In the News (from Jewish News One): “With anti-Semitism once again on the rise in Europe, from Hungary to Holland to France, the Jewish National Fund conference sought to examine the reason for its re-emergence, and how to deal with the problem through co-operation and communication.

“Anti-Semitism, which is prejudice, hatred or discrimination against Jews because of their Jewish heritage, has experienced a long history of expression since the days of ancient civilizations, with most of it having originated in the Christian and pre-Christian civilizations of Europe.

“Joël Rubinfeld, Co-chairman of the European Jewish Parliament and President of the Belgian League against anti-Semitism:

“‘There is a challenge, the challenge is: is there a future for Jews in Europe? And the situation with the rise of anti-Semitism in western and eastern Europe is very concerning, and the Fundamental Rights agency published a survey last year, showing that 29% of European Jews are thinking about emigrating from Europe, because of not feeling safe any more, as Jews living here. So and this figure rise to 40% in Belgium and close to 50% in Hungary or France. So it’s very concerning and we need to take all necessary measures and actually politicians need to take all the necessary measure to restore trust among European Jews.’

“Many Jews in Europe say anti-Semitism is increasing – citizens in Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia and the United Kingdom have expressed concerns about their own safety and that of family members. The JNF conference sought to address the issue by stressing the importance of advocating for Israel and KKL-JNF in the EU.”

My Comment: Anti-Semitism is a natural phenomenon because Jews are the carriers of a special spiritual gene the “point in the heart.” Its presence explains the uniqueness of this nation, its history and talent. But its uniqueness lies in the destiny: in our time, when the world has exhausted the possibilities of its egoistic development and seeks the direction and method of its further development, the Jews must reveal their basis “love thy neighbor” and the method of achieving it—the wisdom of Kabbalah.

They must learn and apply it to themselves, and by this reveal an example of the future to the world and bring Light to the nations of the world. It is by aspiring to this destiny that we will discover that only this action will cancel the hatred of the nations of the world towards us. Otherwise, they subconsciously feel and blame us for their troubles.
[132296]

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Opinion (Orazaly Sabden, PhD, professor and academician, laureate of the State Prize of the Republic of Kazakhstan, President of the Union of Kazakhstan Scientists): “The planet is undergoing significant changes. All the living on earth have to survive and adapt to new conditions. The reason for change is the rapid development of civilization with its aggressive and regressive actions. The problems of globalization are increasing and can break everything that has been accumulated by humankind for centuries. Major social, political and economic problems in the world are aggravated. The world community cannot find a way out of the current situation. Now, humanity is in the first phase of a global ecological catastrophe. The vast resources of the biosphere will end by the end of this century.

“The Earth is a planetary home of civilization, which consists of spirituality, scientific and technological revolution, the environment, space, security and economy. There is a need to develop a model of global governance and regulation of global processes.

“Now we need not the divisions of countries, authorities, but vice versa – planetary cooperation of nations and ethnic groups. Appropriate institutions should be created to deal with this.”

My Comment: Exiting a dead end is possible only by recognizing the need to change not the external conditions but human nature. Although this seems impossible, one, there is no other solution, and two, if we use the method of integral unity, the problem of re-educating people can be easily solved.
[132202]

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Opinion (Nikolay Kobelev, PhD (Economics), Professor at the Russian Federation Financial University): “The development of production forces has reached the level that the 10 percent of the workforce is sufficient to provide for humanity. The agricultural production and industry of Argentina with a population of 40 million people can feed the whole world.

“Industry and technology can receive all the necessary materials and products from natural elements, found in abundance in the earth’s crust and air. Energy resources (oil, gas, coal) can be substituted (atomic energy, wind, ocean waves, the sun); lack of energy and limits of resources do not threaten humanity.

“But political and social control mechanisms conducted according to the inadequate old models and theories hinder the management of the world as a whole. The rapid growth of the political influence of transnational corporations and financial-industrial groups led the government to losing control over the world economy.

“Global world processes are managed by money, large corporations, and a handful of people who own enormous financial resources. Each of them takes care of the object of his interest. Money has become the equivalent not only in economy and production, but also in education, science, medicine, which cannot be assessed by an amount of money.”

My Comment: If mankind doesn’t change, using the method of the Upper Force, of the Light, of course, the skeptics would be right. But precisely the same Ohr Makif, the Surrounding Light, produced our egoism and it will correct it. Therefore, there is no place for any other method.
[131997]

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Opinion (Ethan A. Huff, writer and health enthusiast): “When discussing the issues surrounding genetically modified organisms (GMOs) — that is, organisms bearing the genetic traits of other species or bacteria — the focus is typically on how safe (or unsafe) these novel, food-like products are for humans. But distinguished risk engineer and two-time best-selling author Nassim Taleb thinks an even bigger problem with GMOs is their threat to the planet, and the statistical likelihood that they will eventually lead to the collapse of life on Earth. …

“Because they represent a systemic risk rather than a localized one — GM traits are known to spread unconstrained throughout the environment — GMOs will eventually breach the so-called ‘ecocide barrier,’ leading to catastrophic ecosystem failure.

“‘There are mathematical limitations to predictability in a complex system, ‘in the wild,’ which is why focusing on the difference between local (or isolated) and systemic threats is a central aspect of our warnings,’ Taleb is quoted as saying by Fool.com, noting that it’s essentially impossible to contain the inevitable spread of GMO traits far and wide.

“‘The [precautionary principle] is not there to make life comfortable, rather to avoid a certain class of what is called in probability and insurance ‘ruin’ problems,’ write Taleb and his colleagues in their paper. ‘For nature, the ‘ruin’ is ecocide: an irreversible termination of life at some scale, which could be the planet.’

“GMOs are not ‘scientific,’ and nearly every argument used in their defense is flawed

Besides using math and risk-based analysis to show that GMOs simply cannot coexist with nature as is commonly claimed — GMOs will eventually contaminate the natural world around them — Taleb also deconstructs many of the ‘arguments’ used by GMO advocates to defend the commercial use of untested transgenic materials, including the oft-repeated lie that GMOs are no different than natural organisms. …

“Taleb also draws attention to the deceitful strategies of biotechnology companies in trying to legitimize the continued use of GMOs through fear. Claiming that famine, starvation and widespread crop failures will occur if we all fail to adopt GMOs is no different than playing Russian roulette in order to get out of poverty, claims Taleb — such an approach is hardly scientific or logically sound, and yet these and other tactics are the basis of the pro-GMO agenda.

“‘What people miss is that the modification of crops impacts everyone and exports the error from the local to the global,’ concludes Taleb and his colleagues. ‘I do not wish to pay — or have my descendants pay — for errors by executives of Monsanto. We should exert the precautionary principle there — our non-naive version — simply because we would only discover errors after considerable and irreversible environmental damage.’”

My Comment: Except changing human nature from egoistic to altruistic, there is no other way to reduce consumption to a reasonable level and to stop treating the planet not as a living being, a system, with which we must be in equilibrium. This rests on the change of human consciousness, which can be achieved only through integral education.
[131888]

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Opinion (Natalia N. Dumnaya , Ph.D. (Econ.), Head of the Department of Microeconomics, Finance Academy under the Government of the Russian Federation): “We break the foundations of our own existence, undermine the basis – locus standum, on which we stand, literally. Nature, as a self-organizing system, has its purpose – states that the system achieves by means of self-organization.

“In terms of nature, the human being has to serve its purpose. However, he has his own goals and positions as a part that evolved from nature. Man’s first goal is to save his life, and hence to satisfy his basic needs for food, warmth, clothing, procreation, etc.

“Man’s second goal is to search for new, more secure ways to meet his needs. Fulfilling his own goals, the human being also performs the objectives of nature. He accelerates natural evolution.

“However, as the complexity of human society is increasing, the relationship with nature becomes increasingly more apparent; there are contradictions. Now, the question is that the human relationship with nature must develop on the basis of searching for the area of overlapping interests.

“Since nature is a self-organizing system, then it follows that the productive forces created by the human being not only must not violate the natural dynamic balance of nature, but the second nature created by his hands, or industrial civilization, should be a continuation of the first. Human civilization must go from technocenosis to coevolution with nature.

“The egoistic industrial-urban development path that leads to material and moral losses constitutes a threat to humanity itself. It is no longer enough to have purely economic efficiency criterion to select options for the development of the economy. People should take into account not only their immediate interests, but also the interests of nature.”

My Comment: There is no doubt that a person should study the laws of nature and follow them. Otherwise he causes their negative reaction.

In many cases, the reaction is not immediate and this calms a person down. Often, there is no clear connection between the action and reaction of nature to him. But it is precisely for this reason that we are given the mind to study the causal relationships of nature so that we reveal the next level of our being, beyond matter.
[131776]

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Opinion (Ervin Laszlo, Hungarian philosopher of science, systems theorist, integral theorist, author of 75 books, Founder and President of The Club of Budapest): “It has been said that our generation is the first in history that can decide whether it is the last in history. We need to add that our generation is also the first in history that can decide whether it will be the first generation of a new phase in history. We have reached a watershed in our social and cultural evolution. The sciences of systems tell us that when complex open systems, such as living organisms, and also ecologies and societies of organisms, approach a condition of critical instability, they face a moment of truth: they either transform, or break down. …

“Humankind is approaching a critical instability – a global bifurcation.”

My Comment: In our present state, there is only one choice between the two scenarios: a continuation of egoistic development that will lead us to a world war or the introduction of universal integral education and upbringing that will lead us to the creation of a new type of society, which is in balance with nature.
[131632]

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Opinion (Alexander Antonovskiy, PhD, Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences): “Rationality (usefulness, value, probability) of an individual action is associated with rationality of correct investment in some future.

“By implementing the action ‘for the sake’ of another, a doer gets a kind of ‘bill of exchange,’ forms within himself and others an expectation that the other doer will return the favor or help.

“The sum of these mutual bills of exchange, waiting for their payment, comprises ‘social capital,’ which function, as well as any capital, to ensure and facilitate actions that every doer cannot perform alone.

“Trust is a condition of the functioning of capital. That is, communication is rational if it becomes a successful investment in the development of social connections between doers, from whom the ‘dividends,’ if necessary, can be obtained in the future.”

My Comment: Everything could be fine, but the program of nature is not taken into account, according to which we have to become aware of our nature as egoism, evil, up to the point of hating it, desiring to get rid of it.

Therefore, despite all our tricks, we will feel worse; the crisis will develop further; we will become aware of being enslaved by our egoism and will have to seek the ways of exiting this “Egyptian slavery.” The tendency to trust and other good intentions will only accelerate the revelation of the evil of our nature.
[131552]

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In the News (from Business Insider): “Big changes are coming to the labor market that people and governments aren’t prepared for, Bill Gates believes.

“Speaking at Washington, D.C., economic think tank The American Enterprise Institute on March 13, Gates said that within 20 years, a lot of jobs will go away, replaced by software automation (“bots” in tech slang, though Gates used the term “software substitution”).

“This is what he said:

“‘Software substitution, whether it’s for drivers or waiters or nurses … it’s progressing. … Technology over time will reduce demand for jobs, particularly at the lower end of skill set. … 20 years from now, labor demand for lots of skill sets will be substantially lower. I don’t think people have that in their mental model.’

“In January, the Economist ran a big profile naming over a dozen jobs sure to be taken over by robots in the next 20 years, including telemarketers, accountants and retail workers.”

My Comment: There is only one way out: to reduce excess production completely and to replace the remaining by automation. Those who become free should be sent to open universities where they have to learn the method and practice of integral interaction, up to the point of unity in the common humanity.
[131435]

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Opinion (Richard Layard, Professor Emeritus Lord Layard, British labour economist, currently working as programme director of the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics): “’There is a paradox at the heart of our lives. Most people want more income and strive for it. Yet as Western societies have got richer, their people have become no happier.’ Layard is one of many to propose this paradox. It is often referred to as the ‘Easterlin Paradox,’ named after economist Richard Easterlin, who demonstrated exactly this for citizens in developed countries with sufficient welfare to provide for at least the basic needs of each person. …

“Not only do we compare our income to that of others, we also set a norm for our income based on what we ourselves have grown accustomed to. The more money we make, the more money we think we need. This phenomenon is called ‘habituation’ or ‘adaptation.’ It can be compared to building up a tolerance for alcohol or drugs. Layard calls this ‘The Hedonic Treadmill’: To maintain the same level of happiness, we need to keep running.

“Richard Layard (2005) argued that seven factors are central to happiness. Furthermore, he used research such as the US General Social Survey to establish (for the US at least) five in some sort of order of importance. Two further factors were seen as central, but could not be ranked due to lack of survey evidence.

“Family relationships. In just about every study, family relationships and our close private life are ‘more important than any other single factor affecting our happiness.’

“Financial situation. As we have already seen our individual financial position is of significance – especially when we are on the margins of poverty – but beyond that it is a poor second to the quality of close family relationships as a significant source of longish term happiness.

“Work. There is considerable evidence that we need to feel we are contributing to the wider society. Layard comments, ‘[W]ork provides not only income but also an extra meaning to life’. He continues, ‘That is why unemployment is such a disaster: it reduces income but it also reduces happiness directly by destroying the self-respect and social relationships created by work.’

“Community and friends. As we have already seen writers like Lane have placed a strong emphasis upon companionship. However, it is also clear that the quality of the communities in which we participate has a strong influence upon how we feel. If we do not live and operate in communities and groups where there is a sense of trust and belonging then there is a raft of evidence that shows the impact upon our ability to be happy. …

“Health. In studies people frequently cite health as an important contributor to happiness. …

“Personal freedom. Happiness also depends upon the quality of the political, economic, legal and social systems in which we operate. There is some evidence that people living in stable and peaceful societies in which they have a voice and an ability to follow their interests (where it does not harm others), and in which institutions are accountable will be happier.

“Personal values. People’s happiness depends on their ‘inner selves‘ and philosophies of life. ‘People are happier if they are able to appreciate what they have, whatever it is; if they do not always compare themselves with others; and if they school their own moods.’” (Source: infed)

“Modern society desperately needs a concept of the common good around which to unite the efforts of its members. Here is the right concept. We want to increase the general happiness and we commit ourselves to that end.”

My Comment: Of course, this is a wonderful goal. But first, it is necessary to realize that happiness is possible only beyond our egoism, not in it and not in suppressing it. That is why we need a method for getting out of egoism, the method of Kabbalah, or rather, the Light, the force of bestowal and love, which is manifested when this method is implemented.
[131231]

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In the News (from The New York Times): “We are beginning to witness a paradox at the heart of capitalism, one that has propelled it to greatness but is now threatening its future: The inherent dynamism of competitive markets is bringing costs so far down that many goods and services are becoming nearly free, abundant, and no longer subject to market forces. …

“The first inkling of the paradox came in 1999 when Napster, the music service, developed a network enabling millions of people to share music without paying the producers and artists, wreaking havoc on the music industry. Similar phenomena went on to severely disrupt the newspaper and book publishing industries. Consumers began sharing their own information and entertainment, via videos, audio and text, nearly free, bypassing the traditional markets altogether. …

“Thousands of hobbyists are already making their own products using 3-D printers, open-source software and recycled plastic as feedstock, at near zero marginal cost. Meanwhile, more than six million students are enrolled in free massive open online courses, the content of which is distributed at near zero marginal cost.

“Now the phenomenon is about to affect the whole economy. A formidable new technology infrastructure — the Internet of Things — is emerging with the potential to push much of economic life to near zero marginal cost over the course of the next two decades. This new technology platform is beginning to connect everything and everyone. …

“Nowhere is the zero marginal cost phenomenon having more impact than the labor market, where workerless factories and offices, virtual retailing and automated logistics and transport networks are becoming more prevalent. Not surprisingly, the new employment opportunities lie in the collaborative commons in fields that tend to be nonprofit and strengthen social infrastructure — education, health care, aiding the poor, environmental restoration, child care and care for the elderly, the promotion of the arts and recreation. …

“We are, however, entering a world partly beyond markets, where we are learning how to live together in an increasingly interdependent, collaborative, global commons.”

My Comment: Our entire development brings us to the need to move to a new level of communication, a world without borders; the general dependence, the virtual network of the material world will be parallel to the spiritual network of the higher world.
[131151]

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