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Not for the First Time, World Sours on Free Markets (Democracy or Market?) John Gray (John Gray) The Nation
Democracy and the free market are by no means twin brothers, recalls a professor at the London School of Economics who predicted the global economic crisis of 1998. In an article written in the wake of the aforementioned crisis almost two years ago, the author argues that market relations in themselves are not a panacea for all ills, believing that a democratic system is still more valuable to mother history.
Quotes:
"A brief history of the free market in 19th-century England illustrates a vital truth: democracy and the free market are rivals, not allies. Behind the words 'democratic capitalism' - that empty slogan that united the neoconservatives under its banner - lies a very problematic relationship between democracy and capitalism. The free market is naturally accompanied not by a stable democratic government, but by a volatile and not always democratic policy of economic insecurity."
“The government that emerges in Russia... will be authoritarian even if democratic structures are preserved. In addition, it will be to some extent anti-Western and will largely deviate from the policies imposed by the Western economic community. This is not just a hypothetical possibility. It is a reality , which is just around the corner."
Order a full translation of an article?Reading for Sheer Pleasure - Remember That? (Read for your own enjoyment) James Earl The Chronicle of Higher Education
Today, when even a two-second computer freeze seems like an eternity, the leisurely process of reading books seems a hopelessly archaic pastime. Meanwhile, sometimes it is useful to stop, get out of the race and calmly look around. This is exactly the opportunity that real reading gives us, says Professor Earle, who, by his own admission, studied this matter first from Machiavelli and then from Freud. It is strange to realize that before our eyes an entire culture is disappearing - the culture of books, the culture of reading - acquiring the status of antiquity, such as riding in horse-drawn carriages.
Quotes:
“It is difficult to learn to listen to a person... without immediately trying to interpret his words, without drawing premature conclusions, without interrupting him with your advice. It is equally difficult to learn to “listen” to a book.”
“I want universities to determine the future, and not try with all their might to keep up with the present... The future may be in computers, but the past is undoubtedly in books. That’s why I try to teach my students to read books, to listen patiently to the voices of our ancestors... If we do not remember and respect the past, we should not hope that future generations will remember us with respect."
Order a full translation of an article?Was Your Yearbook an Unintended Reality? (Do everyone lie about calendars?) Jim Holt LinguaFranca
Try to describe what you did yesterday. Ready? Now forget about it. When Derrida and his French colleagues proclaimed that language has no relation to reality, everyone perceived this as an “ordinary” paradoxical idea characteristic of abstract philosophical thinking. Now scientists have proven the same using the strict science of logic.
Quote: “Of course, when I say “Alpha Centauri”, I manage to designate a unique object, since the term I used is connected with this object by a complex causal chain, including all sorts of photons, telescopes and astronomy textbooks.”
Order a full translation of an article?N is for Nietzsche (and Nazis, Neuroses, Nihilism and the Nature of the universe) Kevin Jackson Independent
Nietzsche is celebrating his centenary - from the day of death, not birth, as befits a gloomy genius who overthrew the foundations and settled forever in everyday consciousness “on the other side.” columnist On the occasion of the anniversary, the Independent composed an anniversary alphabet: from A to Z are concepts that are in one way or another connected with Nietzsche or Nietzscheanism. For example: A - Antichrist, D - Dionysus, L - Lou Salome, W - Wagner, Z - Zarathustra. Kevin Jackson's essay has all the properties of the alphabet: it is easy and quick to read; the philosopher, alphabetized into slogans, appears as the hero of the elementary truths of mass culture; in accordance with the nature of the “educational-introductory” genre, there is also a didactic element.
Quotes:
"I - Madness (Insanity). On the morning of January 3, 1889, leaving Turin, Nietzsche saw a cab driver on the road who was beating his horse. The philosopher rushed to the horse, grabbed it by the neck and, in a fit of sympathy for the poor animal, lost consciousness. When he arrived into himself... his mental health left him forever: he spent the last eleven years of his life as a frail invalid, unaware that he was considered one of the best writers in the world...
S √ Socrates A superficial reading of Nietzsche may leave the impression that he despises the Greek philosopher: “Socrates was a commoner.” But the more astute reader will prove that Nietzsche identified himself with him to a large extent; copied some elements of his ironic style and, arguing with Socrates, was actually arguing with himself."
Order a full translation of an article?Speech Reach Michael Wolff New York Magazine
Brothers and sisters... dear comrades... in one impulse... with a feeling of deep satisfaction... rallied ever closer... the process began... they wanted the best... and, finally, again, dear brothers and sisters . The eloquence of leaders is familiar not only to Russian (former Soviet) people. The author of the article is convinced that none of the modern American politicians can give a decent speech. The only exception against the general gray background can be considered Clinton - and even he speaks disgustingly. But, due to well-known personal circumstances, there is often an “existential element” in the speeches of the current American president. Who knows, maybe the revival of oratory will begin with Clinton. At least in the United States.
Quote: "The media are used (more or less overtly) to indoctrinate the public with a complex, multi-purpose, carefully disguised political message. Meanwhile, public speaking... is ill-suited to television. It is hopelessly linear, completely non-interactive and doomed "on a monotonous video sequence. And besides, it requires an audience that is overfed with information and is mortally tired of it to at least temporarily concentrate and listen carefully."
Order a full translation of an article?The Back Half Richard Cook New Statesman
They say Armstrong could not play the trumpet properly. They say that he is not at all the same age as the century and was not born on the day of American independence. Be that as it may, the author of the article is convinced that this trumpeter embodies all the music of the 20th century.
Quote: “His greatness and merits are traditionally recognized, but the more years separate us from him, the more distant he seems. However, this often happens. The music business, in which Armstrong worked by the sweat of his brow, gradually changed. Creative individuality has transformed into some semblance of a licensed product, which, if desired, can be replicated."
Order a full translation of an article?Errin' Brockovich (Brockovich Era) Michael Fumento (Michael Fumento) American Outlook
This is not a review of the film Erin Brockovich. Although the movie is about social issues (Julia Roberts wins a case against a company that pollutes the environment), and the article is also about it. The film interests Dr. Fumento from the point of view of the trend that it, willingly or unwillingly, reflects. Using civil law, you can win almost any case in court. This is a real problem in America, where many large companies have become victims of such lawsuits (the tobacco industry was the first to suffer under pressure from aggressive health advocates). The dictatorship of the law turns into a dictatorship of lawyers who know how to achieve almost anything by legal means. The author of the article can hardly be suspected of indifference to environmental issues: as a senior researcher at the Hudson Institute (Washington), he works on health issues.
Quote: "The Hollywood version, of course, ignores these issues, focusing on the "heroic" aspect of the courtroom drama... The real story, however, was not so much like a fairy tale... Brockovich and her powerful judicial pals were not going to destroy PG&E - they were simply trying to grab a piece of its profits and take it for themselves. But when a nation replaces the rule of law with the rule of law, the latter are the only winners. The control of lawyers over the country's civil law system may be more severe than we imagine."
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