Thread: Политические дискуссии на разные темы (оф-топик от темы "The crisis in Syria")

But the USA.... What will its empire be famous for? I don't think hamburgers and expensive lattes will go down to posterity! Or perhaps it'll just go down as the short-lived empire that spread the values of junk culture, depleted morals, radical capitalism and the pursuit of money and corporate profits at any cost.

I really can’t comprehend the core nature of your perpetual complains about the USA, given your protestant background and degree in politics. It was Max Weber who first pinpointed that

According to the new Protestant religions, an individual was religiously compelled to follow a secular vocation with as much zeal as possible. A person living according to this world view was more likely to accumulate money.
The new religions (in particular, Calvinism and other more austere Protestant sects) effectively forbade wastefully using hard earned money and identified the purchase of luxuries as a sin. Donations to an individual's church or congregation were limited due to the rejection by certain Protestant sects of icons. Finally, donation of money to the poor or to charity was generally frowned on as it was seen as furthering beggary. This social condition was perceived as laziness, burdening their fellow man, and an affront to God; by not working, one failed to glorify God.

The manner in which this paradox was resolved, Weber argued, was the investment of this money, which gave an extreme boost to nascent capitalism.

The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So, God helps the Americans to endure sufferings of the material existence with less severity and punishes sinners, especially atheistic communists for their heresies.

According to the Providence, North Korea is left so far on the political arena with the only purpose to show what might happen to everyone should your keep on pursuing false believes )).

Originally Posted by diogen_

I really can’t comprehend the core nature of your perpetual complains about the USA, given your protestant background and degree in politics.

Знаете, у нас на Западе (в том числе Швеции), публичное самобичевание -- это очень древнее извращение, которым многие люди занимаются и до сих пор -- только чаще всего не в дословном, физическом смысле.



И некоторые люди испытывают чувства вины и стыда из-за того, что они пользуются плодами и преимущества западного капитализма, пока в Африке, дети умирают от голода, и т.д.

Originally Posted by Throbert McGee

...пользуются плодами и преимущества западного капитализма, пока в Африке, дети умирают от голода, и т.д.

...и преимуществами... , в то время как дети... и т.д. ( Перед и т.д. не нужно запятой. Она нужна в перечислении: и т.д., и т.п. )

Originally Posted by Throbert McGee

Знаете, у нас на Западе (в том числе Швеции), публичное самобичевание -- это очень древнее извращение, которым многие люди занимаются и до сих пор -- только чаще всего не в дословном, физическом смысле.



И некоторые люди испытывают чувства вины и стыда из-за того, что они пользуются плодами и преимущества западного капитализма, пока в Африке, дети умирают от голода, и т.д.

Но при этом не спешат стать волонтерами в Африке, чтобы помогать тем детям. Я бы сказал, только делая себе плохо, ты не делаешь хорошо никому.

Please do not forget that in democracy it is o.k. to have different views and beliefs. Even if you think they are wrong, you still do not have rights to attack people for their p.o.v. I am saying it just in case.

Я считаю, что вообще американцы разочаровались сейчас. Они все надоели но не знают точно, что делать об этом. Когда Путин писал свое письмо в New York Times, много американцев обижались. Но я думаю, что они обижались не от чего, что он писал, а более потому, что это Путин написал это. Если бы американский комментатор писал тот же самые слова, большинство американцев согласились бы с ним. Это просто по-моему, конечно.

Originally Posted by Deborski

Они все надоели но не знают точно, что делать об этом.

"Они все надоели" means "They all irked (someone)" What you actually meant is "Им всё надоело" (Everything irked them).

Originally Posted by Боб Уайтман

"Они все надоели" means "They all irked (someone)" What you actually meant is "Им всё надоело" (Everything irked them).

Блин! I meant to say "they are all fed up." Sorry.

О нет, только не революция. Революция до добра не доведёт ни вас ни нас. Лозунги и результаты революции всегда не совпадают. Поэтому как минимум будет разочарование. Остаётся только ждать, пока что-то в Америке поменяется эволюционным путём.

Золотые слова. Революция - это как лотерея, поэтому начинайте только в крайнем случае, когда уже совсем станет невмоготу!

Эволюция очень медленно идёт, и мы американцы не очень теперливые люди.

Да, я затетил, как ловко вы расправляетесь со всеми/всем, что вдруг стало непопулярным (а список бесконечен)
При этом вы это делаете без революций, что любопытно...

Кстати:
Texas = Техас
are fed up = сыты по горло

Originally Posted by maxmixiv

Золотые слова. Революция - это как лотерея, поэтому начинайте только в крайнем случае, когда уже совсем станет невмоготу!


Да, я затетил, как ловко вы расправляетесь со всеми/всем, что вдруг стало непопулярным (а список бесконечен)
При этом вы это делаете без революций, что любопытно...

Кстати:
Texas = Техас
are fed up = сыты по горло

Thanks for the corrections! I don't understand why Texas is spelled Texac in Russian, since we don't pronounce it as "tekhas" but as "tek-sas," but I will spell it right next time.

Originally Posted by Deborski

Thanks for the corrections! I don't understand why Texas is spelled Texac in Russian, since we don't pronounce it as "tekhas" but as "tek-sas," but I will spell it right next time.

Yes, it is spelt Техас in Russian (stress on А). I am not sure, but I guess it is because "Texas" is originally a Spanish name, and it is pronounced that way (with "hard" [х]) in Spanish.
Someone might have to correct me.

Similarly, the word "Mexico" sounds [Мэхико] in Spanish. Quite illogically, in Russian it is spelt Мексика when referred to the country, and Мехико when referred to its capital. The first vowel (Е) is stressed in either name.

Considering the revolution:

In Soviet times they taught us at school that the revolution was undoubtedly a good thing. Note: Under the "revolution" the Socialist Revolution was always assumed.

There's an interesting fact.

One of the top Soviet officials (if I don't mistake, it was Щёлоков Щёлоков, Николай Анисимович — Википедия but maybe I am wrong) came to visit the US in 1980's. His public speech there was shown on TV.

I was too young that time to watch political news, but I saw that piece of reporting later, in a Russian documentary about Brezhnev's epoch.

So, he was talking about the advantages of the Soviet system: no unemployment, free education, free health care etc. Then he smiled to US journalists and said something like this: "Вы тоже можете всего этого достичь. Но для этого вам надо совершить социалистическую революцию". - "You are also able to achieve all of that. But you need to make a socialist revolution then".

I tried googling to find any infomation on that interesting press conference on the Net, but I failed to find any

Originally Posted by Боб Уайтман

Considering the revolution:

In Soviet times they taught us at school that the revolution was undoubtedly a good thing. Note: Under the "revolution" the Socialist Revolution was always assumed.

There's an interesting fact.

One of the top Soviet officials (if I don't mistake, it was Щёлоков Щёлоков, Николай Анисимович — Википедия but maybe I am wrong) came to visit the US in 1980's. His public speech there was shown on TV.

I was too young that time to watch political news, but I saw that piece of reporting later, in a Russian documentary about Brezhnev's epoch.

So, he was talking about the advantages of the Soviet system: no unemployment, free education, free health care etc. Then he smiled to US journalists and said something like this: "Вы тоже можете всего этого достичь. Но для этого вам надо совершить социалистическую революцию". - "You are also able to achieve all of that. But you need to make a socialist revolution then".

I tried googling to find any infomation on that interesting press conference on the Net, but I failed to find any

Growing up in the US, I do not recall ever hearing Russians openly talk about the Soviet Union on TV. The only people I remember speaking candidly were those who defected and told of all the bad things there. In the 80's, cable was still relatively new. We could not get cable where we lived, so we only had the three networks of the time: ABC, CBS and NBC. We were fed a constant stream of "US is good and everyone else who doesn't agree with us is evil"... But even at a young age, I suspected that this was bullshit. I remember watching coverage of the Soviets in Afghanistan and thinking, "they look just like us, why are they evil but we're good?"

I became fascinated with the USSR, trying to find out all that I could which was not easy in those days. My friends laughed at me and called me a "communist" just because I was curious. They all thought that "russkies" were evil and they enjoyed movies like "Red Dawn." I read Solzhenitsyn and bought books on Russian grammar which made me even less popular.

Eventually I came to the USSR to test my theory that Russians are people just like we are, and I learned first hand that I was right.

There were terrible things which happened during Soviet times, of that I have no doubt. But terrible things also happened here in the "land of the free" -so when people brag about how great America is, I remind them that we are no better than everyone else.

This sad world has too many divisions, too much nationalism and patriotism dividing us, keeping us apart, making enemies of us.

Some day ALL of the people are going to grow tired of the various governments which use us like pawns and turn us on each other. I dunno if this will turn into a revolution of force, or a revolution of thought.

Originally Posted by Боб Уайтман

Considering the revolution:

In Soviet times they taught us at school that the revolution was undoubtedly a good thing. Note: Under the "revolution" the Socialist Revolution was always assumed.

Yes, after several million Russians are killed... it's good for them. You feed off the brainwashing without question.

A very simple etymological research (by Wikipedia ) on Texas:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas#Etymology

The name Texas, based on the Caddo word tejas meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in East Texas.

2. Caddo language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Caddo is the only surviving Southern Caddoan language of the Caddo language family. It is spoken by the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma. Today, only 25 elderly speakers are estimated to remain, none of whom are monolingual Caddo speakers, making Caddo a critically endangered language.

Pronunciation of "tejas" in Caddo is not explained. Probably, "j" represents the IPA palatal approximant [j], so the English transliteration should be /teyas/. Source:
http://www.ahalenia.com/kiwat/caddo_alphabet.pdf - you can see, neither "J" nor "X" letter is used in Caddo latin alphabet, but there is "Y" letter pronounced as in English, which makes me think the "tejas" is the IPA spelling.

3. Texas - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre

Texas o Tejas (AFI: [ˈtɛk.səs] en inglés y [ˈtexas] en español) es un estado situado en la región Sur de Estados Unidos.

Conclusion:
Caddo "tejas" (pronounced /teyas/ in English?) -> Spanish "Tejas" or "Texas" (both pronounced /tekhas/ in English) -> English "Texas" (pronounced /teksas/).
The Russian version just follows the Spanish tradition.

Пожар демократии

Originally Posted by wanja

Пожар демократии

Да, демократия оказалась дерьмом. Очередным. Как фашизм и коммунизм.
Похоже, что человечество не может "прыгнуть выше головы" и стать лучше.
Какой бы порядок люди не строили, всё равно получаются убийства.
Получается, что Дарвин (человек - это животное) и религия (человек греховен) правы.

Они даже не хотят угнетать других, у них просто иначе не получается.

- Барин, за что вы меня ТАК угнетаете?
- А как надо?
- Убедил!

(Из КВН)

Что человек - животное, так это инфа 100%. Вот только не все же животные себе подобных убивают. Можеть быть, когда-нибудь и люди мутируют в лучшую сторону?

maxmixiv: Можеть быть, когда-нибудь и люди мутируют в лучшую сторону?

Надеюсь...

Bill Clinton Offers Rare US Praise for Putin | Russia | RIA Novosti

Some praise for Putin from an unexpected corner: Former US President Bill Clinton says that although Putin was "brutally blunt," the Russian President is also "very smart" and always kept his word.

WASHINGTON, September 25 (RIA Novosti) – Former President Bill Clinton offered some rare words of praise Wednesday from a US politician about Vladimir Putin, describing the Russian president as “very smart,” “brutally blunt” and true to his word.

“Mr. Putin … he’s very smart,” Clinton said in an interview with CNN talk show host Piers Morgan. “And, remarkably, we had a good, blunt relationship.” Asked to describe just how blunt that relationship was, Clinton replied: “Brutally blunt,” indicating he preferred this level of frankness in private conversations.

Putin took over as acting Russian president on January 1, 2000 following the surprise New Year’s Eve resignation of the late Russian leader Boris Yelstin, and was formally elected for his first term two months later. Clinton, who left office in January 2001, worked with him as head of state for a year.

Asked if Putin ever reneged on a promise, Clinton was categorical: “He did not.”

“He kept his word on all the deals we made,” Clinton said.

Same basic article is reported in US media as well:

CNN Interview: Clinton suggests Putin can be trusted – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs

Clinton: Putin always kept his word - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room