In the News (comstol.info): “…in many Western countries, the central banks have begun to set negative interest rates. They have been introduced in Sweden, Japan, Switzerland, and partially by the European Central Bank. It sounds crazy – to pay extra money for their loan, but this is craziness is already a reality.

“Advances in technology, robotic labor, lead to a reduction in production costs and time to launch new types of products. Even the products can easily be copied and competitors run at a lower price. Under such conditions, the product is cheaper, the market is saturated, and the capital invested in production can not get any advantage in the market, nor the maximum value added. And the consumer can not support the demand: he has already acquired all he needs. …

“As a result, interest on loans or pay for work is not particularly needed. Money becomes so cheap that working for it simply becomes unprofitable. Employers must either reduce working time or to distribute the money … free. For example, in Sweden, many companies began to reduce the working week by 20%. And in Switzerland they are going to introduce lifelong payments to every citizen – regardless of whether he works or not – just to live. And the very same work becomes a purely private matter.

“And what’s next? The depreciation of money, deflation, the inability to redistribute added value, which will lead to a depreciation of the means of production themselves, which will be converted to zero and even negative value. And because of the possibility not to work, there will be a deficit of skilled labor. As a result, corporations will distribute its shares to employees – just as a bonus. And workers can simply redeem the enterprise, making it their own. By the way, in his later works, Marx considered such an option – the workers purchase of the means of production in order to avoid a bloody confrontation with the expropriation of the powerful companies.

“All this will lead capitalism into a deep crisis, and mankind to communism, but the path will be very difficult.
Perhaps it was this realization that makes the Fed look for the slightest opportunity to save the interest rate, thereby saving the cost of borrowing. But 18 trillion in debt already is making such efforts less and less effective …”

My Comment: What was said in the wisdom of Kabbalah for many years is materializing. Yet the solution that has been offered by the wisdom of Kabbalah remains unclaimed despite the approaching realization of the opposite case: bloody conflicts.
[181119]

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In the News (inosmi.ru): “The world was not prepared for the economic crisis, in which many people lost their jobs. Under these circumstances, the refugee crisis erupted. …

“The present crisis – this is not a confrontation between states. The present crisis – this is where the international community cannot stand together against this danger to all threats such as terrorism and climate change. Currently, as a result of global capitalism, when a person has no control over money, the gap between rich and poor is increasing. I believe that politicians should not engage in ensuring growth, but in the redistribution of wealth.”

My Comment: The redistribution of wealth alone does not solve the crisis. Indeed, according to the pyramid of needs, the most important things for a person are “food, sex and family.” But it is impossible to provide people only with what will give them prosperity, profit, and the satisfaction of needs.

Terror is ideological and therefore money is not destroyed. A forced redistribution of wealth is a revolution, civil war. While the politicians are busy with the redistribution of wealth, but in the other direction, as it has turned out 1% of the population has almost all the wealth of the world.

So no solution remains except the re-education of the person himself. As paradoxical as it seems, it is necessary to change people. There is no other way! Only in this mode is it possible to solve all the problems in the world.
[175272]

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Comment: Every year about 700 tons of food is discarded in Denmark. Now for the first time in history, a new type of supermarket opened in Denmark’s capital that sells food waste: expired food or damaged packaging at a price that is 30%-50% cheaper than the usual price. People say that this is the future of the world.

Answer: Basically everything we consume today is so synthetic, made of plastic, paper, and wood it isn’t clear how they can have an expiration date.

You can add something to a product and not put an expiration date on it at all and open the box or can a few years later, and it is the same. There won’t even be any bacteria or bugs in it because the product is inedible for them. It is edible for people but not for them. I am sure that if we gave animals what we eat, they wouldn’t touch half of what we eat.

Question: Do you believe that these supermarkets will last for a long time? After all, pretty soon all these products will have no expiration date.

Answer: I don’t believe these supermarkets have a future. We will probably reach the “victory” of the human mind and preserve everything with no expiring date. If we take tomatoes, for example, which were once raised under normal conditions and tomatoes that are raised under the current conditions, the tomatoes of the past wouldn’t even make it to the supermarket, while today’s tomatoes lie on the shelves for a month and nothing happens to them. You can even play football with them and then eat them. So this whole idea is no longer relevant today.

Question: Is the system of using these surpluses relevant?

Answer: Of course, because although there are no natural elements in our food anymore, and there are preservatives and different additives, we are still alive. So what difference does it make what our food contains or not. We see that people live on it and that is enough. In the past people lived until the age of 40 and today they live until the age of 80.

Question: What can you say about that from a Kabbalist’s perspective?

Answer: I am speaking from this perspective, because if our body can digest all this today and exist, there is no need to complain and demand what we had 40 years ago. 40 years ago we did not have the medicines we have today and people lived until the age of 40. Today, on the other hand, they swallow pills and live until the age of 80.

It is the same with our food. In the past we ate fresh tomatoes directly from the garden to our plate because they would already begin to rot by the next day. Today the tomatoes look beautiful even after a month and they are transported by planes to countries all over the world. There is nothing we can do about it, this is our development.
[178459]
From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 2/28/16

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In the News (fondsk.ru): “The central banks of the leading Western nations are flooding the global economy with money. … Money [interest rates] is not only very low, it has become almost free. …

“Today money cannot measure the cost or the price of goods and services. A striking example – the price of oil, which may change several times during the year. The fact is that oil prices were measured using a tool that only by inertia we call money. In fact, it is a banal tool of speculation, manipulation and redistribution of wealth in favor of the owners of money – those who control the printing presses. Without exaggeration, we can say that today we are witnessing the death of money.

“Companies in the fields of industrial production, agriculture, construction, and transport cannot make long-term investments, long-term contracts, or engage in research and development. They cannot even engage in normal trade. … Modern producers are in a position that our ancestors were thousands of years ago when there was no such universal medium of exchange as money.

“Naturally producers are trying to adapt to the era of the death of money by building new economic relations. These new relationships are called in various ways: …

– Pure barter, which does not involve the use of money in any form;
– Partial barter, which is designed to minimize the use of official money;
– Barter based on the use of alternative money, that is money that does not have official status.”

My Comment: In the future there will be a rational allocation of necessary and sufficient products and services that can be acquired in any store or service point

by recording the acquisition on the account of every citizen by means of a code. Subject to the successful participation of each one in a daily system of compulsory public education and necessary work according to its distribution.
[178285]

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In the News (Lenta.ru): “In the history of humanity for those directly involved in the conflict, war has always been very unfavorable, a negative sum game. Once it starts, it means that somewhere something is seriously broken. …

“One of the parties had deep confidence that it had overwhelming superiority. Today such wars in general are unlikely, but not because there are no empires and small States, but because they have another way to assess their losses. Now an advanced empire believes that the life of a hundred of its soldiers is much more valuable than the lives of couples million soldiers of an underdeveloped country.

“There are also situations in which there is an outside factor that threatens a loss that is so great that you go to war, in order to neutralize it and take a smaller loss. …

“There are also positive third-party factor when, firstly, someone asks you to start military action and promises to compensate losses with interest.. .

“Of course, a major cause of many wars is an agency conflict when some strata or elites within a society gets benefits, while society at large loses. …

“A classic example of the impact of the agency – the so-called war of despair, when the elite or the ruling group in the country unleashes conflict to stay in power. …

“As in any game, you can get into the so-called trap, when the sides are drawn into the situation, the output of which is more expensive than entrance into it. A classic example – the injection of hatred within society to an external source of problems. At some point, society slips to the brink of no return, and the authorities are no longer able to hold back the situation because people are demanding war. …

“In my opinion, in the modern world is led to the wars, first of all, from the influence of external beneficiaries — third parties outside their space. What might their motives may be? For example, the weakening of the parties waging war, if it comes to a third party trying to buy elite to push them into conflict, misinformation and so on. There may be a role to play and the protection of their interests. Here it can serve its purpose and play a role in protecting their interests. …

“Sometimes it is extremely important in business to increase risks. High margins will appear only where there are high risks (for example, drug trafficking). …

“The presence of weapons of war is necessary for manufacturers both in terms of the increase in demand for their goods directly and indirectly: the more wars, the more risk, the more armed country. …

“In addition, war can be conducted in the interests of a particular market or to increase the price of goods on the market. While it is possible blockade of the trade routes to deteriorate the conditions of doing business for competitors. …

“The populace always loses in war as do both of the active participants in the conflict. Internal agents, too, often lose out, but those outside direct contact rarely do. External agents in indirect contact, which is not even visible in the war.

“The main opponents of the war – the growth of foreign trade. War never starts above a certain level of trade between the two countries, because such amounts can not be sacrificed. …

“The increase in individual welfare is another barrier. There is a formula for which the probability of war between countries is inversely proportional to the product of the squares of the welfare of the citizens in these countries. Hence, a good way to avoid armed conflict — stimulating growth of the material welfare of citizens. …

“Another barrier – frequent turnover of agents. There is a very clear relationship between the average number of years in power of one group and the number of wars in which the country participates. The shorter the term, the less conflict. …

“In addition, a very serious obstacle to war is a bloc of countries. Member states of military blocs very rarely go to war except when they have an overwhelming advantage. But conflicts with an overwhelming advantage are gradually becoming obsolete, as the strongest side in this situation pays a higher price. …

“Gradually the price of war is decreasing. For the civilized world the UAV or a cruise missile is far less valuable than the ordinary ones. Therefore, on the one hand, there is a tendency to increase the probability of wars of the first type, because the rates begin to fall – you can just send a lot of rockets somewhere and see what happens. On the other hand, it also makes war a totally different type of conflict – the so-called non-lethal confrontation or subversive war, hybrid wars that we are now seeing. In their course there are no contours of fronts, and is not clear, who with whom is at war.”
[178294]

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Comment: After extensive research, scientists in the UK discovered that a high level of income doesn’t make people happy. Results were published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

Answer: Although there is a saying that “money can’t buy happiness” and people understand it, everybody wants money.

If you ask a modern person what he wants more, money or happiness, he will probably reply: “Money. Once I have money, I will buy happiness.”

The ego, which is now being revealed in the whole of humanity, needs nothing but money. In the past people were less egoistic, they had other inclinations, their ego didn’t require such a thorough satiation.

Comment: So you in a way refute this research, which says that people regard happiness as family, friends, and children?

Answer: They came to this conclusion after thoroughly checking the ability to buy everything and seeing that it doesn’t work.

But we haven’t reached our absolute development yet. We are at its final stage, which isn’t over yet. Humanity already realizes that money doesn’t bring happiness and that ultimately happiness is more important than money.

But on the other hand, if a feeling of happiness is not built on any material basis, it is a false feeling. It’s like taking a drug: “I am happy.” “What’s the matter?! Why is that?” – “Happy.”

You received some kind of injection and the enjoyment overwhelms you, doesn’t let you move, because you don’t feel any suffering or emptiness, you don’t need to yearn for something, do anything. You even can’t understand the sufferings and desires of others; you can’t be connected with anyone! Like an idiot, you simply stand in the middle of the world and feel good.

Question: Does it mean that happiness stalls development?

Answer: Of course! Had the greatest artists, writers, or musicians not suffered, had they not been internally unhappy—whether or not they had a piece of bread or not—if they weren’t unhappy in their inner search, in suffering, would they created anything? Never!

Happiness lies not in the definition that we begin to ascribe to him immediately. Happiness can only be felt over the sorrow, only above what is hard to find, above suffering, when you strive for—and achieve, strive—and reach! When you desire—and then achieve, desire—and then achieve—this isn’t happiness!

Happiness includes simultaneously both suffering and a pleasure above it. This state can only be attained in the wisdom of Kabbalah, when emptiness doesn’t get filled but builds a fulfillment above it. Both emptiness and fulfillment exist constantly! Let’s say I long for something, and through this longing I feel pleasure, fulfillment.

Happiness, if we define it correctly, from the Kabbalistic point of view, in its true form, is a state of absolute unhappiness and absolute happiness at the same time—emptiness and fulfillment, which don’t annul each other.

And then you don’t need to cover it with money or anything else because all your empty spaces are getting filled and stay empty at the same time. For example, you eat something—and all the time want it, drink something —and all the time want it, see something—and all the time want it. It means that the pleasures don’t end, but only grows upward, and to this extent the emptiness grows downwards!

This is the wisdom of Kabbalah! The science of obtaining true happiness. And the feeling of endless happiness brings you to the sense of eternity!
[180565]
From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 3/27/16

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Question:  A new car is being made in Japan, called the Toyota Mirai that will run on a hydrogen engine and produce pure water and useable waste. Instead of emitting CO2 into the atmosphere, it will produce desalinated water that will drip from it. A full tank will suffice for a trip of about 650 kilometers at the price of only ten cents per kilometer.

Won’t gas station owners stop them? We are talking about incredible number of cars and amounts of gasoline.

Answer: We will not be able to stop progress, no matter how hard we try. We can delay it for a few decades, but what will we gain from that?

Technology today allows us to totally change our life and the world. We can change the basis of society because if there is no need for a labor force and large expenses, a person will have a lot of free time. Nature has led us to this state and is revealing new opportunities to us.

Why? What for? It is because a person must start engaging in more internal work on himself. He is freed of all of the external corporeal problems in order to engage in solving spiritual problems that will be focused accurately so he will understand that this is his only role.

If he doesn’t, he will suffer greatly from all of the innovations and will experience great losses and disappointments. A person will suffer from a great inner emptiness and a feeling of worthlessness, lack of meaning, and permanent depression.

Can we compare such a person to a farmer who earned his bread and provided for his family by his hard work, but was satisfied and happy? He was happy with what he earned, from the fact that he had work and that he also would have it the next day and would be able to bring home a loaf of bread.

This means that his desires were on the level of bread, while today, they are on the level of filling the soul. But where can one find such a job or a boss who will provide him with a filling for his soul? This is a much greater problem for which we must prepare, and so we must develop our educational system.
[180859]
From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 3/30/16

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Question: A new idea has come up that the time has come for humanity to abandon the concept of cost. The value of an elephant is not more than the value of a bee and a fly, is not more harmful to humans. Cost is not a natural concept. It is merely a deception materialized through money.

This idea is strange to me and puts limits my own arguments against it. My conscious demands that I pass it on to you. What will the meaning of money be without the idea of cost?

Answer: People will work in order to earn the revelation of the Creator and will receive corporeality according to their needs.
[180787]
From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 5/13/15

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Comment: According to statistics presented by Gallup in 2016 the number of Americans receiving support from the government rose to 50 million people.

This means that the expression, “The American Dream” has turned into the dream of being supported by the nation.

In America there are entire families in which all of its members have never worked. And this trend is growing all the time.

Answer: This is certainly no longer a pursuit of special achievements in business and other areas of life.

The fact is that in our time we are advancing toward socialism, the nation will become a socialist nation. If we can distribute food, clothing, and shelter to everyone, then essentially people will not have to work because if desired, all of this can be printed without any demand from a person.

The question is why should this be done? Why are there different kinds of animals? It could be said that they are a general branch of nature that are necessary to balance all the rest, to maintain a special balance, homeostasis.

And in what way are people different from them? It is necessary to understand that we are composed of two parts, a “beastly” part and a human part. The beastly part in us requires only one thing, to live in peace and quiet, warmed by the sun like a cat, and nothing more.

Whereas the human part requires the discovery of the meaning of life, even though we are trying not to be involved with that these days, being helped here a little by drugs, antidepressants, and all the rest. Nevertheless, this question will be a very serious demand requiring an answer.

Question: Will we see this in our lifetime?

Answer: It all depends on the dissemination and spread of the wisdom of Kabbalah in the world.

Even if it arouses pessimism, it is necessary to understand that situations in the world are changing very rapidly. In principle, humanity is constantly entering into a turbulent hibernation that attracts and draws us into it. Then a period of internal eruption will come.

Question: Will this be an internal eruption or a terrible war?

Answer: So that suffering will agitate humanity, they must be physically very intense. But if the eruption happens on an internal level of consciousness and understanding, then the suffering will be much less. They won’t leave physical traces and a person will be able to go through them very rapidly to a correct realization of his earthly existence.

So I very much hope that we can make it possible for humanity to realistically and correctly discover the purpose of life that exists in nature.
[180427]
From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 3/21/16

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Question: Humanity is arriving gradually at the conclusion that if every person had an unconditional basic income of let’s say 600 to 800 Euros, it would be enough for him to live in peace and not worry about the future, and thus would allow the development of his brain.

Answer: In confusing ways, but nevertheless mankind is still moving to the so-called communism. All of it comes from the most ordinary materialistic tendencies that stabilize society

Question: You have said that the level of unemployment in the world is going to rise.

Answer: Yes, and unemployment should go along with education because otherwise it will end badly.

Basically, a person doesn’t need to be preoccupied with sustaining his temporary body because it needs very little. It is much better to provide the body with ordinary, simple, healthy food so that everyone would be healthy and happy. This is the reason that we must make sure that everyone has whatever he needs in order to live decently.

If we reach this state, a person will not demand more as a result of the right education, and would dedicate all of his time to changing himself in order to ascend to the next level of our existence.

Question: Do you think that, as a result of such education, a person would not stop by a shop window in order to enjoy the sight of a shiny worthless object?

Answer: It will not happen. There will be no more shop windows and no worthless objects because as a result of the right education, a person will not find that attractive anymore.

This is the reason that I support the idea of an unconditional basic income and unconditional basic education.
[177954]
From KabTV’s “News with Michael Laitman” 2/21/16

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