Does yoga always lead to health: an alternative opinion. Alternative opinion: about Bandera and fascists What yoga is not

“As they walked and talked along the way, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared, and separated them both, and Elijah went up into heaven in a whirlwind...” 2 Kings 2:11.

Andrei Lvovich came out of the tent, stretched sweetly and, not having time to cover his eyes with his hand, received a hefty portion of sand right in his face. The wind did not stop for the second hour, making it difficult to clear and extract fossil animal bones. This is a very meticulous matter that requires concentration. And here... Ten meters per second - and full pockets of silicon rock mixed with thorns.

What productivity is there! Therefore, it was decided to stop the excavations and rest. Dinosaurs aren't going anywhere. They have waited for millions of years and will endure a little longer...

Six days of travel by rail shook my soul. But the smoky carriages, packed to capacity with a motley crowd, turned out to be a boon relative to the sweltering heat and the caravan of camels that carried them to their destination for three days. If then Andrei Lvovich had been told that this trip would change his scientific worldview, he would not have believed it. In his dogmatic mind as a paleontologist professor, there would hardly be room for the crazy postulate that the objective statement “science has proven” is just a subjective delusion based generally on the illusory nature of the perceived picture.

But let's go back to the beginning of our story and see where this Railway will lead us.

... The day before yesterday they were incredibly lucky. Truly the Gobi Desert is a storehouse for scientific research. If in 1961, through the efforts of Mongolian and Chinese comrades, a very small number of limbs and skulls of ancient reptiles of scientific interest were discovered, then from the beginning of sixty-two, luck itself came into hand and the finds became more valuable.

Over the past three weeks, they have excavated, cleaned and packaged the complete Probactrosaurus skeleton. And the day before yesterday, Peter and Marina stumbled upon the bone frame of a giant ankylosaur. The age of the finds is tens, or even hundreds of millions of years.

Andrei Lvovich winced from the incessant sand attack, and while visibility allowed, he decided to walk towards the excavations, fenced around the perimeter with a fabric mesh. The “Raketa” wristwatch, donated by comrade Efremov from the Paleontological Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences, showed eight hours forty-five minutes in the evening. It's soon night. It gets dark quickly in the Gobi. Another half hour and you won’t be able to find your way without a flashlight.

Our feet were stuck up to our ankles in the sand, and from the tents we could hear laughter, loud conversation and guitar playing. People used nature's chaos to rest and recuperate. Working in forty-degree heat is, you know, a civic feat.

Andrei Lvovich took out a pack of Herzegovina Flores, Comrade Stalin’s favorite cigarettes, lit a match, hid the fire in his palm and lit a cigarette. At the moment, due to the illness of their leader Chudinov, he, acting as a senior, personally supervised the progress of the work. As a prominent figure in his field, the professor understood the significance of their find for scientific research. The amazingly preserved bones of prehistoric animals will serve the benefit of Soviet science!

The professor took another drag and out of the corner of his eye he saw that a man was sitting about ten meters from the last tent and, without noticing him, was looking dreamily into the darkening sky. A distinctive feature of the southern latitudes: the sun has not yet set below the horizon, and the moon has already gone out for a night walk. The man was not a member of the expedition, but he clearly had no relation to his Mongolian colleagues, judging by his pronounced European appearance.

The paleontologist adjusted his glasses and, squinting his eyes, once again peered into the stranger’s face. But without recognizing him as an employee of the “Russian Eagle Expeditionary Force,” as he liked to call their detachment, he moved straight towards him. The scientist came in from the back, like a real tracker. And he walked as quietly as possible in order to get as close as possible unnoticed. The wind and the sound of shifting sand muffled his steps. However, before reaching the man about five meters, the paleontologist stopped. The reason was simple: the plan for a surprise appearance had failed.

The stranger, perceiving the movement behind him, turned around and smiled welcomingly.

“Good evening,” he said in Russian without an accent.

His tanned face indicated that this was not the first time the sun had paid special attention to him. And the shabby cotton suit and backpack, which fit well on his athletic body, clearly marked him as a traveler.

“Good,” the scientist automatically answered and peered into the features of the tanned face.
The nose is straight, the lips are plump, the eyes are blue and languid.

The stranger smiled even wider. He stood up springily, straightened his broad shoulders and extended his hand to Andrei Lvovich.

“My name is Ilya,” he clearly introduced himself in army style, which made a positive impression on the professor, who also served, and therefore respected people with bearing.

Andrei Lvovich,” the paleontologist said and shook the outstretched hand, “excuse me, but...

Yes, yes, I didn’t mean to scare you, sorry. I'm a traveler. Our group of five, including a guide, explores the local flora and fauna. As well as culture and mentality Mongolian people in desert conditions. The hike is sanctioned by the Ministry of Culture together with the Institute of Peoples' Friendship. We have been living here for six days, and recently we learned that you are standing a few kilometers from us and conducting excavations. So I came to meet you, to explore, so to speak.

Ilya had a pleasant appearance, and his smooth speech was conducive to trust. Andrei Lvovich offered him a cigarette, which his new acquaintance politely refused.

Thank you, I don’t smoke, I quit,” he said with a boyish smile. - I advise you too. Lung cancer is no joke.
- You're right. The habit, it should be noted, is disgusting. But in this deserted place, where there is only desert and thorns, you don’t know what will lead you to the grave faster: cigarettes, the heat of the sun or the smell of beasts of burden. I still don’t understand what the Mongolian brothers rub it with. However, let’s sit down, there is no truth at our feet,” said the scientist and plopped down on the sand. Ilya sat down next to him.

Continuing to inhale tobacco smoke, Andrei Lvovich noticed that his new acquaintance was constantly fingering black beads with his fingers.
- What do you have? - asked the paleontologist.
- This? Beads. It helps a lot when you quit smoking. Your hands are constantly busy, and the process of healing the body is less painful.
- What are you talking about, I didn’t even know. I'll try it the next time I quit.
- Remember Mark Twain? - and Ilya quoted: “There is nothing easier than quitting smoking - I’ve done it myself dozens of times.”
“You know,” Andrei Lvovich supported him. - I like his other one catchphrase: “I have made it a rule to never smoke more than one cigarette at a time.”

They both laughed.

The professor, confirming the dogmatic nature of the stated postulate, lit a new cigarette and took a deep drag.

Ilya spoke first:

May I ask what you are looking for here?
- No secrets. At the bottom of this pit is perhaps the oldest and best-preserved skeleton of a prehistoric animal that frolicked millions of years ago.
- Really?
- Yes my friend. This is the find of the century - and a ring cloud of tobacco smoke broke free.

Ilya looked at him thoughtfully and continued:
- Tell me, Andrey Lvovich, what do you want to get from your finds? More precisely, what benefit will this discovery bring to you personally and to humanity as a whole?
“Excuse me,” the scientist smiled at the short-sightedness of his interlocutor. - I told you. This is the only well-preserved skeleton of an ankylosaur of its kind. Look for yourself. This is a miracle.

The sun, which had not yet set below the horizon, focused a spot of light on the indicated object. Ilya tilted his head, looked and smiled.
- The miracle, dear Andrei Lvovich, unfortunately, is on a different plane. And these,” Ilya pointed his finger down, “are just bones.”
- No, my dear. You did not understand. These are not “just bones”, but the remains of a prehistoric animal. “A perfectly preserved skeleton, hundreds of millions of years old,” the professor repeated nervously.
- Hundreds of millions? Are you sure? - Ilya asked more seriously, but with some mischievous sparkle in his eyes.
- I could be wrong in dozens. But overall, I think it’s definitely a hundred million.

Ilya spread his arms, then clapped his hands and looked into the darkening sky.
- What time is it now? - he suddenly asked unexpectedly.

The scientist looked at the dial of his famous watch and reported: “Exactly nine o’clock in the evening. What?”
“Nine in the evening,” Ilya said thoughtfully. - Andrey Lvovich, would you like me to try to prove within a short period of time that these bones are no more than... six thousand years old?
- With this? - the scientist pointed to the pit.
“Precisely this,” Ilya answered and smiled again.

Andrei Lvovich looked at his interlocutor, trying to understand whether he was joking or not.

My friend! Yes, any student, looking at this,” and the scientist again pointed to the bones, “will say that they are millions of years old.
- Schoolboy - perhaps. But you are a scientist.
- And what follows from this? - the “learned man” clarified, not understanding where his interlocutor was going. - Are you saying that millions of years ago dinosaurs did not exist?
- A little wrong, professor. I agree with you and with the entire scientific world that dinosaurs existed and that they were enormous in size, as you describe them. The fact is obvious - the bones are in the grave. I just want to try to refute the theory that they became extinct millions, as you say, of years ago. That's all. I bet.
- Six thousand years?! Well, this is funny. No, you can't argue with science.
- You are wrong to think so. That’s exactly what I’m willing to argue with science,” Ilya now spoke quite seriously, and not a trace remained of his boyish, white-toothed smile.
- If you are ready to represent science in our dispute here and now, I am ready to begin. And I’ll even agree, if I lose my bet, to give you my rosary, which I see you really liked. Well, if I can convince you, you will fulfill one of my little wishes. How's it going, professor? Is it coming?
- What wish? - Andrei Lvovich clarified, getting excited.
- Well, let’s say I ask you to publish our conversation in a report to your management. Perhaps people of science will be interested in reading that there is an alternative opinion on some specific issues.
- Well, this is even interesting! I am sure that you will not be able to convince me because this is complete absurdity. But I really liked your rosary. Come on! We bet! I'd love to hear your, um, theory.

A clap of palms loud as a gunshot and a firm handshake meant that the bet was made.

Ilya started first:
- Theory? No, dear Andrey Lvovich. Scientific theory- that's up to you. You scientists build theories. And I just know. But let's move forward.
“Come on,” the paleontologist answered enthusiastically, accepting the game and mentally anticipating how victoriously he would “tear apart” this upstart tourist. Ilya continued:
- You've probably heard about radiocarbon dating - a method for determining the age of fossils.
- Well, of course, it is he who confirms the correctness of my words.
- Unfortunately, no, comrade scientist.
- Why? - The professor raised his right eyebrow. This happened to him automatically when he heard obvious nonsense and was ready to oppose.
- But because the half-life of radioactive carbon is just over five thousand seven hundred years. It is for this period that you can predict the age of fossil bones, and the rest is all, sorry, extrapolation and induction.
“Interesting,” said Andrei Lvovich, “let me know where you got such extensive knowledge on this issue?”
- It doesn’t matter, let’s say I studied it in the distant past. So do we continue? - Ilya looked at the paleontologist with a cunning look.
- Well, please.
- So here it is. According to extrapolation, you draw a conclusion from observations of one part of a phenomenon and transfer it to another part that cannot be studied. You measure where it is available, and you assume that where it is not available, everything is exactly that way. Unfortunately no.

Andrei Lvovich chuckled, but did not interrupt.
“So,” the traveler stated, “this method is not always applicable.” Your colleagues have been observing and studying nature for several hundred years. But at the same time they are trying to make forecasts for a billion by extrapolation. Then, according to established tradition, induction with its form of logical inference from the particular to the general is added to extrapolation. But they do not understand that, taken together, these methods provide confidence only under certain conditions. Millions of factors independent of each other influence the final result.
“Give me an example, my dear,” the professor demanded ironically.

Ilya looked at the rosary he was fingering and continued:
- An example? Please. You came out of the tent in the morning to drink water and saw that under the tap of the tank there was a bucket, drop by drop, filled with life-giving moisture, which overflowed. And then it dawned on you. Knowing the volume of the bucket, the volume of the water drop and the speed of the fall, you can calculate how long it takes for the bucket to become full. Five minutes of mathematics - and the answer is ready. Fifteen hours thirty-two minutes. This is an extrapolation. But! You didn't take into account one of a million factors. Ten minutes ago, not fifteen hours, Masha approached the tap. And while everyone was sleeping, I filled a bucket - in one minute. Then she closed the tap, but not tightly, and drops began to drip, creating the appearance that it was just filling up. In fact, ninety-nine percent of the bucket was filled with water in sixty seconds because there was so much pressure. And the remaining one percent is what you saw and came to a conclusion through induction.

Ilya clapped his hands and laughed loudly.

How do you like the example? Yes, all paleontology is built from effect to cause.
- Well, you bent, dear. Listen to me, all science is a myth.
- No. I just want to show you that scientific knowledge is not limitless and absolute. In fact, science is a factory for producing slogans. “Scientists have proven”, “scientists have said”, “scientists have deduced”. And the result is a bare theory and system of knowledge for describing a set of phenomena.
- Let me, let me. But what about the proven facts?
- Axiomatics. The usual axiomatics. Truth without evidence. No foundation. No basis. An axiom in itself is a relative thing. After all, if we take it as an axiom that these bones are a million years old, then the Universe must be at least ten billion years old.
- Do you doubt this too? - Andrei Lvovich’s eyebrow didn’t just go up, it “fluttered” like a bird’s wing. Up down.
- You are not? - Ilya lowered his eyes and shook his head thoughtfully. - It's a pity.
“Well, this is too much,” the professor burst out.
“Not at all,” the unusual tourist looked Andrei Lvovich straight in the eyes.
He, in turn, looked at his interlocutor with surprise.
- But what about the theory? big bang? - said the scientist. - Does she also make you sarcasm?
- That's right, theory again. According to the scientific model, the universe is more than ten billion years old. But I want to assure you that she is not even ten thousand.
- Absurd.
- Alas, dear professor. What is all the confidence of scientists based on? You explore what is available to you, then test it through experiments and extend it to the past, which is not available to you. Everything is built on axioms.
- So you want to say that the age of the universe is ten thousand years? The basis of the statement is changed physical laws of the past?
“Not only laws,” Ilya shook the sand from his knees. - Everything was different. You don't take into account that the pace of time was different before.
- Wait, my friend. You have not answered a clearly asked question. The universe is ten thousand years old?
- If we are talking about a material three-dimensional abode, then a little less than six.
- Nonsense! Sorry, but I can’t express it any other way,” the professor took off his glasses, nervously wiped them and put them back in place.
- Don’t rush to draw conclusions, Andrey Lvovich. Conclusions are only true when the assumptions are true. Time and space, since we smoothly moved from dinosaurs to the Universe, are not fully understood. And believe me, there will be no significant changes in this century. Time is relatively objective. For example, during phenomena close to the speed of light, it generally behaves differently. The flow of three hundred thousand kilometers per second changes it.
“Wait a minute,” Andrei Lvovich interrupted him, “you said that “there will be no changes in this century.” How should we understand you?

Ilya smiled.
- Andrey Lvovich! Let's not lose the thread of the conversation; we'll discuss minor aspects later. Let's continue. The pace of time is unknown to all of us. Are you sure that earlier, say, six thousand years ago, these rates were the same as now? No. No one observed the birth process. So, dear professor, I want to tell you, as a scientist, one terrible secret. Our Universe is five thousand seven hundred sixty-five years old. And the statement about billions is only a belief, but not proven scientific fact. I am sure that in the whole world you will not find a notary who has in his safe the metric of our material abode as evidence.
Ilya smiled, but Andrei Lvovich was not laughing. He, a world-famous scientist, sits opposite the “layman boy” and listens to his ravings.
“Listen, Ilya,” the paleontologist turned to him, trying to be calm. - Do you really think that all science is built on assumptions and axioms?
- Absolutely right, dear guru, it’s a pleasure to communicate with smart person.
- Yeah. But excuse me, but what about the singularity point? Or was she not there either?
- It depends on what you understand by singularity point. If the beginning of the countdown is the “big bang” that created matter, then no. And if the process of “creation” begins, then yes.
- I don’t understand what creation? - asked the scientist, adjusting his glasses on his nose a second time.

Ilya looked at him with pure blue eyes and asked a completely unexpected question.
- Andrey Lvovich, tell me, do you believe in God?
“Oh, that’s it,” the paleontologist answered in a serious tone. - I keep wondering where you are going with this. No, my dear. A scientist, an intelligent Soviet person, a professor cannot and should not believe in any God. These are all relics of the past.
- It’s clear, opium for the people. Tell me, Andrei Lvovich, which God do you not believe in?
- Like what God? - the scientist did not understand.
- You said that you don’t believe in God. Describe which God you don’t believe in.
- Weird question. Well, this one. In the image and likeness. How is it... Grandfather with a beard. He blinded Adam, then Eve. The Earth was created by the Sun. Yes, fairy tales are what you really are. We have already launched a satellite into space, and you are preaching about God.

Ilya smiled.
- You know, Andrei Lvovich, I don’t believe in such a flawed God as you just described. I'm talking about the Great Universal Mind, which, being outside of time, outside of space and generally in a different objective state, created this incredibly beautiful world. Just turn on your abstract imagination and imagine that before entering our three-dimensional dimension, the material citadel had a completely different structure. And its development took place according to completely different laws, at different speeds.
Ilya swallowed the saliva that had come up.
- Imagine. Everything that surrounds you is not there. And you are an outside observer, stand and watch. And suddenly, out of nowhere, as if from a magician’s hat, our Earth appears. Only it rotates around its axis not as it does now, but at a speed close to the speed of light, and all processes on it and outside its limits move in the same way. A little time passes and things begin to slow down. But during that period when the laws of another world dominated the Universe, the Earth went through a cycle lasting a billion years. Can we prove or disprove this? No. Then neither you nor anyone else was in the world. Science, as the genius of material progress, builds models of Existence and develops materiality in general. But scientific knowledge not unlimited and not absolute. Science explains questions of creation intuitively, by guesses, mostly by predictions, using the power of one or another individual. In reality, everything is much more complicated. Believe me, dear Andrei Lvovich, very little time will pass, and science will look at things completely differently.

Ilya stretched, threw his hands behind his head and dreamily looked at the night star.
“Firstly,” the tourist interrupted the prolonged silence, “she, science, will understand that the three genes that separate man from ape are not a process of evolution.” This is a process of involution, where a person has lost, and not a monkey has gained. Secondly, answering the question about the Universe, science will ask what it actually knows about it. If only three percent of the surrounding matter is understandable to her, then what is ninety-seven? Or maybe Who? How can we try to assert something in this situation and proportions of “I know - I don’t know”? At least it's not modest. Well, and thirdly, and this is the most important thing. It is science that will prove that God exists. Of course, this will not be the God you pictured for yourself in the communist worldview. This will be the God of creation. God, who created our world and maintains it every moment. God, who created the laws of nature and the processes of Existence. This is the kind of God science will reveal to you.

The paleontologist was surprised to notice that the wind had suddenly died down.
“Well, the time has come to say goodbye, my dear professor,” Ilya stood up and threw his backpack over his shoulder. - I see that I was not able to convince you and, to be honest, that was not my goal. In order now, at this time, in this place, to make you believe what I said, it would take at least a miracle, but a miracle is a one-time phenomenon. The creation of our world is a miracle. Only science is trying to level it out as an anachronism and attribute it to the “big bang” theory. Bang, bang - and from inanimate matter a reasonable person emerged. Yes, my good learned friend. The creation of the world lies outside the theories of scientific aspects. It is not researched. And to understand and accept, you just need to step out of the framework of standard thinking.

Ilya approached the paleontologist and, hugging him brotherly, firmly shook his hand.
- Goodbye, buddy. We will never see you again in this world. But know: there are other places where I will be glad to receive you and continue our conversation. Only by then will you be ready for it.

***
Andrei Lvovich stood under the gray Mongolian sky.

Fingering the rosary that remained after the handshake, he looked after his recent interlocutor, still expecting a miracle.

What if something happens. Suddenly he will disappear, dissolve in the air, ascend the heavenly staircase straight to the abode of the one about whom he so selflessly talked. Then perhaps the professor will believe this crazy story.

But the fabulous phenomenon did not happen, and the report telling that there was an alternative opinion never saw the light of day.

Miracle?! Indeed, a miracle is a one-time phenomenon.

If at that very moment Andrei Lvovich looked at his wristwatch, he was surprised to discover that the hands, smoothly sliding across the dial, showed exactly nine o’clock in the evening, just like thirty minutes ago.

There is currently little data on whether or how much lifestyle factors influence the course of glaucoma.

What do American experts think about this? How committed are they to the recommendations for strict regulation of eye strain? How much does a person’s chosen lifestyle influence the individual course of his glaucoma?

T. Pickering writes:

“People are becoming more and more interested in knowing how their lifestyle affects their health. Patients with glaucoma want to help themselves and save their vision in any way other than taking medications and surgery

Traditionally, lifestyle choices have been thought to play no role in the progression of glaucoma, but recent research suggests that lifestyle factors may influence intraocular pressure, a major risk factor for glaucoma.

However, today there is still little data on the real level of influence of such lifestyle factors on glaucoma.

For example, factors that increase intraocular pressure do not necessarily increase the risk of glaucoma, and factors that lower intraocular pressure may not protect the eye from developing glaucoma.

Sustained reduction of intraocular pressure is the most important part of glaucoma treatment, and lifestyle changes only complements achieved

Physical exercise: Air exercises help reduce intraocular pressure, but there is no evidence of scientific research in this direction among patients with glaucoma, so you should first of all be guided by the opinion of your general practitioner.

Weightlifting exercises can increase eye pressure, especially if breathing is delayed; but this is a feature of this kind of exercise, and its effects are generally positive.

Yoga: Head-down positions may increase intraocular pressure and are not recommended for patients with glaucoma.

Wind instruments with high resistance (counteraction): Playing instruments such as the oboe and trumpet increases intraocular pressure.

Marijuana use: Smoking marijuana may lower intraocular pressure. However, due to the short duration of effect (3-4 hours), its side effects and the lack of evidence of changes in the course of glaucoma, it is not recommended for patients with glaucoma.

Alcohol: Intraocular pressure may indeed decrease in the short term, but there is evidence that daily alcohol consumption is associated with increased intraocular pressure. Alcohol consumption does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of glaucoma.

Smoking: Research has shown that smoking cigarettes increases the risk of glaucoma and has an overall negative impact on eye health.

Caffeine: Drinking coffee briefly increases intraocular pressure. A small cup of natural coffee is great, but consuming too much of it is not the best choice. It has been shown that 5 or more cups of natural coffee increase the risk of severe glaucoma.

In general, lifestyle choices can influence intraocular pressure and may alter the risk of severe glaucoma. Since there is not yet enough clinical evidence to make lifestyle recommendations for people with glaucoma, you should consult with your doctor about whether the occupation that you find attractive is right for you."

Thus, the choice of lifestyle for a patient with glaucoma seems to be the prerogative of the patient himself and his attending physician. The author only outlines possible risk zones in a dotted manner. Such caution is fully justified by the lack of a high-quality evidence base of risks - after all, the course of glaucoma in patients is strictly individual.

We still recommend that a patient with glaucoma follow the principle “ Do no harm! "and avoid anything that could, to one degree or another, aggravate the course of the disease. To do this, of course, you need to think about your every step and carefully monitor your condition.

As can be seen, smoking, caffeine and physical exercise with sudden changes in head position are clearly prohibited; other risk factors (for example, among professional wind musicians) should be considered individually based on the clinical picture.

We have to admit that today there are no strict regulations healthy image life for a specific disease - glaucoma - enshrined in law.

Restrictions are often advisory in nature and are largely dictated by local geographical and political peculiarities countries (for example government policy anti-use psychoactive substances, state policy for protecting the nation’s health, culture of physical health, society’s attitude towards chronically ill patients).

Prepared by N. Florova

IN last years More and more often it seems to me that I live in parallel world. Especially when I observe the events taking place today in the territory former USSR. If someone had told me about the events of today in the 80s of the last century, I would have decided that he was crazy.

It was difficult for Soviet people then to imagine the collapse of the USSR and all subsequent events: the war in Chechnya, terrorist explosions of residential buildings and metro stations, dispersal of demonstrations by security forces using batons, etc. The most difficult thing for us would be to imagine the collapse of the consciousness of peoples Soviet Union. Looking through documentary footage from the times of the USSR, I catch myself thinking that all citizens of the USSR died.

However, the Soviet people did not die. They live in the former Soviet republics, called today independent states. They live an ordinary life human life. But something happened to them, if they take what is happening today for granted, as normal reality.

And this collapse of human consciousness is more terrible today than the borders and customs that lie between us. It is terrible because it gives rise to misunderstanding, suspicion, and, worst of all, hatred between Soviet people. It generates hatred between us, and most importantly, between our children. And if our ancestors fought together against the enemy in the past. Today's events taking place in our countries give every reason to talk about a possible military confrontation between our peoples.

And the events in Ukraine clearly show the depth of this collapse. This is not only an increase in hatred of the Soviet past, but also an increase in the hatred of part of the Ukrainian population towards Russia and Russian people (this is especially felt in the center of Ukraine). I am not speaking for its western territories, since the rampant nationalism (or rather fascism) that is observed there speaks for itself.

It is difficult to say how much of their hatred is real, or whether it is the result of a well-fueled and skillfully imitated acting. If this is the result of paid acting, then all questions disappear. But if hatred of everything Soviet (Russian) is sincere, then this is very surprising. Since most nationalists are those who were older and lived in Soviet time(and often lived quite well), and many were members of the CPSU (such as the late Vyacheslav Chernovol, Levko Lukyanenko, Viktor Yushchenko, etc.). The hatred of young people is generally brought up from hearsay and is therefore doubly surprising, since it is difficult to fiercely hate the Soviet regime with such force if you did not live under it.

However, if young people can still be understood. For twenty-two years they grew up and were educated in the modern information field. A certain modern information field that my friends constantly tell me about when I advise them to throw the TV out of the house and not watch anything that is shown on this very TV today. So with young people everything is clear. They grew up under the influence of the information field created by today's bourgeois government.

The power that, after the collapse of the USSR, received access to all material sources and benefits created over seventy years by the Soviet government and the Soviet people. The power that today continues to individually manage and own the country’s wealth. The government, which naturally does not need a return to the USSR.

But it is difficult to understand representatives of the older generation who lived in the USSR. Difficult to understand Soviet people who have ceased to reason independently. Their words and judgments are sometimes a direct reflection of the opinions of the TV. And that’s why their words sometimes sound so incredible that you never cease to be surprised by them. Let me give you just a few incredible examples.

The first incident happened to a friend of mine in 2003, when a conflict arose between Russia and Ukraine over Tuzla. A friend of mine has many relatives in Russia. So her aunt called her from Moscow with the words: “Olya, why aren’t you giving our Tuzla back?” Moreover, it should first be said that my aunt called extremely rarely. And then suddenly there was a call to Olya with complaints about Tuzla. It’s okay that resolving issues about Tuzla is not included in the range of issues that Olya can solve in her position. This did not bother my aunt.

The second incident happened to me in 2006, when another gas conflict broke out between Russia and Ukraine. Then, on January 1, 2006, Gazprom stopped supplies of natural gas to Ukraine, however, continuing to export gas through Ukrainian territory. Immediately, accusations were made that Ukraine had “begun unauthorized withdrawal of gas” intended for European consumers. Then a friend of mine who lives in Nefteyugansk called me with the words: “Well, how do you like it there without our gas?” To be honest, I was somewhat taken aback by this question. I laughed and said: “You know US is the same without YOUR gas. We will adapt to this too. But YOU, even if we pay three times more for it, you still won’t get any more and you won’t live better.”

The cliches of information propaganda are firmly embedded in human consciousness. And a person cannot refuse them. To all reasoned objections, a person stubbornly defends them. For example, many residents of Ukraine sincerely talk about the Russian (Soviet) “occupation” of Ukraine. My objections: “What kind of occupation can we talk about if after Stalin’s death all the general secretaries of the USSR were Ukrainians? Khrushchev, Brezhnev, Gorbachev." This is not an argument. Why did the “occupiers” build schools, kindergartens and hospitals in the “occupied” territories (even in the most remote villages). The “occupiers” built, and today’s “democratically elected”, “people’s”, “independent” government is closing schools, kindergartens and hospitals. More precisely, it does not close, but optimizes (the meaning is the same, the words are just different).

And the most important thing is that every year the cliches that destroy our consciousness become an axiom that does not require proof. Russia empire. Ukraine is stealing gas. Russia wants to take us into slavery again. The Russians don’t respect us, but if we go to Europe, they will begin to reckon with us. Ukrainians oppress and hate Russians in Ukraine. Russians call Ukrainian language canine.

From year to year our children are raised on these phrases. Mutual grievances and accusations are growing from year to year. From year to year, suspicion between us is growing. From year to year hatred grows, threatening to turn into enmity.

We allow our consciousness to be manipulated. We discard the past and evaluate the present biasedly. Everyone has their own, really. However, as one Soviet song says: “There is a bright truth. There is a dark truth. There is for a moment. And for the times. Sometimes it’s kind. It can be hard. And there is always only one truth.”

And the truth is that only together Soviet peoples were strength. It is impossible for us to share the past. It is impossible to separate our mistakes and achievements. It is impossible to separate our suffering and our needs. It is impossible to separate our sorrows and our joys. It is impossible to separate our defeats and our VICTORY. We had everything in common. We would not have achieved anything if we had not always been TOGETHER. Only thanks to our friendship, our respect and trust, we were able to achieve incredible heights in science, sports, education, manufacturing, and space.

And we must always remember this. Ordinary working people have nothing to divide and no need to fear each other. Enmity and hatred have no place in the hearts of honest people. Fear, hatred and enmity live in dishonest hearts. In the hearts of those who rob us today. Suspicion and hostility are inherent in thieves and traitors who sell and betray our countries to the world bourgeoisie.

Citizens of the USSR, do not succumb to today's bourgeois propaganda of our countries. Do not allow mistrust, hostility and hatred to be sowed between our peoples. Do not allow us to sow hatred between our children, neither by deed, nor by word, nor by thought.

Due to the fact that your wonderful resource provides a voice for the expression of any point of view (and responding to the request of dear teh-nomad), let me support the downtrodden liberal minority in your ranks. I will try to express as tactfully as possible (without resorting to the vocabulary typical in a liberal environment) the position of this sector of participants in political battles, although I do not like to speak on behalf of everyone. However, as it was rightly noted, it is now clearly visible that the resource is turning into a conservative platform, and I will have to come up with an alternative opinion to the general mood. If I am mistaken in anything, I earnestly ask worthy representatives of the liberal (!) public to point out my errors.

So, at present, our position basically looks like presenting endless claims to the authorities of the country, as well as to everyone who disagrees with us. This is not an end in itself - we firmly know what we want, but now it is not possible to achieve this without such a struggle.

For us, quality is most important. As a rule, we earn enough to afford quality consumption. However, the problem is that here and in modern conditions It is not yet possible to achieve the appropriate level of quality. In our opinion, qualified in this matter, decent quality can only be offered to us in the countries of Europe, North America, as well as in Japan, South Korea and Australia and New Zealand. We intuitively feel that these countries have reached this sky-high (we hope that only for now) level thanks to their correct policies in economic and other areas. It is very difficult to explain: we don’t know for sure, but we are sure of it.

We believe that if Russia follows the same path, it will eventually be able to grow into these successful powers. In addition, we often hear how good advice comes from these countries so that the country’s path to prosperity can be as easy and quick as possible. We (or at least the vast majority of us) do not question any of them, since we believe that the locomotives of world progress act exclusively from good and selfless motives. Successful powers are simply by definition incapable of villainy - although we don’t know for sure, we are absolutely sure of this.

We see a great many like-minded people: by going to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram; reading "Snob", "Grani", "LiveJournal"; listening to "Echo of Moscow", watching "Rain" and even meeting them on "Lepra", "Habr" and "Computerra"! Of course, when we leave the virtual world, we usually meet people who are unfriendly to our point of view, and communication with whom is fraught with conflicts. But we prefer to conduct discussions in a virtual environment not because we are afraid to express our claims to the interlocutor’s face, but simply because we actively take advantage of technological progress. Moreover, it is obvious here that even despite the abundance of Russian-speaking friends from Europe, the USA, Canada and even Israel, there are much more of us than our opponents. That is why we think that we have a priority right over others to express our opinions. Of course, we did not calculate the number thoroughly, but we are 100% sure of this.

We remember what a terrible life we ​​led under the Soviet Union. Hopelessly gray everyday life, without the slightest hope for tomorrow. Many connoisseurs of quality consumption were persecuted by the authorities. Those who could not earn money for a luxury item and provided some services for it ended up in the KGB. Those who could afford high level quality in life, was pursued by an even more terrible service - OBKhSS. The memories of those times are very vague, but we have no doubt about it.

After the collapse of the USSR, people came to power in our country who, with the help of foreign friends, strictly followed the right course. Thanks to them, many people (including themselves, of course) have achieved personal success, and their well-being has increased greatly. These successful people were able to reach a level of consumption unattainable for Soviet people. Of course, there were many problems at that time. There were hunger rallies of former Soviet citizens who did not fit into the market. There were numerous terrible accidents in industry and transport, as well as massive blackouts of light, water and heating due to outdated Soviet equipment. There were armed clashes across the country due to the archaic Soviet system of governance. All these problems were gradually resolved and life quickly improved. We all remember how an abundance of high-quality foreign products appeared on store shelves. We remember how boring TV shows and poor films in cinemas were replaced by excellent shows and breathtaking videos. We also remember how we began to go on unforgettable tours abroad. And of course we remember how, from Soviet squalor, we switched to used (and for those lucky enough, completely new) computers. A new, joyful, successful future awaited us. We didn't know this for sure, but we were sure of it.

However, on the fateful night of 2000, the power in the country quietly changed, and gradually it deviated from the right course. A man came who eliminated competition in power and took control of the state under his personal control. Since then, people have increasingly started talking about corruption and theft in power structures, arbitrariness of law enforcement officers, oppression of the free press, robbery of honest business. Obviously, all these phenomena were a consequence of changes in power, since no one had even mentioned anything like this before. We don’t remember exactly, but we don’t doubt it one bit.

Now, as it seems to us, our problem is that Russia does not listen attentively (and in Lately even openly hostile) good advice and gentle criticism from countries speaking on behalf of the world community. We resolutely reject all insinuations about the redistribution of world sales markets and other nonsense: successful people always know better how to act, and countries that do not follow their recommendations inevitably fail or fall into isolation. If the leadership does not listen to the voice of reason from abroad and continues to persist, the world community (or people who call themselves that) will decide to investigate the motives for such strange behavior and will inevitably come to the conclusion that the current leadership of the country for some reason ( whether corruption, dictatorship, suppression of dissent or other crimes against what is now called democracy) will be considered unworthy to govern the territory entrusted to him, and then he will be cruelly but fairly punished. We are scared to think about this, but we are sure of it.

We are afraid that then we will also suffer, since we will no longer be able to receive quality goods and services from developed countries only because we also belong to the punished part of the world. This means that we will have to transfer from personal cars to cramped public transport. This means that instead of tasty and healthy foreign food, you will have to choke on harmful and inedible domestic food. This means that instead of a high-quality foreign spectacle, you will have to get bored listening to something dreary and domestic. And it means a lot more of the same. We, of course, do not know all this for sure, but for some reason we are absolutely sure of it.

In our unanimous opinion, all responsibility for our current and future problems lies with one single person - the one who turned the country’s course in the wrong direction (not even from our point of view, but from very authoritative foreign sources). We believe that this person has done enough in his post and must be held accountable for what he has done. As soon as he leaves his post, all the problems, in our opinion, caused by him, will immediately disappear. The state, we believe, should be headed by another politician who can lead the state to success according to the recipes tested by our Western partners over decades. These may be smart and honest (as they claim) people removed from power in the 2000s, or new energetic fighters for a better quality life. With them, a new, joyful, successful future awaits us. We don't know for sure, but we are sure of it!

I am a long-time opponent of Vanyuta, dating back to the days of the old Komon. Our opinions very often do not coincide and therefore we often argue to the point of cursing. But I never troll him, I just express my point of view, different from his. Now I’ll just tell you what I disagree with Ivan after reading his article about trends.

So, I'll start in order)))

Ivan's opinion:“Very often I encounter on forums an inadequate understanding of what a trend is. Most often they write something like this - you see (in hindsight) how the tops are getting higher and the retracements are getting higher - they say, this is a trend. The wind blows because the trees sway."

My opinion: The first definition of the trend was given by Charles Dow, 150 years ago. With an upward trend, each subsequent peak is higher than the previous one and each subsequent decline is also higher than the previous one. With a downward trend, the situation is the opposite: each subsequent peak is lower than the previous one and each subsequent decline is lower than the previous one. In a flat (sideways) market, each subsequent peak (and decline) is approximately at the same level as the previous ones. And this definition still works and no one has yet refuted it. Therefore, what is the inadequate understanding here? I don't understand)))

Ivan's opinion: Many experienced trend followers will disagree with me - but they also do not understand what a trend is.

In my opinion, an upward trend is, first of all, an independent movement, that is, a movement that has its own causality.

My opinion: Why think for others? Who understands or doesn’t understand what? Personally, I think that no one will even argue with this, that a trend is an independent movement that has its own causality. Without causality, even a pimple on the ass does not appear. And even Wikipedia will confirm that a trend is a tendency, a movement. So there is nothing unusual in this statement, but at the same time, it is not a definition of a trend.

Ivan's opinion: The rebound is only caused by the past decline and can easily be completed, unlike the trend.

That is why the rebound of our market to the second peak at 2300 on the Moscow Exchange index is not a trend. This means all the woeful advice that the first buyout will be on the trend, and that you shouldn’t short against the trend - all this advice is in the firebox.

My opinion: First, let's return to the original sources, namely, to the quotes of the same Charles Dow. Dow also identified three categories of trends: primary, secondary and minor. He considered the most important to be the primary trend, which lasts more than a year. The secondary trend is corrective in relation to the main one and usually lasts from a month to three. Such pullbacks account for approximately one to two-thirds of the distance prices traveled during the major trend. Minor or short-term trends last no more than a month and represent short-term fluctuations within an intermediate trend.

Ivan calls the rebound to the second peak at 2300 non-trend. And what, exactly, is it non-trend??? According to the Dow Theory, these are just small short-term fluctuations within an intermediate trend. And if you look at the monthly MICEX chart, everything again fits perfectly into the Dow theory.

From 2011 to 2014 there was a sideways movement, and since 2014 there has been an upward movement that lasts more than a year (primary trend), during which there were corrections, the last of which was from 2293 to 1774, and now the trend is continuing with an update of the previous high. Please note that local minima were not updated even once during this period of time! So think for yourself: is it worth throwing into the fire the advice not to short against the trend? Here’s my personal opinion – it’s not worth it.

Ivan's opinion: There is no upward trend in our index. In separate papers - yes. Not in the index. There is no upward trend in oil.

My opinion: Well, according to the index, I showed you the trend in the previous picture. And here is the oil chart:

Brent

Prices have been rising for several years now, starting in 2016 (primary trend). There were corrections over several months (secondary trend). So again, everything fits into the Dow theory of trends. And if someone in oil and in the index did not see a trend, then this is his problem. Like in the famous movie:

Do you see the gopher?

So, there is a beginning of a trend, an end and its middle.

Van, no one argues with this! But the fact is that in the same American “hustle” there is the beginning of a trend, but there is still no end!!! And when will you and Vasya understand this? The market has no idea about your wishes, about the fact that you are dreaming of a correction in order to close unprofitable shorts at least to zero. The market continues to grow and rewrite new historical highs. When will this trend end? Only God knows. But certainly not for you))) Although if the correction begins in the near future, then you will be in the forefront, shouting louder than anyone that you warned us.

So, my opinion is that the midpoint should be calculated exactly when the trend actually ends. And this will be clearly visible. Until this moment, any wishes and dreams have absolutely no value.

Ivan's opinion: 1. A correction is needed to kill this year’s growth, and almost immediately - at the end of January - in February.

My opinion: I am “FOR” with both hands a healthy correction in the roar. But killing the growth of this year, starting from 2110, and even immediately, is already from the realm of fantasy, just another wishlist-dreams that we have been reading for several months.

Ivan's opinion: 2. There will be an April-May correction towards 2470-2500, this is -15% of the current highs.

My opinion: To be honest, I have never encountered a “correction” towards historical highs))) Well, if only a “correction”? In general, there is probably no experienced trader who does not know the saying “Sell In May And Go Away”, so every season everyone tries to trade the ups before May in order to sell on the highs there. Therefore, again, there is logic in Vanya’s phrase, but there is no value. The same goes for the third statement. Nobody knows what will happen in the fall, so anything is possible. So, with the prefix “perhaps”, you can say whatever you want. Something will come true.

Ivan's opinion: And do you know how a trader differs from would-be investors, including pro-investment traders? He sees where the highway will be laid. And they will continue to collect pieces of growth at half the depot until they are washed away into the depths of the universal method basin.

My opinion: To be honest, I still don’t understand which category belongs to Vasya, who is shorting the “hoarse”, and Vanya, who is shorting Tatka and Sber? Didn't they see this highway? After all, they were even told many times, guys, there’s no need to shorten this! Don't!!! It's not time yet! Wait!

Well, the conclusions from all this...

Ivan: I recorded a two-hour webinar about trends, how and when a trend begins and ends, what to look for, what to take into account.

Buy it when you're ready

My opinion: I’m probably not yet mature enough to pay money for all sorts of nonsense that has no value. The Internet is full of real useful information, starting with the basics laid down 150 years ago, and which are still working! Just re-read the works of Charles Dow and you will understand that the price takes into account EVERYTHING!!! A trend continues until it gives clear signals that it has changed.