?

A. Yea.

Q. You do? Ok.

A. Sometimes, you drop a pebble in to the ocean and the wave start and the same way some of big movements started with somebody saying “No.” You saw these examples in Civil Rights Movement in the United States, right?

Q. Right, aha.

A. There are… it’s possible to move people. When you are on the right, eventually people will understand that.

Q. You know, maybe you are right, maybe you can change people, and I just give you a whole lot of credit for trying because you are doing something that you truly believe in.

A. Yes.

Q. Isn’t it wonderful…Any questions for Mr. Zak Maymin, please give us a call. He wrote a book Publicani. Actually, it’s changing, you wanna change United States a little bit?

A. Right.

Q. Correct?

A. To begin with. The Idea is to change the entire world but let’s start with one country at a time.

Q. You don’t wanna start with Russia.

A. No.

Q. No?

A. Not yet.

Q. You can’t change Russia?

A. Not yet.

Q. Not yet. But you gonna work on it?

A. Yes.

Q. I give you a lot of credit because you truly believe in what you are doing.

A. Yes. And actually it’s very dangerous if you don’t change because there are weapons of mass destruction that are easily obtainable. Practically every country already has it.

Q. Right.

A. And maybe in 10-15 years every high school will have them. And probably Greenwich High school already have H-Bombs as far as I know, because I had two children going there. Small suitcase, you can put an H-Bomb in there and blow up cities and stuff and nothing in our software, in our mind, prevents us from doing that. We still believe that if this is done for good, then we can do it.

Q. Uhu. I understand.

A. Look at Iraq.

Q. Yea.

A. We do it for good. For good of America, for good of Iraqi people,. And we kill people. And we displace [millions of] people. And that’s what we do. My main problem is Income Tax.

Q. Ts, oh, ok, ok, you are not for the income tax.

A. I am strongly, passionately against income tax. I think it’s the root of all evil.

Q. The root of all evil?

A. Yes.

Q. You don’t believe that people should be paying income tax?

A. No, I don’t believe it.

Q. Ok, all right. Well we are all entitled to our freedom of opinion.

A. I can see you are shocked, but if you think a little bit and stay with me you’ll…

Q. No, I am not shocked with you, Sir. No, no, no…

A. Especially during this happy tax season people should at least think on whether we should be forced into doing the same thing.

Q. Well, we have to pay our taxes. See, it’s not that I am shocked with you, Mr. Maymin, Zak, I am not. I am so used to it. I am accustomed of doing it. It’s a routine. A routine.

A. Once I said Income Tax I became Mr. Maymin right away. I am not Zak anymore.

Q. Ha-ha-ha! Ok, Zak, all right, Zak, let’s do it. So as to me it’s what we do. I am programmed. It’s what we do, every year, every year, every year. My husband and I, every year, every year. So I am programmed to do it. So I can’t say I am against it because that’s all I know. Do you understand?

A. Yes.

Q. So if you show me different things to think about, maybe I’ll think about something else. Excuse me, one minute. Hello? Hello? Ok. There is a question on the phone for you. Hello, welcome to the MaryAnne show.

Caller. Hi, this is Nick. I am actually calling to ask the author question.

Q. Sure, go ahead, please.

Caller. Hi, there.

A. Hi.

Caller. What’s the main idea that you want me to really question and to think about changing along with your book. You are talking a lot about change, but I am not sure exactly what we really should consider.

Q. We don’t have a lot of time. So…

A. It’s three words. Don’t initiate the force. That’s all.

Caller. Three words?

A. Yea, if you don’t use abbreviations and count “the”, then it’s five words: Do Not Initiate The Force. But it’s “Don’t initiate the force.”

Caller: Oh. Well, thank you.

Q. Ok?

Caller. By-by.

Q.Thank you very much.

A. You can you force to defend yourself, but don’t initiate the force. Don’t steal money from other people. Don’t come to their doors and say: You have to pay this, or otherwise I’ll bring IRS and federal agents to get this money from you.

Q. You don’t like that part. Ok. Ok, Nick?

Caller. Thanks.

Q. Thank you very much.

Caller. Bye-bye.

Q. Bye-bye.

Q. Zak, I wanna thank you for being my guest today, you were wonderful. Thank you very much.

A. Thank you.