Weizsaecker, E., Wijkman, A.

Club of Rome, anniversary report. Verdict: “The Old World is doomed. The New World is inevitable!

The leaders of the Club of Rome and its leading experts came to the unequivocal conclusion that a radical change in the development paradigm of our civilization is inevitable. Harsh criticism of capitalism, rejection of financial speculation, rejection of materialism and a simplified understanding of the world, call to an alternative economics, “new Enlightenment”, spiritual and moral worldview, a single planetary harmonious civilization - this is now the agenda for future development proposed by the Club of Rome.

Last month the Club of Rome
presented a new report “Come On! Capitalism, myopia, population and the destruction of the planet”, dedicated to its half-century anniversary. Potentially, this is one of the most important documents of our time. The Club of Rome remains the main platform for formulating the agenda of responsible globalism and sustainable development, and a reference point for a significant part of the world elite. Although reports on behalf of the Club are issued regularly - more than forty of them have been published since 1968 - almost all of them are positioned as works addressed to and supported by the Club. "Come On!" the second report in fifty years expressing the consolidated position of the Club, so its publication is a rather unique event.

The anniversary report was written by two Club presidents, Ernst Weizsäcker and Anders Wijkmann, with the participation of thirty-four other members. The contents of the report may surprise the reader who has not followed for intellectual trends of recent years. Previous divisions do not reflect reality much - many of the ideas of “Come On!” they will soon find understanding from a traditionalist, than that of the classical liberal, but many others will cause protest from both. Harsh criticism of capitalism, rejection of financial speculation, rejection of materialism and reductionism, call to an alternative economics, the “new Enlightenment”, a holistic worldview, planetary civilization - this is the agenda proposed by the Club of Rome.

Specifics of the report

The preface already makes it clear that this report will be different from the previous ones, and his main question will be “the philosophical roots of the current state of the world.” The world is in danger and salvation lies in a change in worldview.

The starting point for the authors is the concept of a “complete world” proposed by the American ecologist and economist Herman Daly. Human civilization was formed in the conditions of an “empty world” - a world of unexplored territories and an abundance of resources. Prevailing religions, political ideologies, social institutions, habits of thought are still rooted in it. In reality, humanity has entered a “full world”, filled to the brim, with very vague prospects for further expansion of boundaries. If you continue to live according to the rules of the “empty world,” collapse will not take long.

The report consists of three parts: the first is designed to demonstrate the depth of the current crisis and its tendency to worsen; the second is devoted to criticism of the dominant worldview and presentation of an alternative philosophy of the “new Enlightenment”; the third part is about practical solutions. The expression "Come On" has two meanings - "don't try to deceive me" and "join us."

What's happening?

The authors begin with an analysis of the current situation, which is not encouraging: the planet is degrading, authoritarianism and fundamentalism on the rise, speculative capital triumphs. Today's crisis is not cyclical, but increasing. It is not limited to the nature around us, but includes social, political, cultural, moral crisis, crisis of democracy, ideologies and capitalist systems."

Club of Rome, anniversary report. Verdict: “The Old World is doomed. The New World is inevitable!

The crisis of capitalism

The Club of Rome believes that in the eighties of the last century there was a degeneration of capitalism, the main source of profit within which was financial speculation. This was one of the reasons for the global financial crisis of 2008–2009, but the bankers not only maintained their positions, but also emerged victorious: “they made themselves ‘too big to fail’ - or to go to jail.”

Ninety-eight percent of financial transactions are now speculative. Between twenty-one and thirty-two trillion dollars are hidden in offshore zones. “Representatives of corporations that avoid paying taxes constantly say that they are not breaking any laws. This is often true - which means the laws need to be changed,” the authors say. There is an oversupply of capital in fictitious but profitable areas, while the areas on which the future of the planet depends are experiencing a shortage of funds. Economists fail to see the problem because they still tend to view environmental, financial and industrial capital as equivalent: “as long as financial capital increases, everything is fine.”

Anthropocene

We live in the Anthropocene, a geological era in which human activity is shaping the planet. To illustrate: 97% of the mass of vertebrates on Earth comes from humans and livestock; everything else, from bats to elephants, accounts for 3%.

Global warming remains the biggest planetary problem. The club welcomes the signing of the Paris Agreement, but indicates a gap between the stated goals (to prevent the temperature from rising by more than two degrees) and the commitments made by states, even full implementation of which will be completely insufficient to achieve them. “Let's be honest: to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, the world needs to go through a fast and fundamental transformation of production and consumption systems.”

Among other problems, the report highlights the “sixth mass extinction” - a rapid decline in fauna, unforeseen consequences of emerging technologies and the threat of nuclear conflict. Even a local conflict (the most likely scenario is between India and Pakistan) using nuclear weapons will have an impact on the entire planet. The authors consider the strategy of mutually assured destruction to justify maintaining nuclear arsenals to be insane and call for a new strategy of “assured planetary security and survival.”

Excessive consumption

When measured in CO2 emissions (excess of which is considered the main cause of global warming), the richest one percent of Americans generate three hundred eighteen tons of CO2 emissions per year per person, while the average person on earth generates six tons (a difference of fifty-three times). The world's richest ten percent of households account for forty-five percent of total emissions. They must be the first to move to sustainable living models.

Club of Rome, anniversary report. Verdict: “The Old World is doomed. The New World is inevitable!

Population, food, urbanization

Of all the Club of Rome's proposals, the one that draws the most criticism is its demographic position. The club continues to insist as needed maximum reduction in fertility and “thanks to countries that have achieved rapid reductions in reproduction.” At the same time, the report notes that it is incorrect to reduce the increase in load on the planet only with an increase in population: since the beginning of the last century, the population has grown fivefold, but economic turnover - forty times, fuel consumption - sixteen, fish catch - thirty-five.

There is a global disruption in food distribution. Eight hundred million people remain hungry, while two billion are overweight. But the question is not only how to produce enough food for a growing population, but also how not to destroy the planet in the process. The greatest environmental damage is caused by livestock farming; this is a luxury unaffordable in the “full world.”

The future of humanity lies in cities. Two hundred years ago there was one millionaire city - London, now there are three hundred, including twenty-two with a population of more than ten million. By moving to cities, people begin to consume four times more resources. Geographically, the ecological footprint of cities far exceeds the area they occupy: for an average American city with a population of six hundred and fifty thousand, it is thirty thousand square kilometers (for an Indian city of a similar size, it is ten times less).

Digitalization and techno-utopianism

The report draws attention to the dark side of the digital economy. So, services like Uber and their users do not share common costs (per used drivers, city infrastructure, etc.) - and in its current form do not correspond sustainability criteria.

The Club of Rome is wary of “exponential technologies” and the promises of techno-utopians like Kurzweil and Diamandis. There is a real danger of uncontrolled development and unethical use of technology, and it is not yet clear how to avoid this. The authors agree with experts who believe that Moore's Law will cease to apply in 2020–2025, so a singularity is not expected. In addition, the promises of techno-utopians demotivate people: if technology solves all problems, there is no need to search for complex, comprehensive solutions that require lifestyle changes.

Club of Rome, anniversary report. Verdict: “The Old World is doomed. The New World is inevitable!

GDP is not an indicator

Among the products of the “empty world” thinking, the authors especially dislike GDP. This indicator has become a factor that constantly influences political decisions, but in its structure there is a desire to unlimited growth. It reflects spending rather than well-being or subjective happiness, and does not see goods that exist outside the market. The only thing GDP measures is the speed at which money moves through the economy.

The authors point out the paradoxical case that an oil spill increases GDP because of the associated clean-up costs, as do illnesses, disasters and accidents, even though they all apparently reduce well-being. Growing vegetables on a personal plot is not taken into account in GDP, but buying them in a supermarket is. The saddest thing is that this indicator has acquired such influence that it is almost impossible to imagine a successful political force declaring a desire to reduce the country's GDP. The necessary steps require a “different political and civilizational philosophy."

New philosophy

The second part of the report, “Come On! Don’t cling to outdated philosophy” is dedicated to worldview. It begins with a discussion of Pope Francis' environmental encyclical, which correctly diagnoses the problems of our time. The authors then examine the origins and pathologies of the modern worldview, after which they describe the alternative philosophy of the “new Enlightenment.”

"Philosophical Errors"

Recognizing that the worldview responsible for the current crises has many sources, the report focuses specifically on three - Adam Smith, David Ricardo and Charles Darwin, the legacy of each of which has been misinterpreted by followers.

Smith proceeded from the coincidence of the boundaries of the market, law and morality: law and values ​​should be the background against which market relations unfold; the economy is limited by more fundamental rules - legal and moral. Smith's thought in no way supports the global capitalism of multinational corporations.

Ricardo developed the theory of relative advantage, which is used by liberal economists, the WTO and the IMF as one of the main arguments for promoting globalization. But Ricardo came from stillness capital and labor. In conditions of free movement of capital, the country with an absolute advantage always wins. Here the authors tend to side with nation states, which are more likely to care about the common good than multinational corporations.

Discussing Darwin, the authors recall that competition was never the only mechanism of evolution for him. Darwinism, properly understood, implies that limiting competition and protecting weaker species are fundamental pillars of evolution. When projected onto social reality, this means that “protecting, to some extent, local cultures, specializations, and policies from the overwhelming power of world-class players can help diversification, innovation and evolution.”

Club of Rome, anniversary report. Verdict: “The Old World is doomed. The New World is inevitable!

Overcoming mistakes and the “new Enlightenment”

At a more fundamental level, the pathological features of the modern worldview are related to with dominance reductionist thinking and fragmentation of knowledge. “Reductionist philosophy is inadequate not only for understanding living systems, but also for overcoming the tragedy of a destructive social and economic growth." The authors indicate for destructiveness transition "from consideration reality as a whole to its division into many small fragments.” Naive realism and materialism are philosophically untenable and simply scientifically incorrect. Turning to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle and Bohr's concept of complementarity, the authors recall that “the interaction of the researcher with his object is a basic component of the act of cognition.”

As an alternative, members of the Club of Rome consider the visionary insights of Gregory Bateson, the theory of autopoiesis of Umberto Maturana and Francisco Varela, the “systemic vision of life” of Fritjof Capra and Pier Luigi Luisi, and the phenomenological “biology of miracle” of Andreas Weber. Agreeing with Capra, they find it possible to achieve harmony between religious and scientific quests.

And here we come to the key point of the report - the idea of ​​​​a “new Enlightenment”, a fundamental transformation of thinking, the result of which should be a holistic worldview. Humanistic but free from anthropocentrism, open to development, but valuing sustainability and caring for the future.
Along with with complementarity, The Club of Rome sees synergy as the pillars of the “new Enlightenment” - the search for wisdom, through the reconciliation of opposites, and balance. Without pretending to be a complete list, the report highlights several areas where balance needs to be achieved:

In the relationship between man and nature - sustainable development, environmental awareness

Between short-term and long-term perspective

Between speed and stability - change and progress should not be perceived as an intrinsic value

Between the individual and the collective - recognizing the importance of personal autonomy - one of the most important achievements of the European Enlightenment - the Club calls for balance and consideration of the common good; in economics this means that the state (society) should set the rules for markets, and not vice versa

Between women and men - here the authors turn to the work of Rihanna Eisler, and note that balance does not mean a mechanical equation - moving more women into "male" positions, rather achieving balance requires "a change in the typology of functions"

Between equality and fair remuneration - the state is required to provide mechanisms that guarantee social justice

Between state and religion - the report welcomes secularity, but emphasizes the positive significance of religion; states intolerant of religion lose ethical perspective

Historically, the idea of ​​balance is more in tune with Eastern traditions (yin-yang), but the authors also point to Western thinkers - Hegel and Ken Wilber, whose systems express the philosophy of balance.

Club of Rome, anniversary report. Verdict: “The Old World is doomed. The New World is inevitable!

Religion and postsecularity

Featured prominently in "Come On!" devoted to religion. The Club of Rome distances itself from any interpretation of religion that supports oppression and violence, and considers the rise of fundamentalism a threat. At the same time, the Club draws attention to injustice critics of religion who do not notice its positive contribution to human civilization.

The report approvingly quotes former ICJ Vice-President Christopher Weeramantry on the need to incorporate the basic principles of the world's religions into international law. By rejecting religion, the current generation has severed the connection with the wisdom accumulated by humanity since the emergence of our species one hundred and fifty thousand years ago.

Although the authors are more sympathetic to Eastern traditions, they with enthusiasm observe trends in the development of Christian and Muslim theology. The Club expresses special support to Pope Francis and his encyclical “Laudato Si”, to which a separate paragraph is dedicated. The report also mentions the “common sense spirituality” of the well-known Benedictine monk David Steindl-Rast in some circles.

Club of Rome, anniversary report. Verdict: “The Old World is doomed. The New World is inevitable!

New world

The final part is of an applied nature. It summarizes experimental approaches to management, economics, education, and social development, and provides examples of their successful implementation. Issues discussed include sustainable agriculture, decentralized energy, regenerative urbanization, circular economy, financial sector reform, ethical investing, etc. I will dwell in more detail on the most interesting points.

"Full Peace" Policy

The authors believe that the emergence of global rules binding on all countries is inevitable. Individual states do not have the right to do whatever they want, especially when it comes to consequences affecting the entire planet.

Current formats of international cooperation and global governance are ineffective, but those that will replace them can be much better. The text examines two promising approaches - the World Future Council by Jakob von Uexkull and the Great Transition by Paul Ruskin. The second is more ambitious and has the ultimate goal of forming a “united humanity.” At the local level, the potential for direct democracy and institutions like Ireland's Citizens' Assembly is highly valued.

Club of Rome, anniversary report. Verdict: “The Old World is doomed. The New World is inevitable!

The report notes that “The Club of Rome sees itself as a defender of democracy, long-term thinking, nature, the younger generation and unborn generations who have no voice in capitalism and current political debates.” The club calls on governments to forget about borders and join forces for common prosperity.

The end of oil and alternative energy

The end of the fossil fuel era is certain. It is very likely that it will end faster than previously predicted. The cost of clean (solar and wind) energy decreases every year, and its production increases significantly. Oil demand growth will stop by 2020, and, if Stanford researcher Tony Seba is right, the transition to renewable sources could happen as early as 2030.

Huge deposits of oil and gas will remain in the ground. Lost profits are estimated to range from six to twenty trillion dollars. The oil and gas sector is becoming a huge bubble that could be completely worthless within a few years. Some analysts and banking structures are already warning clients about the unacceptable risks of investing in such enterprises.

Amazing changes are taking place in China, the largest consumer of resources. The Communist Party announced the course for construction“ecological civilization”, which was enshrined in the constitution and has already been reflected in the plans of the thirteenth (2016-2020) five-year plan. China is rapidly becoming a leader in the field of alternative energy: in four years, solar energy production has increased twentyfold, by the middle of the century the country intends to receive eighty percent of energy from renewable sources.

Another economy

According to Kate Raworth, an Oxford economist and member of the Club of Rome, today's students - who will shape policy in 2050 - are learning ideas from 1950 books that are based on 1850 theories. For a better world to become a reality, the economy can and must function differently.

The report examines several alternative economic models developed by, among others, Jeremy Rifkin, Christian Felber, John Fullerton and Gunter Pauli. For all the differences in detail, the overall picture is that the economy of the future should strive for sustainability rather than growth and increase the common good rather than don't maximize private benefit.

Circular logic will replace linear logic - produced items will be optimized for repair and reuse. Even in real estate, exclusive ownership will be replaced by a service and sharing model.

Club of Rome, anniversary report. Verdict: “The Old World is doomed. The New World is inevitable!

Education for the future

The club sees the task of education in developing “futures literacy” among young people. An education capable of doing this must:

Based on “connectedness” - relationships have been and will be the essence of learning; the use of information technology is “valuable and effective only when it facilitates communication between people.” Education should “create interest, release energy, and actively engage each student’s ability to learn for himself and to help others learn.”

Be value-based, rooted in universal values ​​and respect for cultural differences. “Values ​​are the quintessence of human wisdom accumulated over centuries” - at the current stage they are embodied in an emphasis on the well-being of all living beings and the world as a whole.

Focus on sustainability - much of the knowledge relating to ecology, interconnectedness and sustainable development is recent and has not yet become part of the general cultural baggage; Therefore, training new generations in relevant disciplines and skills is of fundamental importance.

Cultivate integral thinking and not be limited analytical thinking. The authors note that teaching systems thinking is insufficient because “systems thinking continues to tend to view reality in rather mechanistic terms that fail to capture its organic integrity.” Integral thinking is capable of “perceiving, organizing, coordinating and reconnecting separate fragments and achieving a true understanding of the underlying reality.” It is different from systems thinking, just as integration is different from aggregation.

Proceed from pluralism of content. The club states, that many universities promote specific schools of thought rather than "giving young minds the full range of controversial and complementary prospects." Today's students need an inclusive education in which some forms of knowledge complement others, rather than exclude or reject them. Cultural diversity is as necessary for social evolution as genetic diversity is for biological.

Club of Rome, anniversary report. Verdict: “The Old World is doomed. The New World is inevitable!

"Come On!" - the most powerful text I have read in a long time. This is a profound work on which dozens of leading thinkers have worked. It is not necessary to support the Club of Rome or agree with the report's assessments to appreciate the value of this document. Given the influence of the Club and the depth of expertise of the authors, Come On! can be considered an authoritative expression of the views of the most advanced part of the world intellectual and political elite.

von Weizsaecker, E., Wijkman, A. Come On! Capitalism, Short-termism, Population and the Destruction of the Planet. - Springer, 2018. - 220 p.

2017-12-24 05:41 PM
www.planet-kob.ru
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Keywords: analytics, globalization
Published 12/29/2017 at 10:00

Those who supported me when I fell - now HOLD ON - we are taking off!

Modern society dictates a scenario in which a person must rely only on himself. The rescue of drowning people is the work of the drowning people themselves. As psychologist Paul Ekman wrote in his study of modern Western culture: “If I feel good, then why should I care about others - after all, I do not need them in order to protect myself. I don't need them to deal with current threats."

Despite this, each of us experiences crises, changes and temporary declines in vitality in our lives. Without receiving understanding and support at the right time, we can withdraw into ourselves, harbor resentment, which over time can transform into anger at ourselves and the whole world. The consequences of this can be the most devastating.

First psychological aid

The ability to provide emotional support can be compared to first aid. In case of an acute relapse, we usually call 03. If there were no ambulance, the mortality rate would increase several times. And if there is no emotional support, how can this be dangerous?

Thank God, there are friends and relatives who come in difficult times and intuitively provide first emotional aid. This is good, and at the same time, friends and relatives do not always have the necessary knowledge to do it efficiently... The phrase: “Forget it!”, which I often heard in different companies, in response to someone’s complaint, causes me only an inner smile. Imagine, if you have a toothache, and someone says to you, “Forget it!”, will this help you much?

When is support most needed?

Support can and should be given to a person who is in an adult and proactive position, but does not have enough emotional (energy) resources to cope with the situation on his own. But it is especially important:

• When making important life decisions
• During times of crises and recessions
• During periods of critical stress at work/study
• During the period of adaptation to a new position and team
• During the period of recovery or rehabilitation
• During the period of learning and gaining new knowledge
• During a period when a person made a mistake
• During a period when a person is condemned or accused of something
• During a period when a person has experienced loss
• At a time when a person sets big goals
• During a period when a person takes on additional responsibility

What is not support?

• Grandmother's therapy. “Yes, this is not a problem yet. So I had a problem...” And then continue according to my script. By talking about his problems, a person hopes that it will help someone else.
• A boot on a sore spot. Digging through questions in a problematic situation. Exacerbation of this situation, inquiry into any colorful details further plunges the person into a problematic situation and hurts him.
• Accusation. “You yourself are to blame for this situation. You shouldn’t have done that!” This is essentially the position of a critical parent. It doesn't help at all, it only exacerbates negative feelings. May cause denial and rejection!
• It's all bullshit! Kill it! Downplaying the problem can have the opposite effect. It is unpleasant when an issue that is important to you is devalued by another person. Although, paradoxically, there are situations when such an approach will be useful. For example, if the problem is truly insignificant, and the person exaggerates its significance too much.

Methods of emotional support

1. Emotional inclusion. Being close and remaining emotionally involved in a person's problem has a therapeutic effect in itself.
2. Emotional stroking is a compliment, praise. Finding something to praise someone for is another form of emotional support.
3. Promotional questions. Questions help a person voice their feelings, thoughts, and decisions. By asking questions, a person discovers additional resources in himself, makes sense of what is happening, and also pushes him to the necessary decisions that he can make in a given situation.
4. Relying on other people's experience. Positive experiences in dealing with such situations are useful for three reasons. Firstly, it dispels the illusion about the uniqueness of the difficult situation in which a person finds himself. Secondly, it helps to see possible options for getting out of the situation. And thirdly, it adds confidence that the situation can be overcome.
5. Magic kick. The magic kick works well when you and the person have a relationship history, he trusts you, and you are an authority for him. Magic kick-off or confrontation stimulates the strong (resource) side of a person, releasing energy for positive changes. Confrontation invigorates, awakens, motivates, but it can also hurt if used in the wrong place and in a larger volume than necessary.

It’s also bad to go ahead of fashion...

When I got my first hands-free access to my phone, people shied away from me like I was a crazy person talking to himself...

when I got my first flash drive, there were a lot of things they didn’t mistake it for, from a lighter to lipstick...

When I got my first smartphone, they laughed at me because I had such a big phone. Then they measured who had the least. Now they walk around holding tablets to their faces, I laugh at them... but I’m the only one, because now it’s fashion... it’s normal now...

Previously, when my Internet went down, I blamed the bad weather. When I started working as an installer for my provider, I was taught how to tie twisted pair cables together with electrical tape, pull quiet clients out of ports and plug in friends of the company in their place, and terminate cables in complete darkness...
And then I realized why our weather is so bad...

ATTENTION!
Dear employees, coming to work a little later, keep right
sides of the corridor, so as not to collide with employees leaving a little
early!

Tyutchev has a wonderful poem where something like this lives:
quatrain:

Where the cheerful sickle walked and the ear fell,

Only a web of thin hair
Glistens on the idle furrow.

Unfortunately for the great Russian poet, this poem was assigned to us
learn by heart.
In a solemn atmosphere during the evening meal, my wife and I heard this:
such (not without a certain charm) interpretation:

Where the PROUD SPIT walked and the ear fell,
Now everything is empty - space is everywhere -
Only a web of thin hair
SHINES IN THE TRANSPARENT BIRCH.

Perhaps the “proud braid” still evokes some associations: a seasoned goat
standing on his hind legs, he holds a huge scythe at the ready. And he smiles a lot
proudly.

But as for the “transparent birch”... here I am completely
confusion.

Krazyabaka (09:31:07 14/09/2009)
the parrot didn't let me sleep all night
Krazyabaka (09:32:04 14/09/2009)
fell all the time
Krazyabaka (09:32:16 14/09/2009)
I'm sure he's a bat
Krazyabaka (09:32:27 14/09/2009)
sleeps upside down and falls
Krazyabaka (09:32:50 14/09/2009)
I've been falling all night

We go down the serpentine road from the Baydar Gate to the Yalta-Simferopol highway.
The navigator does not have time to give good advice: “Keep the right turn,
keep to the left." Finally, when the road turns sharply
direction 180 degrees, the navigator simply can’t keep up
react: “Hold on, hold on, hold on...”
And you can’t say that you’re wrong.

Continuation about the weather: A couple of years ago I had a pager, which
Every morning the weather forecast dropped. One fine winter evening I read
forecast for tomorrow: "temperature at night..., during the day..., humidity...,
wind from some direction... m/s. ICE NEEDLES POSSIBLE" (!!!)

I sat and thought - maybe I should call work to take the day off for tomorrow? Otherwise
It's scary to go outside.

Yesterday Moscow was covered with snow, which fell on the icy sidewalks and
roadway:(((I’m returning home in the evening. Along the narrow sidewalk
a girl wanders towards me, and she walks with her head hidden in her hood and me
doesn't see. When we got close, she raised her head
and pulled back slightly. At the same moment, her heels went across the ice and she knocked
me off my feet. As a result, I end up on it in the classic position No. 1.
The young lady squeaks slightly, and I think longingly about the eggs in the bag...
Finally, I’m trying hard to make a joke - Girl, I’m sorry that being
stranger, I’ve already found myself in this position with you... Why, young lady,
looking at me meekly, he answers, “My name is Ira...
I grunted and slowly crawled off her...

From an explanatory e-mail to my wife:
Well, when I was leaving the balcony... it’s not my fault that the slippers were torn... I caught my slipper on the threshold... when I was already flying... I first honestly tried to grab the door handle - it’s not my fault, that the bolts are already old... the handle basically came off... and since I fell hard, I tore off the curtain... along with the pride... It’s not my fault that I go wild when they hit me on the head with the pride ... so I jumped up... and kicked the table, ours, the desk.... for some reason he drove off with terrible speed to the other end of the hall, and it seemed also by accident... he split a flower pot, it’s not his fault that the pot they didn’t burn it properly at the factory... the table is now a little crooked, but that’s okay, because the lid can now be freely removed and put on and used for something else... That’s basically all... And The vase fell from the windowsill...

Crows are capable of taking revenge on people

Crows can recognize and remember human faces for up to five years. And besides, they are quite vindictive, so if you offend a crow, stay on your guard. These birds are able to gather a flock and together attack the offender of one of them. They may even do this several times out of revenge. So it’s better not to mess with crows, zoologists warn.

Oppositionist Sergei Udaltsov was detained after interrogation by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the case of preparing mass riots. An entry appeared on his microblog: Sergei sent an SMS: “Hold on, drive the wave as much as possible. They’re closing me down.” Earlier, it was announced that another defendant, Konstantin Lebedev, was detained.

What should we do when we fall? You have to try to get up. I tried to get up and fell a hundred times. But do you think that if I fall and give up, I will be able to get back up? I will try again and again and again... I just want you to understand that this is not the end, but it depends on how it ends. Do you want to be happy? Then you will find the strength to rise!

Nick Vujicic

When I die, bury me with my friends...
- For what?
- There has never been such a hole from which we could not get out.

It feels like when I see him my brain completely switches off. I feel like such a fool and I don’t know what to say.

if my friends can easily do without me when I feel bad, I can easily do without them when I feel good

President of Ingushetia Yunus-Bek Yevkurov opened the first Ingush cultural center in Almaty, the agency's correspondent reports. “I envy you that you live peacefully and adhere to the covenant of our ancestors,” Yevkurov said during a meeting with the Ingush people in Almaty. At the same time, he noted that he would support the cultural center opened today and establish contacts between the republics.