The celebration of the centenary of the restoration of the Serbian Patriarchate is taking place on 14 and 15 May 2022 in Sremski Karlovci.
The celebration began on Saturday, May 14, 2022, in the cathedral church “St. Nikolaj Mirlikijski ”with a ceremonial welcome to His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch Porphyry and Serbian hierarchs, and from 5 pm the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church will celebrate the evening with a hymn.
Patriarch Porphyry then opened a multimedia exhibition at the famous Patriarchal Palace in Sremski Karlovci, entitled “A Century of the Restoration of the Serbian Patriarchate 1920-2020”.
According to Deacon Vladimir Radovanovic, director of the Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the most important insignia depicting the patriarchal dignity of the Serbian Orthodox Church are on display: the Panagia of Serbian Saints from 1923, originally designed by architects Pero J. Popovic and Uros. Predic; the miter of the twelve apostles, the episcopal scepter with which Patriarch Demetrius was enthroned, as well as his hierarchical robes.
The old canopy patriarchal throne, which was located in the throne room of the Patriarchal Palace in Sremski Karlovci, has been reconstructed.
Paintings by prominent Serbian artists will be on display on this exceptional occasion. Among them, the most representative are the portraits of Patriarch Arseniy III Charnoevich and Patriarch Arseniy IV Jovanovic Shakabenta, the painting of Jovo Vasilievich from 1744 and the painting of Uros Predic from 1906.
The exhibition also includes the throne cross of King Stefan Dusan from the Treasury of the Visoki Decani Monastery and the most important exhibits from the Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Patriarchal Palace in Belgrade, several manuscripts, printed books and other artifacts. The authors of the exhibition are Deacon Vladimir Radovanovic, Vladislav Kasalitsa and Dr. Milana Matic.
On Sunday, May 15, 2022, at 8.30 am, Patriarch Porphyry led the Holy Hierarch’s Liturgy in the cathedral church “St. Nikolai Mirlikiiski ”. After the service, the Patriarchal Palace will host the first festive meeting, attended by members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
At 12.00 in the town square in front of the Patriarchal Palace and the Cathedral will be held a festive academy, which will be opened by reading the message prepared by the Council of Bishops on the occasion of the great anniversary.
Prominent church choirs, the best Serbian actors, cultural and artistic societies and students from the Theological Seminary “St. Arseniy” in Sremski Karlovci are expected to perform on the occasion.
More than 25 million tons of Ukrainian wheat cannot be exported due to the war. The UN warns that this will cause a global grain crisis. Prior to the Russian invasion, Ukraine was the world’s fourth largest exporter of wheat.
Wheat in Ukrainian warehouses is beginning to rot, warn Ukrainian producers. 25 million tons of grain must be released before the new harvest.
“We are transporting wheat from Odessa to the Romanian port of Constanta. All our ports are closed. We have to look for new routes through Romania.” – tell from the industry
The most preferred route for transporting Ukrainian wheat is through the Danube ports of Reni and Izmail. From there, deliveries continue to Constanta. The war turned the Romanian port into a major center for the export of Ukrainian agricultural products.
“Port operations have increased by 10-11 percent compared to last year.” said Florin Goidea, director of the port of Constanta.
However, diverting supplies through Constanta has posed a huge transport challenge for Romania. Urgent repairs of the railway network are needed, especially in the area of the Black Sea port. Out of 100 railway lines – 35 will be repaired in three months. And the rest until the end of the year.
The European Union said that precise routes for the export of Ukrainian goods should be determined soon. Until last year, Ukraine was the second largest importer of wheat and corn for the European Union.
Ukraine is the largest producer of sunflower oil in the world and ranks among the six largest exporters of wheat, corn, chicken and even honey. The money she earns from agriculture – $ 28 billion last year – is now even more important because of the war, and production is even more important for a world where record prices raise food security concerns. Bloomberg TV Bulgaria.
Egypt and Turkey, which rely on Russian and Ukrainian grain, are struggling with rising inflation. The Cairo government is considering raising the price of subsidized bread for the first time in four decades. Meanwhile, the shortage of sunflower oil in Europe is forcing suppliers to look for alternatives. Supermarkets in the UK limit the amount of cooking oil that customers can buy.
As the world stares at Ukraine, the Middle East is taking a new path
This, in turn, has led to a sharp rise in vegetable oil prices all the way to India, where street vendors steam food instead of frying it. The demand for even palm oil, which has been accused of causing deforestation and is not very good for health, is also increasing.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia, a key exporter of agricultural products, was deliberately targeting agricultural land, planting mines in fields and destroying equipment and storage facilities. The allegations were backed by EU Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski, who said the bloc would seek to help Ukrainian farmers.
Not only is the country increasingly unable to export as transit routes are cut off, but Ukraine must maintain more limited stocks of products to ensure its survival, Ukraine’s agriculture minister said last month.
Irish Prime Minister Michel Martin reiterated the warnings on April 20th after meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart on his way to Washington. “There is a clear goal of creating a food crisis in addition to the energy crisis, as well as waging an immoral and unjust war against Ukraine itself,” Martin said.
The Russian military has consistently stated that it is not targeting civilian targets, despite widespread evidence to the contrary. Its limited withdrawal from Kyiv means farmers can sow in previously occupied areas such as Chernihiv, but the harvest of some of Ukraine’s most important crops could still be halved this year.
It is difficult to exaggerate the importance of agriculture for Ukraine, called the “granary of Europe” because of its rich black fertile soil, which is ideal for growing crops. Before the war, agriculture accounted for more than 10% of Ukraine’s economy and 40% of exports. Farmers are exempt from military service to ensure the preservation of the industry.
The war has already destroyed some of the progress that Ukraine has made over decades of growing its agricultural industry. Its wheat harvest in 2021 was the largest since the collapse of the Soviet Union three decades earlier. Eventually, farmers will have to recover and free their land from shelling and chemical pollution.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has warned of “potentially catastrophic” effects on the environment, including poor drinking water quality, chemical spills and floods.
“Supply networks need to be restored, people need to be returned and the necessary capital needs to be restored to restore production,” said Oleg Nivievsky, a professor at the Kiev School of Economics. “I would say it will take two or three years to return to previous levels of exports. That’s what farmers say.”
So far, only small quantities of grain and other products have been exported by rail after Russia blocked Ukraine’s Black Sea ports and shelled vital infrastructure. Ukraine is asking Europe to provide river vessels and trucks to sustain reduced exports.
All over the world, countries that depend on Ukrainian sunflower oil and feed are trying to find alternative supplies. Companies are rushing to replace sunflower oil in recipes from biscuits to potato chips. Some supermarkets and fish and chips stores in the UK are considering replacing sunflower oil with palm oil, which will lead to record prices.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, palm oil has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years for its role in deforestation and has been accused of contributing to the destruction of endangered species such as orangutans.
Farmers are short of non-genetically modified animal feed, which usually comes from Ukraine, and the EU is easing import rules to make it easier to import from South America.
In addition, food aid supplies to countries at risk of starvation are being disrupted. Somalia receives almost 70% of its wheat imports from Ukraine and the rest from Russia, and is currently threatened by the worst drought in years.
According to the UN, Tunisia and Libya also receive more than a third of their wheat from Ukraine. According to the World Food Program, food supplies – peas and barley – from the Ukrainian port of Odessa to West Africa have been disrupted.
“Countries with low incomes and food shortages are always the most vulnerable,” said Laura Wellesley, a senior fellow at Chatham House in London, during a lecture on the impact of the conflict on April 13. “But low-income households, all the world’s economies, are already experiencing economic insecurity in households and food insecurity.”
Prices were already at record highs due to overpriced energy and logistics problems as the global economy recovered from the pandemic, and now countries such as Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Moldova and Serbia have imposed restrictions on some food exports.
At the same time, Russia continues to export grain to some of its largest customers, even as transportation costs rise and some traders seek to avoid Russian goods. It is even possible to get a new business. According to Geneva-based Harvest, which provides harvest data, Israel, which often buys from Ukraine, bought Russian wheat last month.
In Europe, farmers have complained about cheaper food imports from Ukraine entering the market. The EU is now postponing rules aimed at making agriculture more environmentally friendly, including postponing planned restrictions on the use of pesticides. It also plans to free up nearly 4 million hectares of uncultivated land to plant more money crops.
“What is happening in Ukraine will change our whole approach and view of the future of agriculture,” EU Commissioner Wojciechowski said on March 17th. “We need to have a policy in place to ensure food security.”
Turkmenistan has imposed a series of bans on women in the country, including manicures, plastic surgery and decorative surgery, and banned abortions.
Ladies are also not allowed to wear “tight” clothes, dye their hair, lengthen their nails or wear eyelashes, as it is forbidden to enlarge the breasts.
The bans in recent weeks have caused many women in the country to lose their jobs, allegedly because of breast implants or enlarged lips.
In Ashgabat and other Turkmen cities, police detained women with false eyelashes and nails and took them to police stations. There, they were forced to “get rid” of their eyelashes or nails, and were fined $ 140.
In Ashgabat, at least 20 flight attendants have been fired in recent weeks for alleged Botox use and lip augmentation. About 50 employees of the national railway operator have lost their jobs due to breast implants and lip augmentation, sources said.
As a result of restrictive measures, dozens of beauty salons across the country have ceased operations after receiving a warning from police to ban “unauthorized” procedures and customer services.
The new rules include a ban on wearing blue jeans and any other tight-fitting clothing. Wearing wide long dresses is allowed.
However, law enforcement officials are empowered to oblige women to wear “wrong clothes.” The police took pictures of the violators, drew up a report and forced them to pay a fine.
It is also forbidden to wear white wedding dresses.
Authorities have banned women from riding in cars with unrelated men. Police officers stopped cars with passengers and demanded evidence that the woman was related to the driver. Women are not allowed to sit in the front seat next to the driver.
An abortion ban was also introduced in April this year. Human rights groups note that Turkmenistan allows abortion until the 5th week of pregnancy, while in other countries it is until the 12th week.
However, the government promulgated the law, which was passed in 2015 without public discussion. This law prohibits abortion, as most women in the fifth week of pregnancy do not even know they are pregnant.
Women in the country are considering holding mass protests.
(Photo: Courtesy International Media Support)Shireen Abu Akleh
Recent events in Palestine and Israel have, tragically, again underscored the critical need for a just peace in the region, for both Palestinians and Israelis, the World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Ioan Sauca has said.
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“The World Council of Churches calls for an independent international investigation of the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on 11 May, given the grave implications of this event,” he said.
“Those responsible for Abu Akleh’s death must be held accountable to the full extent of the law.”
Born in Jerusalem in 1971, Abu Akleh, who was a Christian, initially studied architecture before switching to journalism at Yarmouk University in Jordan, according Al Jazeera.
Sauca for his part also urged U.S. President Joe Biden to address this issue with Israeli officials during his forthcoming visit to Israel in June 2022, to promote accountability and to prevent such violations from occurring in the future.
“No fewer than 86 Palestinian journalists have been killed since 1967, the year in which Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza – with 50 of them having been killed since 2000,” said Sauca.
“Ms Abu Akleh had reported on events in Palestine and Israel since 1997, and had earned respect among viewers worldwide.”
The killing caused shock and grief among many around the world who admired her, noted Sauca.
“To them we convey our sincere condolences and prayers, as well as to her immediate family,” he said.
COURT OF ISRAEL
“Meanwhile, on 4 May the High Court of Israel dismissed an appeal by Palestinian residents of Masafer Yatta, in the southern part of the West Bank, enabling the government to expel residents from a large area that had been declared an army firing zone.”
Sauca said this decision threatens the forcible transfer of up to 1,200 Palestinians from their homes in the area, in which they have lived for decades.
“On 11 May, the Israeli Civil Administration razed 19 structures in Masafer Yatta, the first such demolition since the High Court decision,” Sauca noted.
“Nine of the structures were family homes, and the rest were used for storage and for housing sheep.”
International law prohibits an occupying power from forcibly transferring members of an occupied population from their existing communities against their will, Sauca further noted.
“The World Council of Churches calls on the government and authorities of Israel, and all people of good will, to take action to stop the forced displacement of Palestinians from their land and homes in Masafer Yatta,”
The WCC also called for the demolitions and evictions – to be removed rather than the indigenous population of the area,” Sauca said. “Injustice can never be a foundation for a secure peace.”
The Romanian Ministry of Transport has approved the technical and economic specifications of a contract under which the government will pay 973m euros (excluding VAT) for 12 hydrogen-powered trains, each with 160 seats, Economica.net reported. The contract, which is being implemented through the Railway Reform Authority, will include, in addition to trains, their maintenance “for the long term”. Trains will be used to serve routes that are not yet electrified: between Central Station and Bucharest Airport (every half hour), Bucharest – Pitesti (every hour) and others.
The investment project is financed by external grants, through the National Program for Reconstruction and Sustainability PNRR, and from the state budget, through the budget of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. Replacing diesel trains with trains using hydrogen fuel cells reduces transport pollution by the equivalent of more than 18,348 tonnes of CO2 per year and 306 tonnes of NOx / year (preliminary estimates currently cost € 600,000 per year), which helps achieve the goals set by European and national strategies to achieve a net zero pollution effect in 2050, explained Secretary of State Ionel Scriosteanu.
Recall that the largest Japanese railway company “JR East” introduced in February the train “Hibari”, powered by hydrogen. It was shown to journalists at an experimental base in the city of Kawasaki, which is located near Tokyo, Kyodo news agency reported. The engine generates electricity, which is stored in high-capacity batteries by chemically combining hydrogen from a tank with atmospheric oxygen. Only environmentally friendly water vapor is released into the atmosphere. Trains of this type can travel 140 kilometers on a single hydrogen charge. They will be used in rural areas where diesel locomotives are still used. Every year, JR East trains emit about 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide. With the introduction of new technologies, including environmentally friendly hydrogen engines, this amount is expected to be halved by 2030. By 2050, JR East plans to reduce to zero
Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria sent a circular message to the bishops of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, instructing him on how to approach the problems posed by the “illegal and vindictive invasion of the Russian Church into the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Alexandria” after the latter recognized the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Church. It is clear from the message that the tactics of the “Russian Exarchate” on the African continent envisage first financial enticement of local clergy, and then seizure of the temples of the parish communities and their other property.
“We learn with pain from our fellow hierarchs to our patriarchal cathedral, who describe the tragic events that befell them after the anti-canonical and inadmissible attempt to invade the Russian Church on the African continent, which has undoubtedly been in the canonical jurisdiction of our ancient patriarchy for centuries. This came after our recognition of the canonical autocephaly granted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the local Church of Ukraine.
The main goal of the non-fraternal Russian actions is the theft of the parish communities of local Orthodox Christians, which is done first by financially luring parish priests, and then separating parishes with their temples, buildings and others from our ancient patriarchate, which laid the foundations of Orthodoxy in the long-suffering African land and works around the clock with great efforts to enlighten all of us in Christ and other brothers and who, in addition to charities, is constantly building new structures to improve the quality of life of people here.
The Patriarch of Alexandria then told the bishops that the “robbery and disrespectful conduct of the Russian Church” must be addressed with clear action to protect movable and immovable parish property, to be organized by the diocesan legal advisers in accordance with local law. Relevant procedures must also be initiated for the immediate restoration of ownership of any property (temples, buildings, etc.) seized by an offender. To this end, the dioceses must speed up the process of documenting the ownership of all temples in order to limit the possibility of abuse.
With regard to the seceding African clergy, the patriarch ordered the bishops to impose a ban on the conduct of priesthood in the hope that they would repent until the competent ecclesiastical court of the Patriarchate of Alexandria ruled.
The patriarch called on the bishops to show courage to preserve the integrity of the verbal flock entrusted to them by their predecessors and acquired through the martyrdom of many hierarchs and priests, and not to be afraid to stand up for justice, following the canonical tradition of the Orthodox Church.
Finally Patriarch Theodore prays to “the Risen Lord, Who builds His Church, to purify the minds and hearts of the local clergy and our indigenous flock from the treacherous conduct of spiritual apostasy for thirty pieces of silver.”
Photo: The Most Dangerous Philosopher in the World - Kremlin-approved philosopher Alexander Dugin
When I learned about the atrocities of the Russian military in Bucha, I experienced understandable horror, but not surprise. Why be surprised? After all, I have long been familiar with the views of Alexander Dugin. The same one who in 2014, in connection with the invasion of the Russian army in the Crimea and Donbass, spoke to students: “Kill, kill and kill. There should be no more talk. As a professor, I think so.” Dugin came to my attention much earlier, in the early 1990s, when I was writing a book about the latest trends in Russian thought (it was published in English in two volumes – “The Phoenix of Philosophy” and “Ideas Against Ideocracy”). Among dozens of thinkers of the late Soviet era, Dugin was the youngest and most bloodthirsty. To implement his metaphysical plans, he needed to fill half the globe with blood – the western one. And if the West does not obey, then Dugin planned to blow up the entire globe, since non-existence, in his opinion, is ultimately better than existence. Being separates people, and non-being unites.
The peculiarity of Dugin as a thinker is an open hatred of everything not just human, but living and being, and in combination with a kind of religiosity. His writings are full of such concepts as “Divine subject”, “sons of light”, “mighty spirits”, “dear angel” and so on. This combination of “high spirituality” and world-hatred goes back to the ancient Gnostic heresy (1st century AD), condemned by Christianity. Gnosticism preached that the existing world lies in evil and must be completely destroyed in order to embark on the path of higher spirituality, enter the world of angels and the like.
Dugin is sometimes referred to in the Western press as “Putin’s brain” and has been teaching geopolitics at the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces for many years. He has an impressive set of titles: the leader of the International Eurasian Movement, Honorary Professor of the Eurasian National University named after L.N. Gumilyov and the University of Tehran… Dugin’s books “Fundamentals of Eurasianism” and “Fundamentals of Geopolitics” teach the highest ranks of the General Staff, who translate his slogans into strategies. Dugin names his worldview in different ways: “Eurasianism”, “National Bolshevism”, “integral tradition”, “right revolution”, “fourth political theory”… He finds the clearest embodiment of his theories in Andrei Platonov, whose anti-utopia “and “Chevengur” interprets as utopias to be executed: “Platonov is the embodiment of National Bolshevism in all its dimensions.”
For Dugin, the soul itself is nothing, and the corruption of matter, the emaciation of the flesh, hell on earth, the equality of being and non-being is a national idea.
What kind of revelation, according to Dugin, does Platonov bring? The hysterical feeling of an inescapable, painful, yearning emptiness – this is the message of revolutionary Russia to the world: the secret of self-revealing nothingness. I quote Dugin: “Longing is the bottom content of the Revolution, pressing from within, an unbearable burden. Emptiness in the body, emptiness in consciousness, emptiness in the heart … If a person came from a worm, from an intestine filled only with sticky darkness, then shouldn’t it be like this be its spiritual mediastinum? Namely: the soul, revealing its true aroma of presence, is closest to the empty insides of a hollow, earthy, viscous and meaningless pipe. For Dugin, the soul itself is nothing, a hollow tube, and the corruption of matter, the emasculation of the flesh, hell on earth, the equality of being and non-being is the main national idea.
Surprisingly, this is the last revelation of the Eurasian truth revealed to Dugin. The ultimate goal is the transformation of being into non-being. “A real encounter with the soul is like coughing up grave clay, suffocation, unbearable smells of decaying herbs, merging with the empty consciousness of a worm.” From here we come to the sexual-psychological motives of the violence committed in Bucha. Psychoanalysis, as you know, distinguishes two main human drives: Eros (the drive to life and its generation) and Thanatos (the personification of death in Greek mythology, the desire to restore the primary – inanimate, inorganic – state). In Sigmund Freud, Eros opposes Thanatos. Dugin, who is preoccupied with the Russian national specificity of these categories, Thanatos is Eros: the “Rassian” dispersion of Eros in the world’s void. And here the traces of the bloody voluptuousness that the Russian army left behind in Ukraine are already quite recognizable.
Dugin – the prophet Buchi: “The peculiarity of the Great Russian sex is that it is not directed either at itself or at the other, it has neither libido nor narcissism. The Russian floor breathes through, picking up everything along a confused path – trousers, peasants, comrades, cockroaches, a bloated, ready to burst stale corpse, washed maidens caught under the arm, shot limbs, drooping horses, twisted weeds, gray soils that exposed their cracks, oblique or whitewashed comfortable buildings, the pale and dead Rosa Luxembourg… and the shameless emptiness of the heart, dragging into the moldy well of the heart a huge, upset in its root knots, stolen being.
What eloquence – in the direct and sinister sense of the word! For, according to Dugin, “only the Red Death makes a human object a subject.” This is the global mission of National Bolshevism, or Eurasianism. It is not easy to set one class against another, as happened in Soviet history on the basis of Marxist teachings; this, according to Dugin, is necessary, but it is not enough. And you need to act more broadly, in a popular way, in a Platonic way, that is, together with the hostile classes and their counterfeit culture, destroy everything that lives and breathes separately from non-existence, because only through non-existence can one find the highest unity with everything. Everything else is a barrier. This is exactly how Dugin sees Platonov and honors him as a mentor: “For us, Platonov is a doctrine. We take it upon ourselves and intellectually justify everything up to the direct genocide of alienating classes and rational structures. We accept the Chevengur madness as a dogma … The dead crowded over us, they are crowded and stuffy. History crushes itself with the last nasty noose.
This is the metaphysical conclusion of Eurasianism – suicide, self-hanging history on the “throat” of Russia. Dugin, in the radicalism of his life-denial, goes further than the Grand Inquisitor, who does not believe in a future life, in a heavenly kingdom, but wants to create a paradise of universal satiety on earth. Dugin goes further than Platonov, who believes in building a communist paradise on earth and watches with longing its gradual transformation into hell, compassionate to its victims. Dugin goes further than the heroes of Vladimir Sharov (1952-2018), who are ready to accept hell on earth, rejoice in it and even help Satan create it, in order to break through to the afterlife in order to achieve salvation through suffering. Dugin, on the other hand, simply establishes hell on earth, following his teacher Evgeny Golovin, who in the 1980s headed the Yuzhinsky circle of esoteric-Nazi-Satanists called the “Black Order of the SS”, where he was called the “Reichführer”. “Where we are, there is the center of hell.” Not “We are in the center of hell” (that would be nothing,” but “Where we are, there is the center of hell,” Dugin Golovina comments. This is the last word of the apocalyptic revolution: to spread hell – dying Chevengur – to the entire earth This mission is being carried out today by the country in its metaphysical struggle not only with Ukraine or the West, but, using the language of Dugin himself, with being as such, with the accursed habit of existing.
“The prelude of the New Chevengur, the Last Chevengur is ripening. Heard in absolute silence, portending nothing but midnight and the ocean of Blood, the mysterious kiss of the Bolshevik dawn. We will take everything from you again. Not to have, to be, to leave nothing as it is, in order to abolish all that is separate and bring to the totality of Victory all that is common, one, the Whole” – what an all-encompassing, sophisticated necroeschatology, truly ready to embrace the whole world as it turns into nothing! And this is not just metaphysics, this is a call to action – and it is clear what method of destroying all life Dugin has in mind when proclaiming the imminent end of the world. Why prevent the apocalypse? On the contrary, it is necessary to speed it up by setting the world on fire.
However, the value of life is proved not by dissertations, but by the experience of any living being. Does Dugin himself agree to easily part with life in accordance with his theoretical calculations? Are you ready to prove this beloved thought by betraying your children to the purifying burning? If you demand the end of the world, start with yourself and your loved ones! Otherwise, all this “fourth political theory” serves only to “quarter” humanity for the sake of satisfying the metaphysical taste for cannibalism. Eurasians regularly rehearse the man-made end of the world. One of the programs of the training camp of the Eurasian Youth Union: “The eschatological mobilization of the Eurasians is announced! Everything is nearing completion and resolution. FINIS MUNDI. End of the World.”
Following Dugin’s logic, right now is the time for Russia to fulfill its global destiny, because among all known civilizations it stands out with its conscious will to the end of history, to the death of everything. The voluptuousness of complete destruction – such is this metaphysics of contempt for being, once again rehearsed in Bucha, in Irpen already on the stage of the theater of history. What Dugin has in his dreams – Putin has in his hands, stroking the nuclear button.
Dugin has just announced in his blog that he is finishing “a new work about the Empire and the End of the World, connected with the fate of the Empire. The picture is ominous.” Who would doubt – no one expects a good-natured from Mr. Dugin. The question remains: will the author have time to complete his thousand-page work before the end of the world and will he have at least one reader?
Author: Mikhail Epshtein – Russian and American philosopher and culturologist, 11 May 2022.
Opinions expressed in the section “Author’s Right” may not reflect the views of the editors
Source: Russian service of Radio Liberty (Radio Liberty) – one of the editorial offices of the media corporation Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Photo: The Most Dangerous Philosopher in the World – Kremlin-approved philosopher Alexander Dugin
In 2010, he patented the first letters of his name as his own trademark
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan undoubtedly has a distinctive style, and not just in government. His plaid jackets have established his own style in fashion and a few years ago were the subject of lively discussions among designers and stylists not only in Turkey. It is no coincidence that in 2010 he patented as his own brand the first letters of his name – RTE.
His inimitable style in the game of table tennis has recently become a topic of discussion on social media, after he was recently filmed playing first with students and then with the President of Kazakhstan Kasam-Jomart Tokayev.
The unusual way in which the Turkish leader holds the stick – from the wide part instead of the handle – does not correspond to the grip of either the European or Asian ping-pong school. This provoked comments on social networks and even malicious remarks from political opponents.
“As he holds the stick, so he runs the country,” opposition Good Party MP Aytun Charai wrote on Twitter. Many on the Internet described the move as “local and national” – a tease of Turkey’s efforts in recent years to replace imports with “local and national” products in the defense industry and other sectors of the economy.
But let’s put tennis aside. Turkey’s foreign policy course under President Erdogan also has a specific handwriting – zigzagging. In recent years, the country has found itself virtually isolated after severing ties with most regional powers in the Middle East and significantly straining ties with the West.
Now, however, Ankara has taken a sharp turn in the opposite direction and has set out to melt the ice on all fronts. The country’s skillful maneuvering in the conflict in Ukraine has scored points for the EU and the United States. Separately, in recent months, it has begun to open a new page in its relations with countries such as Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and recently even talked about possible reconciliation with Damascus.
Turkey, once known as “Israel’s closest ally in the Muslim world,” has seriously deteriorated its relations with the Jewish state in recent years, despite strong trade ties. The two countries have maintained diplomatic relations at the embassies at the level of the Chargé d’Affaires since 2018 after another crisis that has deepened tensions – the US decision to move its embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
After months of escalating tensions in May 2018, Turkey returned its ambassador from Israel and expelled the Israeli ambassador from Ankara. Recently, however, the two countries have taken steps towards reconciliation – the Israeli president visited Turkey in early March, and later this month, on May 25, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will visit Israel.
Pragmatism has taken precedence over ideology and relations with Egypt. Ankara has suspended diplomatic relations since the 2013 military coup against President Mohammed Morsi and refused to recognize Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as the leader of the Arab country. The ambassadors of the two countries were subsequently recalled for consultations, and a similar move by Ankara followed after declaring the Turkish ambassador in Cairo persona non grata.
Last year, however, Erdogan announced the start of contacts between Ankara and Cairo, and recently justified the change in foreign policy, stressing that Turkey would gain nothing by completely severing ties with Egypt and Israel.
“(Turkey’s) relations with Egypt need to improve. Both countries are very important for the region, the normalization of relations is very important for the Eastern Mediterranean,” the Turkish foreign minister said in an interview with NTV recently. ambassadors.
Similar processes are under way with regard to relations with Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Ankara and Riyadh have demonstrated a common will to develop bilateral relations at the highest level. These intentions were boosted by the transfer to Saudi Arabia of the Turkish trial in the case of the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Hashoghi at the Kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul in 2018 – a case that cooled relations between the two regional powers and shook with its brutality worldwide. Heartfelt photos from the Turkish president’s visit to Riyadh last month were a clear signal that this “misunderstanding” remains a thing of the past for both sides.
“I believe that my visit will mark the beginning of a new era in relations between the two countries. We have shown a common will to strengthen ties based on mutual respect and trust, most openly and at the highest level,” the Turkish leader said after the visit. its the end of April.
Turkey also puts differences with the UAE in the background: in February, Erdogan visited the emirates for the first time in nearly a decade, turning his back on power struggles, disagreements over the Libyan conflict, the blockade of Qatar and even doubts about the UAE’s role in Turkey’s coup. . Earlier in November, UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Turkey, a visit that Erdogan said marked a “new era” in bilateral relations (as well as investments in Turkey of 10 billion).
Erdogan described another turn in Turkish foreign policy as “a process of making friends, not enemies”, adding that Turkey needs to improve relations with countries with which it shares “common beliefs and opinions”. We will find out how far this process will go, but one thing seems certain – the Turkish leader will continue to rule the country with his own style and style, at least until next year’s elections …
Recently, the word “panic attack” has become extremely popular, with a large percentage of people claiming to suffer from this condition. Other conditions that need separate reading are often misnamed.
In fact, this condition is quite serious and can not be underestimated, neglected or artificially manifested. The truth is that according to statistics, 35% of older people get one or more panic attacks a year. Stars such as Miley Cyrus, Emma Stone, Kristen Stewart, Nicole Kidman and Keira Knightley have spoken openly about their problem with panic attacks, revealing that sharing is one way to heal.
What is a panic attack?
The word “panic” comes from the name of the ancient Greek god Pan, who liked to joke with people, scaring them.
A panic attack is a sudden strong feeling of fear that activates the body’s defense mechanisms and stuns the mind. The heart rate is fast, breathing is difficult and a person thinks he is going to die or go crazy. Panic attacks sometimes occur without a clear cause, they can even occur in a state of relaxation or before and during sleep.
A person may suffer a panic attack once, but in most cases the attacks recur.
Recurrent panic attacks are usually due to a specific cause, such as crossing a bridge, talking in a public place, flying an airplane. If a situation has once caused the phenomenon, it is very likely to cause it again.
Prerequisites for panic are situations in which a person feels threatened, closed, unable to escape, and other potential dangers and incentives of the “fight or flight” mechanism.
Panic attacks can occur in people who suffer from diseases such as depression, social phobia and others, as well as in completely healthy individuals who have a healthy and happy life.
Symptoms of a panic attack
The most common symptoms include: shortness of breath and shortness of breath or hyperventilation; cardiac arrhythmia or very fast pulse; chest pain and heaviness; trembling; suffocation sensation; a sense of alienation from the world and the body; sweating; nausea or upset stomach; dizziness; numbness; hot or cold waves; irrational fear of heart attack, death, lack of control or going crazy.
Heart attack or panic attack
Most symptoms of a panic attack are physical, and many times these symptoms are so severe that one may think he or she is having a heart attack. In fact, this is a common problem. Many people often go to the emergency room or call an ambulance in a panic attack, thinking they are in a life-threatening condition.
It is good to be aware of one’s health in order to be able to rule out diseases with symptoms similar to a panic attack. Most often, panic is the cause of these symptoms, which in its irrational state, a person considers the symptoms of a more terrible disease.
Panic disorder
While many people experience a panic attack once or twice in their lives without further complications, others develop panic disorder. Panic disorder is characterized by recurrent panic attacks combined with behavioral problems, prolonged anxiety, and fear of other panic attacks.
A person can suffer from panic disorder if: he experiences frequent unexpected panic attacks that are not related to a specific cause; anxious about other panic attacks; changes his social habits so as not to provoke a new panic attack in any way, avoiding social places and events.
While a single panic attack can last several minutes, the effects of this chronic condition can leave a lasting imprint on a person’s mind. In panic disorder, the persistence of panic attacks can significantly affect mental and physical health. The memory of intense fear can seriously affect self-esteem and lead to problems in everyday life, such as coping with daily tasks.
Complications of panic disorder
The accumulation of these problems can lead to the following symptoms of panic disorder:
Anxiety – instead of feeling calm and balanced, a person is constantly waiting for a new panic attack. This fear of panic attack is present in a person’s mind most of the time, which interferes with his normal functioning.
Phobic avoidance – a person begins to avoid specific situations or situations. This behavior is due to the fear of a panic attack, as in the same circumstances it has occurred before. On the other hand, one can avoid enclosed spaces that are difficult to get out of, or situations in which one is alone and there is no one to help. The extremes of these fears are called agoraphobia.
Panic disorder and agoraphobia
The name “agoraphobia” comes from ancient Greek, meaning “square” and “fear”. Agoraphobia was originally thought to be a fear of public and open places. Many scientists now believe that agoraphobia develops as a complication of panic attacks and panic disorder. Although it can develop at any time, agoraphobia most often occurs within a year of the first panic attack.
Sufferers of agoraphobia avoid places that are difficult or embarrassing to leave. The fear of a panic attack makes a person avoid situations such as: busy places (shopping malls or gyms and events); cars, planes, subways and other means of transport; social gatherings, restaurants; exercise (if they cause panic attacks); specific foods and beverages – such as alcohol, caffeine, sugar; solo trips without company.
In the most severe cases, one feels safe only at home.
Causes of panic attacks and panic disorder
Although the exact causes of panic attacks are unclear, they tend to be more common in the family.
There seems to be a link between the onset of a panic attack and significant life changes such as: graduating from university and entering a work environment; marriage; birth of a child. Severe stress such as the death of a loved one, divorce or job loss are also common causes of panic attacks.
Panic attacks can also be caused by illness or physical circumstances. In case of anxiety and panic, it is advisable to visit a doctor to rule out any of the following conditions: mitral valve prolapse – a heart problem that occurs when one of the heart valves does not close properly; hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland); hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar); use of stimulants (amphetamines, cocaine, caffeine); abstinence from drugs or narcotics.
Panic attack and hormonal balance in women
Very often conditions with identical symptoms occur during the menstrual cycle, during premenopause and especially at the onset of true menopause. The cause of these crises is hormonal. When the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which are also responsible for the elasticity of blood vessels, have lower levels, this immediately reflects on blood circulation, blood pressure: it rises, there is shortness of breath, dizziness, sweating, fast heart rate and, accordingly. – fear. If low progesterone levels are accompanied by elevated levels of stress hormones – adrenaline and cortisone, then the picture gets even brighter colors.
And if techniques such as deep abdominal breathing are not as effective during panic attacks, it is most likely such hormonal crises.
A guide to self-help in a panic attack
No matter how powerless a person feels about his panic attacks, it is important to know that there are many things that can be done and helped.
The following self-help techniques can help significantly in overcoming a panic attack:
Informing about panic and anxiety
Informing about these problems can greatly help to raise awareness and calm down. Reading about stress, anxiety, panic disorder and the “fight or flight” reaction can help many people realize that these are normal reactions of the body and a person will not die or go crazy in a panic attack.
Avoid stimulants or depressants (smoking, alcohol, caffeine)
All of these substances can cause a panic attack in people who are predisposed to the condition. It is advisable to stop, and if not, at least to limit yourself significantly. One should also be careful with drugs that contain stimulants such as diet pills.
Breathing control
Hyperventilation (rapid intense breathing) leads to many sensations such as dizziness and tightness in the chest, which occurs during a panic attack. It is these processes that make it difficult to control thought and activate the processes in the body that signal danger and further intensify negative feelings.
Breathing
There is no way to emphasize enough how important breathing is in a panic attack. Deep abdominal breathing can significantly calm and even stop a panic attack. Breathing control can calm a person when they are anxious and prevent the unpleasant sensations that occur during a panic attack.
An effective breathing technique is: inhaling air by inflating the abdomen (inhaling air should be very slow and light, without any tension). Exhalation should be even slower and light and accompanied by relaxation of the chest and whole body. The left hand can be placed on the chest and the right on the abdomen. The right hand makes sure that breathing takes place through the abdomen, and the left hand makes sure that the chest does not participate.
The thought should focus only on breathing and bloating and relaxing the abdomen.
Relaxation techniques
When activities such as yoga, meditation and progressive muscle relaxation are often practiced, the body’s ability to cope with stress and panic increases significantly. One always knows, even on a subconscious level, how to activate relaxation and calming mechanisms. Not only do these techniques increase the ability to relax, they lead to satisfaction and balance.
Sharing
Talking face to face with a loved one is very important. Symptoms of anxiety and panic may worsen if a person feels isolated. It is important to communicate and share regularly with your loved ones. In the absence of acquaintances or relatives, there are many ways to find new acquaintances and support groups.
Sports
Physical activity is a natural method of reducing stress and anxiety. Exercising at least 30 minutes a day (can be divided into three series of 10 minutes) is enough. Rhythmic aerobic exercises that require simultaneous movement of the arms and legs, such as walking, running, swimming or dancing, are extremely effective.
In the absence of time, a number of useful and interesting exercises can be found online, although the social aspect of sports is also important and can bring additional benefits to dealing with panic attacks.
A dream
Lack of good and quality sleep significantly impairs the body’s ability to cope with stress and increases the risk of anxiety and panic. It is recommended to get between seven and nine hours of quality sleep a day.
Treatments for panic attacks and panic disorder
The most effective way to deal with a panic attack is occupational therapy. Even a few sessions in the short term can be extremely useful.
Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on patterns of thinking and behavior that support or trigger panic attacks. In this type of therapy, the fear is dissected and viewed in an objective light. For example – when you are afraid of driving, what is the worst thing that can happen? As a last resort, it may be necessary to turn aside until the person calms down, but the chances of an accident or heart attack are negligible. When a person realizes that his fears are not rational and that the situation is not so terrible at all, then the feeling of panic decreases significantly.
Another approach is to face the problem and overcome it. The psychologist or the specialist who conducts the therapy can cause a panic attack in a person so that he can feel it in a controlled environment. This could happen through hyperventilation, shaking of the head and other physical actions that trigger the body’s panic attack mechanisms. Causing a panic attack in a controlled environment makes a person get used to the sensation and realize that he has control over his body and panic, respectively.
With agoraphobia, it is possible for the therapist to put the patient in frightening situations so that they realize that they are not so scary. At some point, one begins to understand this fact and regain control of one’s emotions.
Medicines for panic attacks and panic disorder
Medications can be used to temporarily control or reduce the symptoms of a panic attack. However, they are not doing any work to solve the problem itself.
Medications can be useful in very acute conditions, but they should not be the only treatment. Medications are most effective in combination with other therapies, life changes and habits that address the problems that cause panic attacks.
Medications may include:
Antidepressants – it can take weeks before they start working. Therefore, their reception is long (this is not just about panic attacks).
Benzodiazepines are anti-stress drugs that quickly relieve symptoms. These drugs are addictive and stopping them can lead to abstinence – so great care should be taken when taking and prescribing them.
Phytotherapy
Unlike traditional medicines, there is a range of natural products with a mild effect that can help significantly without leading to addiction or other side effects of antidepressants or benzodiazepines. A number of clinical studies have proven the positive effect of lavender on anxiety, mild depression and a number of other mental health problems.
Lemon balm is also a well-studied herb that is used for problems such as panic attacks. Ashwagandha helps the body by protecting it from the negative effects caused by stress. It helps the body adapt to stressful situations and changes in the environment. The herb has a thousand-year history in Indian Ayurvedic medicine.
How to help a person in a panic attack
When a loved one or relative is in a panic attack, it can be frightening. Symptoms include: rapid and shallow breathing, dizziness, sweating, and victims may fear having a heart attack or going crazy.
No matter how irrational their fear may seem, it is important to remember that the danger seems real to them. It is important to approach this point carefully, because overcoming this panic attack can help them significantly in future disputes with this situation.
In the first place, one must remain calm and not condemn or disdain the panic attack sufferer. The sufferer’s attention should then be drawn to breathing. You can find a quiet, suitable place to apply the technique of slow and deep breathing for a few minutes. Physical movement such as moving the legs and arms can also be added. This helps to shake off stress. Turning attention in another direction is also very useful. One should try to direct the sufferer to another topic, not his anxious thoughts, for example – to ask him to list five things that surround him, or to pick up a favorite topic.
It is important to encourage the sufferer to seek help both professionally and to share with their loved ones and to apply sedation techniques. He must be supported in his path to overcoming fear.
Conclusion
Panic attacks are a state of fear, most often with an irrational cause, as the sufferer has symptoms of rapid pulse, rapid shallow breathing, chest tightness and possible sweating, dizziness and other characteristic of the condition “fight or flight” processes in the body. At this point, a person feels as if he is going to die or go crazy, which further increases his fear and, consequently, his physical reaction.
The onset of a panic attack is a very shocking experience that can change a person’s psyche. Often a panic attack occurs many times, which can lead to changes in social behavior. The fear of repeating a panic attack can cause social distancing, avoiding stressful situations and other problems that can lead to panic disorder.
One of the extreme forms of this condition is agoraphobia, in which one avoids public spaces, social gatherings and other elements of normal life, which in principle arouse happiness, not fear.
The cause of panic attacks is not entirely clear, but there is definitely a predisposition in the family history of this condition.
Causes of a panic attack can be: a new stage in life (graduating from high school or university), loss of a loved one, accumulation of stress. Physical factors such as heart disease or other body systems can also be the cause.
Dealing with panic attacks
The approach to dealing with panic attacks is complex, but, unfortunately, many professionals are quick to prescribe medication. Medications only affect the symptoms and in most cases have a number of unpleasant side effects. It is recommended to prescribe only in extremely difficult situations.
The right approach to overcoming panic attacks involves a complete change of life. It is advisable to avoid substances such as stimulants (caffeine, cocaine, amphetamine) and depressants (alcohol). Both regular exercise and techniques for concentrated relaxation and coping with stress are recommended. One of the most effective methods is to consult a specialist (usually a psychologist) to help deal with the problems that cause this condition.
In a panic attack, one of the most important things that can be done is slow and deep abdominal breathing with slow inhalation and even slower exhalation.
In these moments, it is important to share with relatives, support and optimism to deal with the problem.
Having a pet cat can be an incredibly rewarding experience. The cat is a friend waiting for you at home. Additionally, owning a cat has health benefits, such as reducing stress and anxiety. There are indeed many facts that we don’t know about cats and their behavior; thanks to scientists we learn more about these facts.
Here are some of the strangest cat behaviors along with their scientific explanations. If you have one or more cats at home, discover them without delay. You’ll never look at your favorite pet the same way again.
When he butts you while rubbing you
Cats often bang their forehead against their owner’s face, legs, or forehead. When they do this, they don’t try to fight. According to experts, cats do this to say hello to their favorite humans.
A cat that acts like this trusts you and feels safe in your company. When cats rub against something or a person, they transfer pheromones to the individual or object to mark it as a trusted territory. Experts call this behavior: the Sparrow. From now on, be proud of the way you raise your cat if he often exhibits this behavior.
