#usa #europe #uk #eastern_europe #surveillance
Today I have watched Woody Allen’s “Irrational man” film at the “Moscow” cinema theatre in Yerevan. (: And now I am sitting at my balcony, it is raining outside, and I feel cosy writing this post.
I believe Woody is a great director. He knows people very well. And he tries to make deep works. Alas, not often people notice that. There were only 7 couples at the screening. I think it’s not a coincidence that Woody gave up trying to get money for films in USA. He works in Europe now. I just checked, surprisingly, this movie was produced in USA. This situation makes me think about how to make good films in case of free market? My usual guess is that when you have big enough market, then you have enough minority, which will pay for good films, thus they can be produced. However, it seems that even USA market is not big enough.
Whatever, this is a film about a man, who spent almost all of his life in the struggle for fairness. And he paid high price for it - deaths of close people, suffered a serious illness. Eventually he got despair, depression. He failed to make world a better place.
In particular because he was struggling by peaceful means. While the world around him was struggling against him with not very fair, peaceful means. That’s how fair meed fails.
Now this man decides to make something against the cruel system. Some small, but important thing. The difference is that he feels that he exhausted all the peaceful and legal ways to make a change. He decides to act illegally. And he thinks he can win. However the film is about that he cannot win, that fairness cannot win in this world.
Even if the world consists of beautiful and clever amazing girls around who think they believe in fairness.
So he confesses to his girl under the pressure, by having the naive belief that she can understand him. Wasn’t she understanding before? She had so much empathy for his past privations. Of course girl does not understand him. Firstly, I believe, because she is too young. And secondly, because that is not her struggle in reality. It only seems cool to be around someone who has seen life. Yes, there was a disadvantage - he considered himself a looser. However he very soon got back to life, because he got back to struggle for fairness. And she naively thought that she made him back by her “love”. And as we saw, she was unable to accept the man who fights now. She returned to her nice guy former boyfriend, whom she dumped for the philosopher previously, and who did not show any sign of concerns about humanity, justice, etc. Yes, he could buy a ticket for a political satire. That’s what every decent person should do. Buy a ticket and enjoy politics in the theatre.
May be she was unable to accept him, because she did not love him. Or she was in love more with her perception of him, not the real him, who values many other things, not only pretty young girls. He wasn’t loved by the woman who wanted to get to Spain either. They both were just using him to satisfy personal needs. Why would he take that woman to Spain. What for? Why cannot he find other one in Europe? And why he is sure she won’t dump him in Spain to find someone even more convenient? Does she deserve to be taken there? Because he believes in people.
May be the difference between these women was that the young was not aware of her motives, but the older was. She clearly had known what does she need. And she would not pass the philosopher in to the hands of police, not because of her values, but because she eventually found someone convenient.
Also, this movie is about our inability to distinguish between situations where we have to be honest, and where we don’t. This is what the philosopher stressed right in the beginning of the movie by asking his students if they would tell the police about the thief who is hiding at the neighbour’s flat, or not. Then he challenged them with the question if they would tell Nazis about Frank’s family, just for the sake of honesty.
Roy, young boyfriend of the girl, welcomes her back. However I believe she deserves a the other outcome. It’s not fair when people get positive reinforcement for negative actions. Russians have this tale about broken through. That tale is about fairness. Because those, who don’t get negative reinforcement, take people for granted and tend to continue to abuse their friendship.
I believe Woody makes films very close to real life. Indeed, that guy would accept her back. Without even one salty word. But this time. Not the next.
Also, this abandoned husband. He said: “think again” to her. What about? He had to say “go to hell”. But he did not.
Both of them, the boy and the husband may think that they got lucky. However I believe they’ve missed a chance to know who is their real friend, and who is not. If they wanted to see.
The other question is - do they really need a friend? A close person they can trust? Or they need a cool chick/man who will take to Spain/etcetera? Also, the men. Who do they need?
Roy will surround that girl with love and kindness, will make everything for her to feel comfortable and cosy. Will she answer equally? I doubt it. Because it’s not clear she can love at all.
May be nobody is able to love, just people find convenient variants, coinciding interests. I don’t know.
Woody skilfully exposes people’s behavioural patterns. Patterns, we often don’t notice ourselves. Or even if we do we have no strength or will to behave differently.
That is when I think about how many similarities people have. Not only exterior similarities. And how predictable are they.
And me.
I have noticed “The Idiot” and Hanna Arendt’s name in the frame for a short time. It seems Allen loves Dostoevsky, it is not a first time he refers to him. May be his works will be taught in the future, just like today Dostoevsky’s works are taught or considered as must read, who knows.
#cinema #movie #woody_allen #irrational_man #review #thoughts #people #dostoevsky #hanna_arendt #existentialism #philosophy #understanding #crime #justice #struggle #fairness #patterns #script #love #relationship #relationships #humans #usa #europe #culture #market #freedom
Did you notice, that brand name written on the back of Nokia (at least n900) and Jolla isn’t loud, flashy, blatant? On Samsung devices it’s silver, it shines, and no way someone won’t notice which device you’re holding. In case of n900 and Jolla, brand name is slightly carved, and doesn’t make much noise, does not show off. Which I personally like a lot.
#europe #design #marketing #nokia #jolla #branding #advertisement #brand #taste #taste_for_makers
I have this book, about “my fundamental rights in European Union”. Dignity is the first right apparently. I feel something about that.
I believe Russia should issue a book like this about Eurasian Union. It should start with “You have no rights.”.
#eu #europe #european_union #russia #eurasian_union #book #rights #right #dignity #life #photo
i like this site about Jew lives in Europe. they have for instance, such stories.
they work, they smile, they study on this pictures.
#Jews #Europe #photos #history #life #stories #photo
aaaaa~ such a cool art project: “The NEURO project is a clue to what the euro can look like.” - this is the one i like (:
#euro #art #project #art-project #neuro #money #dog #canary #canary-islands #10€ #dogs #europe #eu #european-union #design
#ukraine #eu #europe #donbass #russia #referendum #today#numbers #####
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Ani Wandaryan (unofficial) ; goldentent@spyurk.am} 18.09.2014, 1:13:00
RT @dszeligowski: If a referendum on NATO/EU/Customs Union membership were held today in Ukraine RT@christogrozev http://t.co/oHTUw3DsLG”
2014-09-17 21:11:44
Was it nice by naive Europe and US to support movement in Ukraine toward EU, and then refuse to help in case of Russian aggression? They didn’t expect it? Or they are so afraid of Russia?
Was it nice that when US, Britain and Russia demanded Ukraine to refuse from all their nuclear power, and promised to be warrants of Ukrainian territorial wholeness, that Russia was first who broke the agreement, by aggression, while UK and US just forgot about the paper. US even refuses to sell weapons to Ukraine.
Now, because of absence of western military support, Ukraine cannot fight Russian tanks, and cannot fight professionals from Russia. That’s why Poroshenko had to retreat and do what the monster, the Russian Tsar wants.
but that was predicted back in March by the former Putin’s advisor, and I have shared his talk in Russian yesterday. Putin will go as far as West will allow him.
What can stop tanks? Unfortunately, yes, other tanks can stop tanks. Man with a bag did not stop tanks moving to Tiananmen square. Tanks killed people.
We here know very well that the only reason Azerbaijan did not start war against Armenia yet, is that we are trying to not lag far behind their militarization, which is very hard, cause we are blocked, and don’t have oil money they have. Anyway.
Tanks can stop tanks. Yazidis don’t have military power, that’s why genocide of yazidis in #2014 was possible. And no one, no one helped them from the civilized world. As well, as nobody is helping Ukraine to survive Russian aggression.
This is a very old interview, which dates March 28. Unfortunately there are no good resources in English, and best talks of Illarionov are not available in English.
Now we know, why Yanukovich refused to sign agreement with EU in the last moment. He said to his close people, that Putin promised to take Crimea and Eastern part of Ukraine if he signs the paper. He was pale and frightened as never, as they say.
Also now we know, that military operation in Crimea had no connection with Yanukovich running out of Ukraine, because according to the Defence Ministry of Russia, it started in Feb 20, four days before he run away. Yes, they minted medals, “for taking crimea”, and we can see on those medals that operation started earlier, than they were saying it started.
Also we know from the very careful studies in April, that in all Ukrainian regions overwhelming majority of the people did not feel insecure because of religion, language or ethnicity, and that majority wanted to keep Ukrainian wholeness, continue to be Ukrainian citizens. It’s obvious that there was no people’s movement, but all the troubles were organized by emulating of movement by Russian SpetzNaz.
And corruption, that’s a very good lever if you want to colonize someone. That’s the lever Russia knows how to use.
It’s very pity that by having their great potential, their scientists and engineers they, instead of creating a civilized and developed country, make draconian laws and force free and clever people to emigrate from Russia, so that only controllable and manipulatable, non educated people remain there. I hope one day Russia will become a country, we all would want to be friends with. Not the country which forces Armenia to change national language. Not the country which wants all resources, to control anything, and wants to dictate everything, pressures so hard, by not giving us to take a breath.
Yes, if you don’t like US in Iraq, you shouldn’t like Russia in Ukraine or in Armenia. Let us be free.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jQZOUT_Iog
#ukraine #russia #tanks #military #putin #europe #azerbaijan #aggression #war #peace #nkpeace #armenia #freedom
True: we made mistakes. We tried too hard to pander to Russia in the Yeltsin era, ignoring the growth of corruption, authoritarianism and revanchism. We overlooked Russians’ resentment as their country drifted from the European mainstream and our vulnerability to the steps they could take in response. We neglected Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus and the countries of the Caucasus. The Blair government was bewitched by the Putin regime’s offer of cooperation against Islamist terrorism in 2001. We have been frequently dazzled by the spurious commercial prospects offered by Russia – in particular BP’s decision to form an alliance with Rosneft, the main Russian oil company, was a shameful example of greed and short-sightedness.
very good paper by Edward Lucas
#edward-lucas #russia #putin #oil #gas #caucasus #blair #ukraine #moldova #belarus #rosneft #russian #bp #vulnerability #authoritarianism #corruption #revanchism #europe #politics #world #war #peace #regime #challenge #soviet #ussr #empire #imperialism #freedom
Russia is a revisionist power
Russia wants to rewrite the rules in three ways. First, it does not believe that its neighbours should make their own decisions about their geopolitical future. Russia’s security, in short, depends on these countries’ insecurity. Russia particularly begrudges the former captive nations of the Soviet empire their freedom, their prosperity, and their independence. These pose an existential challenge to the stagnant and autocratic model of government pioneered by the Putin regime.
very good paper by Edward Lucas
#edward-lucas #russia #putin #europe #politics #world #war #peace #regime #challenge #soviet #ussr #empire #imperialism #freedom
Europe likes reading. And borrowing books. While America and Asia are more into movies, not books.
#reading #watching #books #book #literature #cinema #movies #preference #europe #america #asia #taste
Mikheil Saakashvili have been written new article which expresses point of view of the people of post soviet countries like Ukraine, Georgia and Armenia. The voice most of you have no desire to hear.
How could the West not have been prepared by now for a proper response? We’ve seen this game before. Putin’s play has always been to raise the stakes, hoping that the West will blink every time tension increases.
…
At the same time, European leaders still refuse to use the word “invasion” – even though tanks and armored convoys have rolled across the border and more than half of the combat-ready troops on the ground in Ukraine, based on multiple credible accounts, are regular Russian soldiers.
…
Once the conflict is thus “frozen,” Putin can continue to destabilize the rest of Ukraine, infiltrating separatist forces from the controlled territory, turning off energy supplies, and strangling the fragile economy. It’s the same playbook he has used in Georgia and Moldova.
#Mikheil-Saakashvili #Europe #Ukraine #Putin #Russia #Georgia #Moldova #invasion #west #playbook
The dotted/striped areas show where multilingualism is common. I love this map because it shows how odd Hungary, Basque, Estonia and Finland are in Europe. You can also notice the split areas in Moldova, Serbia/Kosovo, Cyprus, Belgium, Lapland, India and the obvious Kurdistan. I noticed that Albanian and Armenian are unique, as well.
http://mapsontheweb.zoom-maps.com/post/90847865305/indo-european-languages-within-their-present-day
#internet #map #maps #albanian #albania #armenian #armenia #moldova #serbia #kosovo #cyprus #belgium #lapland #hungary #basque #estonia #finland #europe #language #languages
Putin’s motivations are similar to those of prewar Germany: He wants to rectify what he sees as unjust treatment and humiliation by Western powers after the Cold War. He is trying to reconquer lost lands and grab natural resources. Little has been said about the offshore oil resources in Abkhazia that the Russian state monopoly Rosneft confiscated in 2009. U.S. companies have invested considerably in shale gas fields off Crimea. But Ukraine’s emergence as self-sufficient in energy, and even a major gas exporter to Europe, would be Putin’s ultimate nightmare.
#Mikheil-Saakashvili #Putin #Georgia #Russia #Europe #EU #Crimea #Ukraine #war #peace
March 5, 2014 10:36 PM EST — (TRN) — U.S. Department of Defense satellite imagery has detected the arrival of more than thirty (30) Russian nuclear bombers to the airfield adjacent to Russia’s Borisoglebsk national level nuclear weapons storage facility (Voronezh-45) and has observed numerous transfers from the storage facility to the aircraft, which are now standing-by along the two runways at the airport.
According to sources from the National Reconnaissance Office, yesterday there were only two Bomber aircraft at the airport to the east of the storage facility. This is typical for this facility and those aircraft can even be seen on old images used by Google Earth, HERE.
Early on March 5, U.S. satellites captured an image showing many bomber aircraft had arrived at the base. Later on March 5, a U.S. stealth surveillance drone, flown over the Russian base, showed more than thirty (30) such nuclear bomber aircraft had arrived at the airfield. Numerous transfers were observed by U.S. satellites, between the nuclear storage facility and the newly arrived aircraft. Those aircraft remain on the runway at the local airport at this hour, several with what appear to be Auxiliary Power Units (APU’s) attached, indicating the aircraft are on ‘stand-by” for immediate deployment. Clearly, Ukraine poses no threat whatsoever to Russia, which begs the question: What is Russia preparing for? They certainly are not going to bomb Ukraine with 30 nuclear bombs, so what other targets do they have in mind; western Europe?
Just days ago, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made clear to the west that Russia would retaliate if the west imposes sanctions upon Russia, and in a cryptic message, Lavrov stated that such retaliation “would be asymmetric.” The definition of “asymmetric” is: having parts that fail to correspond to one another in shape, size, or arrangement; lacking symmetry. Launching multiple nuclear attacks against multiple countries in western Europe would certainly be asymmetic.
http://www.turnerradionetwork.com/news/347-pat
#russia #putin #ukraine #war #borisoglebsk #europe #blackmail #bomb #crimea #invasion #customs-union #eurasian-union #maidan #freedom #путин #янукович #cccp #ссср #украина #россия #майдан #империализм #политика #свобода #евразэс #тс #таможенный-союз #евразийский-союз #деспотизм #авторитаризм #права-человека #Евромайдан #євромайдан #вільність #վլադիմիր֊նադեին #ուկրայինա #ռուսաստան #իմպերիալիզմ #մաքսային֊միութիւն #եւրասիական֊միութիւն #մարդու֊իրաւունքներ #ազատութիւն #սովետ #պուտին #յանուկովիչ #խսհմ #քաղաքականութիւն #2014
ահա, կրկին հակադրում է՝
Метод провозглашения новомодных устоев и «зеркальных правил» для разрушения предыдущей системы - универсальная возможность управления толпой для революционеров любых убеждений. #Саакашвили тоже провозгласил новые ценности. Но обещал он не очередную эпоху «свободы, равенства и братства», а суровые для постсоветских бездельников времена «социального дарвинизма», которые должны были прийти на смену «криминальному равноправию» 90-х. Т.е., обещал он не абстрактное «всеобщее благополучие», а нелегкий, но вполне реальный «западный путь», заменив русскую «блатную» моду на моду европейскую - «правовую».
Леван Варази. Русское руслоhttp://geostringer.livejournal.com/224447.html
#Վրաստան #Թբիլիսի #თბილისი #Georgia #Tbilisi #Russia #Europe #կապիտալիզմ
#փաստորեն #ասում_է #ձախ ֊երն են Իվանիշվիլիենք, այսինքն այդպես են իրան վերաբերվում։ Ու կապում է ձախությունը #Ռուսաստան ֊ի հետ, իսկ աջությունը #Եվրոպա ֊յի։ Իմ համար, ասենք, Եվրոպան անհամեմատ ավելի ձախ է։ Նաեւ, ասում է, վատ բան է ձախությունը, հեքիաթներ են։ (:
Несмотря на полное отсутствие идеологии и гротесковость, «Грузинская мечта» все же остается очередным проявлением «левого» мировоззрения - мировоззрения, предполагающего утопическую мечту о всеобщем благополучии и безответственный идеализм. Впрочем, у карикатурного левачества «Грузинской мечты» нет ничего общего ни с серьезным идеализмом, ни с серьезным террором, который следовал за великими переворотами – от христианства до большевизма. С «большой левизной» его роднит лишь безответственность - пусть даже в терроре.
Леван Варази. Русское русло http://geostringer.livejournal.com/224447.html
#Վրաստան #Թբիլիսի #თბილისი #Georgia #Tbilisi #Russia #Europe #կապիտալիզմ