Закончил "Страна Качества 2.0" Марка Уве-Клинга. Я уже писал вам о первой части, вот это продолжение.
Напомню, что Уве-Клинг описывает антиутопическое будущее с несколько гротескным и гипертрофированным обществом потребления, и делает это очень остроумно. Во второй книге видно, что у автора появился некоторый писательский опыт: первую часть я ругал за разрозненность и в целом нестройное повествование, сюжет был нарезкой отдельных сценок. Но новая книга в этом отношении удалась лучше, она уже значительно более целостная.
Всё так же много крутых интересных идей. Напишу три основные, которые мне особенно понравились.
1. На злобу дня. В сюжете описана Третья Мировая, которая прошла всего за 8 часов, потому что воевали роботы. За это время кто-то там был уничтожен, кто-то победил, и всё закончилось. Многие этого даже не заметили, потому что роботы действуют очень быстро. Понятно, что это фантазия (книга то гротескная), но отдельно понравилось, что люди потом разбирали километры логов, чтобы понять, почему, собственно, война началась (начали её тоже роботы к удивлению людей). У роботов всякие там автоматические триггеры, описывающие, что и в какой ситуации они должны делать, так что после первого камушка всё покатилось лавинообразно.
2. Главный герой книги по профессии инженер-ремонтник ("лекарь машин"). Но во все машины в будущем встроен ИИ, поэтому его работа по большей части состоит в том, что он общается с бытовой техникой и уговаривает её снова начать работать. Упоминается, в частности, робот пылесос, у которого отвращение к мусору под кроватью, робот-обнимашка в виде плюшевого медведя, который не любит детей, робот-холодильник, который поссорился с плитой и отказался функционировать, и много всего такого. Смешные сценки в стиле "Пациент в кабинете врача", остроумный юмор.
3. Есть длинные диалоги между главным героем и самым богатым человеком в мире, об экономике и устройстве общества. Отдельно запомнилась вот такая мысль: принято считать, что рынок автоматически регулирует ценность профессий. Платить будут тем, кто нужен, а кто нет — не будут. Здесь устами героя Уве-Клинг приводит контраргументы: платят больше тем, кто нужен богатым людям, поэтому адвокаты дороже врачей (автор немец, видимо, в Германии адвокаты тоже дороже врачей, как и у нас), но это не отражает реальную потребность в тех или иных специалистах для общества в целом. Более того: богатые люди могут выдумывать профессии и платить за какую-то ерунду, в которой на самом деле нет пользы. В книге описывается, что все автомобили стали самоходными (со встроенным ИИ), поэтому богачи — чтобы выделиться и из любви к ретро — нанимают людей, которые просто сидят на месте водителя и ничего не делают. Ну и конечно автор вдоволь прошёлся по офисным эникейщикам, вся работа которых состоит в изображении занятости.
Я думаю, по этим книгам вышел бы очень крутой сериал. И структура удобная: есть сквозной сюжет, есть микросюжеты для отдельных серий.
#fiction
Three former senior #Tigray Forces commanders flee to Addis Abeba amid mounting tensions
Three former senior commanders of the Tigray forces have arrived in Addis Abeba this week after leaving Tigray, Addis Standard has learned.
The officers, Brigadier General Guesh Gebre, Brigadier General Kebede Feqadu, and Colonel Niguse Weldegebriel, previously held senior command positions during the two-year war in Tigray.
The development comes amid reports of the military buildup following weeks of escalating tensions linked to unresolved disputes between Ethiopia’s federal government and Tigrayan authorities, three years after the signing of the Pretoria cessation of hostilities agreement, as well as spillover from the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
Speaking to Addis Standard on Friday, Brig. Gen. Guesh confirmed that the three reached the capital on Wednesday.
“We cannot live our lives. They spy on us. They stalk us. They made our lives difficult,” he said.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=55286
Religious leaders, civil society, #Tigray security bureau urge dialogue following reported clashes in southern Tigray
Religious leaders and community leaders from across Tigray, the Alliance of Civil Society Organizations of Tigray (ACSOT), and the Tigray Bureau of Peace and Security have renewed calls for dialogue and peaceful resolution as internal tensions among Tigrayan forces intensify.
Religious leaders representing multiple faiths and community leaders said they traveled to the Tigray–Afar border areas to meet leaders of an armed group operating in “Free Land,” aiming to mediate what they described as growing misunderstandings among Tigrayans through dialogue and mutual understanding. Speaking to a local broadcaster, the leaders said, although there was willingness for dialogue from all sides, planned discussions did not take place at the scheduled time and location.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=55115
በሁለተኛው የኢትዮ-ኢጣሊያን ጦርነት ወቅት የትግራዩ ገዢ የነበሩት የልዑል ራስ ስዩም መንገሻ (አባ ይርጋ) የጦር መንደር - ትግራይ ፤ በወርሃ ግንቦት 1930 ዓ.ም
The Military Camp of The Leuel Ras Seyoum Mengesha (Aba Yirga), the Ruler Of Tigray; During The Second Ethio-Italian War, Tigray; May 1938.
#ታሪክን_ወደኋላ#TariknWedehuala#Tigray
youtube.com/@TariknWedehuala11
#Ethiopia: Fuel shortage grounds ambulances in #Tigray, raises fears over collapsing referral system
A worsening fuel shortage in Tigray has grounded ambulances across the region, crippled emergency referrals, and forced patients to rely on costly private transport or go without life-saving care, health officials have warned, as regional authorities renewed calls for urgent federal intervention.
Kidu Teklu, Emergency and Ambulance Service Coordinator at the Tigray Health Bureau, told Addis Standard the region’s referral system has “completely collapsed” following months of deteriorating fuel availability, with the situation worsening sharply since mid-January.
“Currently, there is no ambulance service in our region,” Kidu said, adding that ambulances distributed across districts after the Pretoria Agreement are now grounded due to severe fuel shortages.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56667
#Ethiopia: #Tigray Interim Administration calls circulating letter on troop movement ban ‘fabricated’
The Tigray Interim Administration has dismissed as “baseless”, “fabricated” and “fraudulent” a document circulating on social media that claims authorities ordered restrictions on the movement of forces, warning that the content is designed to incite instability and mislead the public.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Tigray Interim Administration said the letter attributed to the administration “is a baseless fabrication and a typical act of fraud,” distancing itself from what it described as deliberate misinformation.
The statement came in response to a widely shared document containing claims of internal divisions, alleged coup preparations, and directives targeting both military structures and media institutions within Tigray.
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=56476
#Ethiopia: Lt. Gen. Tadesse Worede’s presidency of #Tigray interim administration extended by one year
Addis Abeba — The Office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced that the tenure of Lt. Gen. Tadesse Worede as President of the Tigray Interim Administration has been extended for an additional year, effective 09 April 2026.
In a statement, the Office said the decision was made “in accordance with Article 62(9) of the FDRE Constitution and Article 14(2)(b) of Proclamation No. 359/1995,” as well as Regulation No. 479/2013 governing the establishment of the Inclusive Interim Administration of the Tigray Region. The extension follows an annual performance report presented by Lt. Gen. Tadesse.
The announcement came a day after Prime Minister Abiy received and discussed the “annual report” and its “findings” with Lt. Gen. Tadesse on 07 April.
Lt. Gen. Tadesse was first appointed on......
https://www.facebook.com/AddisstandardEng/posts/pfbid0cndVTw9YiTH7ifTCGKqPn7G5qukcuo57qKQ2EZLRjAKew8fsaXi6sMxy7agSQ4Phl
#Ethiopia: Tigray Interim Administration approves price hikes as part of new resource mobilization regulation citing budget shortfall
The #Tigray Interim Administration has approved a regulation introducing price increases on goods including beer, wine, bottled water, and cement, as part of efforts to mobilize financial resources for humanitarian and recovery work in the region, officials said. The regulation was endorsed during a meeting held on January 9, according to local media reports.
Speaking following the approval, Abraham Tekesete, head of the Resource Mobilization Committee, said no rehabilitation work has been carried out since the signing of the Pretoria peace agreement. He added that Tigray has been denied its full budget since October, receiving “only about one-third of its allocated funds.”
Abraham Tekeste(PhD) said the Interim Administration is facing a severe budget deficit, noting that war-injured veterans are living in extremely.....
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=54495
Ethiopia : Tigray Region Says Federal Gov’t Has Not Transferred Budget For Two Months. Read. https://borkena.com/2025/12/03/ethiopia-tigray-region-says-federal-govt-has-not-transferred-budget-for-two-months/#Ethiopia#News#Tigray
#UN rights chief urges de-escalation as tensions rise in #Tigray
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has called on all parties to take urgent steps toward de-escalation amid what he described as a precarious security and human rights situation in Ethiopia’s Tigray region.
In a statement issued today, Türk warned that recent fighting between the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) and regional Tigray Security Forces (TSF) risks deepening an already fragile humanitarian and human rights crisis in northern Ethiopia.
“The situation remains highly volatile, and we fear it will further deteriorate, worsening the region’s already precarious human rights and humanitarian situation,” Türk said. He stressed the need for “concerted and sustained efforts” by all sides, with support from the international community, to reduce tensions through political dialogue and confidence-building measures rather than renewed armed confrontation.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=55131
Ethiopa 'launches offensive' against Tigray forces
Ethiopia's federal military reportedly launched a ground offensive against Tigrayan forces in the Amhara region.
#News#Reuters#Ethiopia#Tigray
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#Op_ed: Renewed Conflict, Repeated Failure: Why #Tigray's peace and recovery depends on women's inclusion
As fighting resumes, Tigray faces a perilous crossroads, writes Batseba Seifu on behalf of GEM Tigray. She cautions, "Any humanitarian, security, or political initiative that excludes women's leadership, perspectives, and lived experiences is bound to fail."
Batseba highlights that women have long been first responders, mediators, and caregivers, yet their voices are largely absent from formal decision-making. Gender-disaggregated research shows female-headed households face hunger 24% more than male-headed households, reflecting structural inequalities intensified by conflict. Humanitarian interventions often overlook these realities, leaving the most vulnerable unassisted.
The author emphasizes, “Only by placing women at the heart of response efforts can we hope to protect civilians, restore services, and build a durable, just peace for all.”
https://addisstandard.com/?p=55145