Lesson 8. The Political Standing.

Warm-up

Here`s an authentic extract from the article published in Europe Alone this summer:

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order for nuclear weapons drills (учения) went public on May 6,the day after Orthodox Easter—a bitter irony since he styles himself a fervent (ярый) guardian of Christian values, which do not include the simulation of nuclear annihilation the last time I checked. I wonder whether he signed the order before or after his much-publicized attendance of Easter service at Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The exercises, centered in Russia’s southern military district, are intended to simulate “theater,” or regional, nuclear attacks, in contrast to “strategic” nuclear exercises simulating war with the United States—likely targeting not only Ukraine but also NATO members Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey. Moscow’s messaging is that the exercises are in answer to talk from French President Emmanuel Macron and other NATO leaders about sending Western soldiers to Ukraine.

The United States and Russia thus agree on one thing in this terrible war: They do not wantto risk a nuclear holocaust. Why,then, do the Russians keep claiming that the world is facing one? Part of it is evidently the Kremlin’s effort to derive value from this very brinkmanship (балансирование на грани) —a pattern of behavior rarely seen since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis,the last time the world came to the brink of a nuclear exchange. During the Cold War,the United States and Soviet Union fought proxy wars in many places but rarely threatened to use nuclear arms. Neither side used such threats to achieve conventional battlefield goals,the way senior Russian officials have been doing throughout the war in Ukraine.

Instead, Washington and Moscow first built up their strategic arsenals—the long-range nuclear weapons by which they threaten each other directly—sustaining essential parity as they went. So long as neither side built significantly more than the other, and as long as both sustained a high level of readiness, the two superpowers had a nuclear deterrent (сдерживающий фактор) that both considered stable. This stability became so boring and reliable that people more or less forgot about nuclear annihilation.Once policymakers in Washington and Moscow began to control and limit their nuclear arsenals in the 1970s—starting with the U.S.-Soviet détente (разоружение) and the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty—the rest of the world was glad. No one wanted to think about what would happen if the superpowers “pressed the button".

Lexis

Sufffix -ish

The canonical use of -ish is as a suffix meaning “approximately,” as in bluish, tallish, sixish, or even hungry-ish.

This is the definition—the only definition—that you’ll find in Merriam-Webster, which notes that -ish derives from the Old English -isc, of Germanic origin, which in turn is related to similar such suffixes in Dutch (-isch) and Greek (-iskos)

Suffix -ory/-ery/-ary

It can be difficult to know which of these endings is correct. Here are a few general tips:

Words ending in -ary

• Words ending in -ary can be nouns (e.g. boundary, anniversary), adjectives (e.g. ordinary, customary), or both (e.g. contemporary, subsidiary).
• If the part of the word before the ending isn't a recognizable English word in itself, then it's often (but not always!) the case that the ending will be -ary (e.g. vocabulary, library).

Here are some common words that end in -ary:

arbitrary; disciplinary; dictionary; solitary; extraordinary; adversary; secretary; stationary; necessary; beneficiary; summary; temporary; commentary; voluntary; imaginary; honorary; visionary; complimentary; reactionary; intermediary; secondary; itinerary.

Words ending in -ory

• Words ending in -ory can be nouns (e.g. category, lavatory) or adjectives (e.g. derogatory, satisfactory).
• They're sometimes related to nouns ending in -or. For example: contributory (from contributor) and rectory (from rector).
• Many words ending in -ory are related to English words ending in -ion. For example: introductory (from introduction) and preparatory (from preparation).

Here are some common words that end in -ory:

accessory; derisory; promontory; advisory; inventory; laboratory; depository; inflammatory; directory; conservatory; mandatory; sensory; contradictory; explanatory; memory; factory; territory; history; victory; predatory; theory.

Words ending in -ery

• Words ending in -ery are nearly always nouns and they're often related to words ending in -er. For example: brewery (from brewer) and machinery (from machine).
• As well as nouns, there are some adjectives that end in -ery, and they are also mostly based on words that end in -er (e.g. blustery, shivery).
• If the part of the word before the ending is a recognizable English word in itself, then it's often (but not always!) the case that the ending will be -ery. For example: mockery (from mock) and trickery (from trick). This is also true when the base word ends in an e that's dropped before the -ery ending is added (e.g. brave; bravery or forge; forgery) or where it ends in a consonant that's doubled when the ending is added (e.g. distil; distillery or rob; robbery).

Here are some common words ending in -ery:

gallery; nursery; cemetery; slippery; jewellery; feathery; crockery; lottery; celery; pottery; recovery; cutlery; bakery; delivery; discovery; artery; scenery; battery; misery; flattery; stationery; surgery; monastery; snobbery; mystery.

https://wordwall.net/resource/15101560/reading/ary-ery-ory-correct-spelling

Poli Sci

Today we`ll discuss the evolution of government and forms of government. We will determine your political compass as well :)

https://www.politicalcompass.org/test

Reading and Discussing

Freemasonry, known popularly for its white aprons and arcane symbols, is the world's oldest fraternal organization. Despite its longevity, Freemasons have long been shrouded in mystery. To outside observers, the organization's rites and practices may seem cult-like, clannish and secretive — even sinister. Some of this stems from Freemasons' often deliberate reluctance to speak about the organization's rituals to outsiders. But it is also partly the result of many popular movies and books.

In reality, however, Freemasonry is a worldwide organization with a long and complex history. Its members have included politicians, engineers, scientists, writers, inventors and philosophers. Many of these members have played prominent roles in world events, such as revolutions, wars and intellectual movements.

What is Freemasonry?

In addition to being the world's oldest fraternal organization, Freemasonry is also the world's largest such organization, boasting an estimated worldwide membership of some 6 million people, according to a report by the BBC. As the name implies, a fraternal organization is one that's composed almost solely of men who gather together for mutual benefit, frequently for professional or business reasons. However, nowadays women can be Freemasons, too.

But Freemasons, or Masons as they are sometimes called, are dedicated to loftier goals as well. Bound together by secret rites of initiation and ritual, its members ostensibly promote the "brotherhood of man," and in the past, have often been associated with 18th century Enlightenment principles such as anti-monarchism, republicanism, meritocracy and constitutional government.

When did Freemasonry start?

The origins of Freemasonry are obscure, and the subject is rife with myth and speculation. One of the more fanciful claims is that the Freemasons are descended from the builders of Solomon's Temple (also known as the First Temple) in Jerusalem, . Others have argued that the Freemasons began as an offshoot of the Knights Templars, a Catholic military order dating to medieval times. And the famous American revolutionary Thomas Paine attempted to trace the origins of the order to the ancient Egyptians and Celtic Druids.

Nowadays there exists a theory that freemasonry has its origins in the stonemason guilds of medieval Europe. These guilds, especially active during the 14th century, were responsible for constructing some of the finest architecture in Europe, such as the ornate Gothic cathedrals of Notre Dame in Paris and Westminster Abbey in London.

Like many artisan craft guilds of that time, its members jealously guarded their secrets and were selective about who they chose as apprentices. Initiation for new members required a long period of training, during which they learned the craft and were often taught advanced mathematics and architecture. Their skills were in such high demand that experienced Freemasons were frequently sought out by monarchs or high-ranking church officials.

The guilds provided members not only with wage protection and quality control over the work performed but also important social connections. Members gathered in lodges, which served as the headquarters and focal points where the Masons socialized, partook in meals and gathered to discuss the events and issues of the day.

What was next?

However, with the rise of capitalism and the market economy during the 16th and 17th centuries, the old guild system broke down. But the Masonic lodges survived. In order to bolster membership and raise funds, the stonemason guilds began to recruit non-masons. At first, the new recruits were often relatives of existing members, but they increasingly included wealthy individuals and men of high social status.

Many of these new members were "learned gentlemen" who were interested in the philosophical and intellectual trends that were transforming the European intellectual landscape at the time. The men were equally interested in questions of morality — especially how to build moral character.

The symbols of Freemasonry

The world of Freemasonry is composed of esoteric signs and symbols that are baffling to most non-Masons. Perhaps the most common are the compass and square, which are the universally recognizable symbols of the organization. They typically emblazon the lintels above lodge entrances and can be found on the aprons worn by Masons during rituals.

Homework

Task 1.

Task 2.

Investigate the text closely (pp.48-49) and

A) Get prepared to answer the following questions:

1. List the functions of a political party.
2. Do you belong to any political party, or had any political experience in the past?
3. Do people more often prefer not to wed to any poiltical parties nowadays than they used to in the past?

B) Complete this worksheet on the roles of political parties.

C) Share your thoughts on the following topic:

Which is the perfect party system for a country? (optional: Russia, any country of Latin America etc.) Share your opinion:

• one-party system
• two-party system
• multiparty system
• multiparty system with two alliances ?

Try to restrict yourself to 300 words.

https://archive.org/details/Idiocracy_201507

1. The film turns 18 years in 2024. Many people call Idiocracy "a film that was supposed to be a comedy but became a documentary". Do you agree with this statement? Why?
2. If you were the only smart person left on Earth like Joe, would you choose to become the President? Why/why not?
3. Reflect upon the most likely scenario for the development of the world. What would the governments be like 50 years apart from today?