Opinion: (Charles Plosser, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia): “Monetary policy has little ability to help the U.S. jobs market in current economic circumstances, a top Federal Reserve official said Thursday.

“‘I am really doubtful that monetary policy is a tool that is going to help us very much’ to help spur demand and improve hiring in an economy where many households and companies are still looking to cut borrowing levels, rather than to increase them.”

My Comment: Until a person becomes convinced that he cannot solve the problem in any way, he does not admit to others and to himself that he has lost. But if this is the case, isn’t it the role of those next to him to stop him?
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Opinion: (Ian Pearson, futurist): “[Government’s] responsibilities will remain, but all of them will be subject to change brought about by new technologies.

“Governments have traditionally had sharp teeth to enforce their decisions, but the spread of the Internet and social networking tools has removed some of the significance of geography, and given new power to individual citizens. Governments are discovering everywhere that they are becoming more accountable, whether they like it or not. Their limited jurisdiction is also becoming obvious.

“However, we will still have geographic government, and communication between government and citizen may improve. …But if they genuinely do care what we think other than election time, I believe we could go further to make a more responsive democracy. If we wanted, we could allow each citizen to have their preferences on important issues stored in a database, an electronic shadow, suitably anonymous to everyone else of course. Government would then know all the time what the electorate want. Referenda could be instant… Democracy is very much a compromise kind of government and it wouldn’t be good to take it too far in terms of letting everyone decide everything.

“But it is certain that government will change a lot. We will be forced into more global cooperation for a range of things. …Maybe there won’t be a full world government, but maybe also we will see a jigsaw being built of all of these different pieces, and if we assemble them correctly, there is yet some potential benefit.”

My Comment: Society develops under objective laws of nature, just like any other population, so we don’t have to guess—nature has a precise and specific plan to bring us to a unified global integral system of relationships. The Internet will become one of the decisive tools in this development. Certainly, gradual change of the economy of the transition period to the economy of a new world will form the basis of all changes.
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We have to give people an explanation of what the solution to the modern problems is. Even if it won’t be possible to avoid the troubles, people will nevertheless hear us eventually. They won’t have any other choice left.

When the crisis worsens, when factories close down and banks become empty, mass turmoil will begin. The people will rise up with demands, not caring how realistic they are. The government might be able to reasonably justify itself, but the people don’t care about that, and will say, “You’re in power so you’re responsible!”

Moments like that or the breaks between them is precisely when people will hear us. And it will be both the regular people and the powerful ones who will hear. The tycoons will want to build the system of upbringing we are talking about of their own accord in order to pacify the people and raise them above the poverty line. Otherwise people will take away everything from them, as this has already happened in history on several occasions. The danger will force them to take care of the agitations and explanations and to aim people toward mutual unification, to a global, integral system, which nature requires us to create.

After all, this is not someone’s whim, but precisely nature’s call, which we cannot run away from. The more we do in this direction, the less troubles and problems we will have.

Obviously, we won’t start talking about fair distribution right away. The first task is to provide people with whatever amount of money they need to survive. And in response they will be required to make efforts in studying.

When unemployment increases, masses of people will be left with nothing to do. People will have to distribute their time so they will work for half or a third of the work day, and devote the rest of the time to compulsory study. In essence, this will become the real work: A person will work on himself. In order to make bread from wheat, it is necessary to awaken a force that will raise wheat.

This year we will already see how uneasy it is to produce bread in conditions of economic and ecological crisis. And studying, together with efforts to create an environment, is part of our work in this world. We thereby awaken the force in the world that is necessary for our material existence.

A person will study in order to bestow to others, in order to provide their daily bread for them. As Baal HaSulam writes, bestowal to the neighbor and bestowal to the Creator are the same thing. That is how people will reach spirituality—without suffering and without studying the science of Kabbalah.
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From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/4/11, “Peace in the World”

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Opinion: (George Soros, billionaire investor): “Financial markets are driving the world towards another Great Depression with incalculable political consequences. The authorities, particularly in Europe, have lost control of the situation. They need to regain control and they need to do so now.

“Three bold steps are needed. First, the governments of the eurozone must agree in principle on a new treaty creating a common treasury for the eurozone. In the meantime, the major banks must be put under European Central Bank direction …Third, the ECB would enable countries such as Italy and Spain to temporarily refinance their debt at a very low cost. These steps would calm the markets and give Europe time to develop a growth strategy, without which the debt problem cannot be solved.

“The course of action outlined here …is more radical because it puts the banks under European control. That is liable to arouse the opposition of both the banks and the national authorities. Only public pressure can make it happen.”

My Comment: Didn’t the great financiers say that the crisis was over? These measures, like patches, will not help either; a patch will merely tear as well. It’s necessary to change the system of our attitude to the world: The globally connected world has to be governed by people who feel a genuine responsibility for the entire world, for the unified system, and are connected by mutual guarantee.
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In the News (From english.pravda.ru): “The experts of the International Labor Organization and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development predict that next year a number of developed and developing countries will face mass unemployment and ‘catastrophic shortage’ of jobs. In the alarmist report, the experts urge the countries to take drastic measures to combat unemployment.

“Since the beginning of the global financial crisis in 2008, developing and developed countries lost 20 million jobs. By the end of next year additional 20 million jobs could be lost. According to some experts, the number of unemployed worldwide has reached 200 million.

“The situation in Europe is particularly difficult. While Germany is relatively successful in coping with unemployment, the second euro-zone economy, France, is in a difficult situation. There is a new concept of ‘superfluous people’ as a result of chronic unemployment. Mostly, these are young people who are the first to lose jobs in downsizing.

“For example, in Italy, every other unemployed person cannot find a job for over a year, and in South Africa this number is two out of three. The authors point out that youth unemployment is rising in 15 countries out of 20. According to the estimates of the International Labor Organization, in Russia the number of new jobs is approximately equal to the number of people who get jobs – approximately 600,000.

“‘We must act now to change the situation with a slowdown in employment growth and restore the lost jobs,’ said director general of the International Labor Organization, Juan Somavia. ‘Creating employment should be the main macroeconomic priority.’

“In addition, the report’s authors believe it is necessary for the states – members of the G20 to raise the level of social protection of its own people and pay attention to the negative forecasts of the economists who talk about the possibility of a second wave of crisis in 2012.”

My Comment: When industry and services become reduced to the necessary level, millions of people will be free from needless work. They will share working hours with the employed workers and work 2-3 hours per day. The rest of the time will be dedicated to studies and upbringing at their workplaces, or other offices, or at home, but it will be necessary for the whole world as work itself. This will be considered their work because through these studies, the world will approach correction, balance, and the revelation of their next stage of development in a good way.
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Opinion: (Joschka Fischer, Germany’s foreign minister and vice-chancellor from 1998 to 2005): “For the first time in its history, the very continuance of the European project is at stake. And yet the behavior of the EU and its most important member states has been irresolute and dithering, owing to national egotism and a breathtaking absence of leadership.

“Germany and all other eurozone members are in the same boat.

“Resolving this crisis requires more Europe and more integration, not less.

“…there is light at the end of the tunnel.”

My Comment: But what kind of steps can people like you take? Aren’t you using old methods for resolving new problems and thus making them worse, as it is said: “Sit and do nothing is better.”
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In the News (From creditwritedowns.com): Return to national currencies is the move that prominent economists increasingly recommend to the problematic countries in Europe. The UBS analysts have calculated the following:

“Our base case with an overwhelming probability is that the Euro moves slowly (and painfully) towards some kind of fiscal integration. The risk case, of break-up, is considerably more costly and close to zero probability.

“The economic cost (part 1): The cost of a weak country leaving the Euro is significant. Consequences include sovereign default, corporate default, collapse of the banking system and collapse of international trade. There is little prospect of devaluation offering much assistance. We estimate that a weak Euro country leaving the Euro would incur a cost of around EUR9,500 to EUR11,500 per person in the exiting country during the first year. That cost would then probably amount to EUR3,000 to EUR4,000 per person per year over subsequent years. That equates to a range of 40% to 50% of GDP in the first year.

“The economic cost (part 2): Were a stronger country such as Germany to leave the Euro, the consequences would include corporate default, recapitalization of the banking system and collapse of international trade. If Germany were to leave, we believe the cost to be around EUR6,000 to EUR8,000 for every German adult and child in the first year, and a range of EUR3,500 to EUR4,500 per person per year thereafter. That is the equivalent of 20% to 25% of GDP in the first year. In comparison, the cost of bailing out Greece, Ireland and Portugal entirely in the wake of the default of those countries would be a little over EUR1,000 per person, in a single hit.

“The political cost: The economic cost is, in many ways, the least of the concerns investors should have about a break-up. Fragmentation of the Euro would incur political costs. Europe’s ‘soft power’ influence internationally would cease (as the concept of ‘Europe’ as an integrated polity becomes meaningless). It is also worth observing that almost no modern fiat currency monetary unions have broken up without some form of authoritarian or military government, or civil war.”
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In the News (From The Wall Street Journal): “The economy is growing at a painfully slow pace in most regions of the U.S., and many businesses say they are bracing for tougher times ahead, a Federal Reserve report said Wednesday.

“The Fed’s Beige Book, based on interviews with business contacts and economists in the 12 Fed districts across the U.S., said weakness was infecting sectors such as manufacturing that were once pillars of the recovery. Seven of the districts reported some form of weakening economic activity.

“The picture that emerges is one of Americans across the country taking stock of the shaky economy and hitting ‘pause.’”

My Comment: According to the conditions of the global integral system of the world, to the extent that each part affects the entire system positively or negatively, it receives a corresponding positive or negative reaction that has multiplied manifold.

Accordingly, the U.S. has no reason to expect positive results from its activity, owing to its negative influence in the world and the desire to win at the expense of others. In a unified world system, caring for oneself at the expense of others leads to a defeat. I hope that we will see it and will learn how not to act by the old principles of capitalism.
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We must correct our system so that it becomes similar to the Creator, bestowal, Nature. Today, there is no shortage of studies that show that capitalism is a kind of temporary outbreak of the egoistic disease, the end of which we are witnessing today. This is particularly evident in the economic crisis and environmental disasters.

It cannot continue like this. It would be another thing if we had inexhaustible natural and energy resources. However, we don’t. We are wasting the last and driving ourselves to a standstill: The gap between rich and poor grows, society is destroyed, and the Earth becomes a less hospitable place.

We mistakenly believe that we can build a correctly functioning egoistic system. Americans were drunk with this idea and intoxicated everyone with it. The American Dream was successful because they were living in debt to the world and even boasted about their “success”: “Look how cleverly we can steal, how beautifully we can lie. Just take a look what kind of life we have at your expense.” In fact, here is what was behind their abundance. And Europe followed the same path.

The whole problem is that we are always looking for cheap resources. Once, there were slaves, but then they ceased to be efficient. Then, the exploitation of the peoples of newly discovered lands began, and that was used as a market as well. We always acted at someone else’s expense; we constantly robbed and took advantage of somebody, be they slaves, the indigenous people of Asia, Africa, America, serfs, and so on.

That was the factor of development, the lie which saturated the entire system and reached the money itself. The dollar became an international currency, and industry and commerce intertwined in such a cunning scheme that people around the world work for Americans.

Where is the limit? Today, we have exhausted the capacity of cheaper resources. There are no more slaves and undeveloped countries. Everything is heading towards the point of breaking the principle of cheapness. There is no more cheap labor or cheap energy. It is time to realize what is happening. If we want to survive, we must judge everything fairly.

That is why the world faces the problem of fair distribution. People everywhere are waking up to this requirement. However, in reality, it means that everyone deserves only as much as he has invested for the benefit of humankind. Relying on the principle of egoism, you will get nothing. Soon, we will discover that no one can receive anything from anyone egoistically. Just imagine where the world is heading: The system of mutual guarantee is disclosed, which requires reciprocity and bestowal.

This does not mean that you should scatter the wealth to the right and left. No, we build everything on the basis of reciprocity; we do not make concessions for the sake of concessions, but are guided by the considerations of true justice. All our previous systems will not apply. We are facing a full-scale system failure, and economic problems are only its first signs. As a result, we will have to agree that justice, reciprocity, and mutual guarantee are the only way.

Baal HaSulam writes about “the altruistic system.” But you should not think that it will undo all the calculations. Conversely, altruism is an exact calculation, leaving no loopholes: Everyone receives according to his investment. And the one who does not invest effort is left with nothing. If everyone around is an altruist, this doesn’t mean that I will be fed “for nothing.” After all, we are talking about the law of nature. The Creator is the greatest altruist, but have you gotten something good from Him? On the contrary, only troubles.

It is said: “The Creator has made them one against the other.” Both forces, the positive and the negative, are extremely tough and aggressive. And thus, in the future society, I cannot be idle at the expense of others.
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From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/28/2011, “The Nation”

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Opinion: (Lord Desai, Member of the House of Lords, emeritus professor at the London School of Economics): “Capitalism is alive and well, but not in the Western countries – it has migrated eastwards.

“Russian capitalism is somewhat old and in need of urgent repair, but the spirit of capitalism – risk-taking, saving, investing, hard work – all those virtues have now migrated and are happily ensconced in China, India, Indonesia, Korea and Japan – the countries which we never thought would ever get out of poverty.

“Western capitalism probably had half a century of over-indulgence – continued prosperity, full employment, almost guaranteed growth – and that in its turn meant that our costs went up and manufacturing industry migrated abroad, while finance has proved to be a fickle friend.

“We will have to rethink our model, our values, we will have to acquire old-fashioned virtues, because capitalism is not going to go any time fast.

“If Asia has vigorous energetic capitalism and we have tired old capitalism, we will end up paying a huge price and we will trade our prosperity for their prosperity.

“It changes its form, it migrates, it is fully global. Now we at last understand what globalization means – it means we are just as important as anyone else. If we don’t work very hard, we will lose our importance.

“That is the lesson of the contemporary world.

“Capitalism lives through crisis. That is how it renews and invigorates itself.

“For our bad luck, capitalism has renewed itself by migrating eastwards. We are left with the debris and we have to do something to get ourselves out this crisis but that will have to be in the spirit of capitalism, not against it.”

My Comment: Here, the economist does not see the end of the previous stage of development not only of the economy but  in society as a whole, but rather sees only a temporary crisis. The cause of this error is that people are not familiar with the general plan of nature, which can be fully revealed only through the science of Kabbalah. That is why Kabbalah has many opponents, but gradually, as society develops, they will see the light.
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