In the news (From BBC News): “Former Icelandic Prime Minister Geir Haarde has appeared at a special court on charges of ‘failures of ministerial responsibility’ in his handling of the 2008 financial crisis.

“The country’s three main banks collapsed amid economic turmoil.

“Mr Haarde has called the case a ‘farce’ and says he wants it to be thrown out.

“Mr Haarde, who pleaded not guilty, said as he left the courthouse: ‘My conscience is clear….’

“Public opinion is divided, with some people seeing the trial of Mr Haarde as scapegoating, and others arguing that public accountability is essential following the country’s financial collapse.”

My Comment: All the economists and banks behaved in this way and continue to do so today because they cannot function differently even if they were honest in everything and put politics and personal interests aside. They do not know how to act in the world of new integral economic relationships that are becoming increasingly binding.
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Question: Instead of looking for the underlying reasons for what is happening, people prefer to take to the streets and make demands of the authorities. How can we convey the need for radical changes in society and within man?

Answer: You and I know that a cart is drawn by a horse, and this “horse” should bring us onto a spiritual level. Accordingly, everything that happens in society and in the world happens in order for us to change ourselves.

So, it’s not about fair distribution or someone lacking food or housing. These are the reasons that urge us to change. Nature puts pressure on us and causes various problems and unpleasant incidents with the sole purpose: that through them we will understand that we must become different.

So, don’t make claims to Nature, or the Creator: “Why do you allow such evil?” He said initially: “I created the evil inclination”—I cause this evil. Why? So that you change.”

Hence, no matter how much we may distribute to the poor and the deprived, nothing will help. On the contrary, the situation will worsen, and we will start getting more “qualitative” blows: epidemics, ecological disasters, wars, and so on. Nature has a lot in store.

Correction begins from simple to difficult, and that is why we should start with small, easy things. A “good boy” understands from the first time: “Ouch! Everything is clear, no more.” He doesn’t turn up his nose; he stops being stubborn; he is ready to wise up.

We need to explain this to people through consistent, integrated circulation. With facts in hand, we need to show that their projects will not change society. Fair distribution and help to the needy is correct. But how can it be realized? We can do this only together with education, understanding that we change the society as a whole.
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From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/20/2011, “The Nation”

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Baal HaSulam, “The Nation”: Let us take planet Earth as an example: First, it was but a ball of fog, like gas. Through the gravity inside it, it concentrated the atoms in it, over a period of time, into a closer circle. As a result, the ball of gas was turned into a liquid ball of fire.

Over eons of terrible wars between the two forces in Earth, the positive and the negative, the chilling force in it was finally triumphant over the force of liquid fire, and cooled a thin crust around the Earth and hardened there.

However, the planet had not yet grown still from the war between the forces, and after some time the liquid force of fire overpowered and erupted in a great noise from the bowels of the Earth, rising and shattering the cold hard crust to pieces, turning the planet into a liquid ball of fire once again. Then an era of new wars began until the cool force overpowered the force of fire once more, and a second crust was chilled around the ball, harder, thicker and more durable against the outbreak of the fluids from amidst the ball.

This time it lasted longer, but at last, the liquid forces overpowered once again and erupted from the bowels of the Earth, breaking the crust in pieces. Once more, everything was ruined and became a liquid ball.

Thus, the eons interchanged, and every time the cooling force was victorious, the crust it made was thicker. Finally, the positive forces overpowered the negative forces and they came into complete harmony: the liquids took their place in the abdomen of the Earth, and the cold crust became thick enough around them to enable the creation of organic life as it is today.

These opposing forces can be observed at all levels of nature. And most importantly, they come to equilibrium through the war between them. That’s the whole point. Wherever these forces meet, they fight with each other. It looks like war from outside, but inside, it is reconciliation.

Reconciling, each time they create more developed forms. Initially through confrontation, these forces connect with each other and produce atoms, molecules, compounds, and various kinds of still matter in the universe. Then, the same two forces, positive and negative, combine to create life, from the primitive to the highest level. Thus, their war is not a war at all, but communication. But we can discern it only to the extent of the depth of our sight.

And therefore, today we can plunge into the opposition of these forces, acting in human society, and starting wars in the world. However, there is another opportunity: to understand that the opposing forces are destined to eventually reconcile with each other. And if so, let us do this in advance, not burdening ourselves with bloodshed that will finally point to the same place of connection. We can accomplish everything ahead of time.

However, the reallocation of money and resources from rich to poor will not help here. Fair distribution means something else for everyone, and therefore, it leads to wars and power struggles. So, let us understand what the next stage of development will be, what form our final unity will take. Having created it in advance, right now, we will avoid the war that rages on our way. We will “jump over” it to find ourselves at the good stage of unity at once.
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From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/20/2011, “The Nation”

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In the News (from guardian.co.uk): “Italy’s largest trade union confederation on Tuesday called a one-day general strike for Sept. 6 in protest against a government austerity plan it described as ‘unfair and wrong.’

“The strike call, though widely expected, is another blow for Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, whose popularity has plunged in recent months and who was forced by the European Central Bank to adopt the 45 billion euro austerity package.

“The left-wing union criticised the package over cuts to local and central government, plans to liberalise labour contracts and a lack of measures to tackle tax evasion.”

My Comment: Perhaps such pressures will force the government to look for a solution instead of a lame excuse and to consider our opinion: to see in what is happening a tendency toward mutual guarantee, which should be taught to the nation. Only such connection between us will re-build social and economic relationships, and we will not only come out of the crisis, but will rise to the form of a perfect society.
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Opinion: (Maxim Lopada, Financial Group BCS Express, from bcs-express.ru): “While politicians and economists discuss [financial] problems, the situation is quickly worsening. Banks lost trust in the ability of politicians and financial regulators to fix the situation.

“Bleak forecasts are becoming more real. Now the emphasis has shifted from the U.S. to Europe. Increasing often, the region is called “the trigger” of a new wave of problems in the world. Many talk about the disintegration of the European Union and controlled dismantlement of the European currency.”

1. Angela Dorothea Merkel, the current Chancellor of Germany: “‘The euro is in danger. If we do not avert this danger, then the consequences are incalculable and the consequences for the whole of Europe are also incalculable.'”

2. Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council: “The euro has never had the infrastructure that it requires.”

3. Josef Ackermann, Deutsche Bank AG (DBK) Chief Executive Officer: “‘All this reminds one of the fall of 2008….'”

4. Angela Dorothea Merkel, the current Chancellor of Germany: “… [ she is] warning of ‘incalculable consequences’ for the European Union if the euro were to fail.”

5. Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF): “‘Developments this summer have indicated we are in a dangerous new phase. The stakes are clear. We risk seeing the fragile recovery derailed. So we must act now.'”

6. Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council: “‘We’re in a survival crisis.’…’We all have to work together in order to survive with the eurozone, because if we don’t survive with the euro zone we will not survive with the European Union.'”

7. Jean-Claude Trichet, President of the European Central Bank:”‘[We] have a very bumpy road ahead of us.'”

8. George Soros, Billionaire investor: “‘Let’s face it: we are on the verge of an economic collapse which starts, let’s say, in Greece but could easily spread. The financial system remains extremely vulnerable.'”

9. Gerhard Schröder, Ex-Chancellor of Germany: “‘And the crisis we are currently experiencing makes it abundantly clear that you can’t have a common currency without a common fiscal, economic and social policy.'”

10. Nouriel Roubini, co-founder and chairman of Roubini Global Economics LLC: “‘In the short term, we need to do massive stimulus, otherwise there’s going to be another Great Depression. Things are getting worse and the big difference between now and a few years ago is that this time around we’re running out of policy bullets.'”
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In the News (From huffingtonpost.com): “The pursuit of austerity measures and deficit cuts is pushing the world economy toward disaster in a misguided attempt to please global financial markets, the annual report of the United Nations economic think tank UNCTAD said on Tuesday.

“‘The message here is very pragmatic: we need to reverse our course quickly,’ said UNCTAD Secretary General Supachai Panitchpakdi.

“The current policies were a disaster, said Flassbeck, head of the globalization and development strategies division at the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development, and a former deputy finance minister in Germany.

“‘If interests rates everywhere are zero, and if governments stick to the policy of not only keeping fiscal deficits where they are but retrenching, cutting public expenditure, then we will end up in permanent recession,’ he said.

“‘Unemployment depends very much on demand. And if you have no demand then you need government to step in with a huge program for stimulating the economy….’

“‘Let’s not fool ourselves. This is a realistic scenario for the whole developed world, if we do not understand the lessons now, and really quickly, because we do not have other instruments any more,’ Flassbeck told a news conference to launch this year’s report.”

My Comment: But nobody knows what we should learn from it, what conclusions we should draw, and what exactly we should do. Yet, they nevertheless do not want to listen….

Indeed, according to sound reason and the theory of egoistic capitalistic development of the past, one should save and think only of oneself. But on what theoretical basis should anyone listen to: Don’t save, think of all others?  We are approaching 2012, and judging from the letters I receive, many are panicking, fearing that the horrible predictions will come true.

But in reality, we only need to change our outlook to what is happening, to see that it is not a crisis, not cause for despair, but a thoughtful plan of nature to develop man. We need to accept what is happening now like a classroom exercise we must do to change ourselves in order to pass the high school examinations and enter adult life—new, harmonious, and good.
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Baal HaSulam, “The Nation”: …the proximate step after the ruin of the present government is that of Nazism or Fascism. Evidently, we are still enduring a medial phase in human development. Humanity has not yet reached the highest level of the ladder of evolution. Who knows or can assume how many rivers of blood are yet to be spilt before humankind reaches the desired level?

The problem we are facing is: how to go from the current phase of development to the altruistic phase? Equality and fair distribution are not just words. They must be backed by great preparation work on educating the masses and creating a new social network—one that’s real, not virtual. These things are far from obvious, and evolution is not leading us to them by the natural path. This requires conscious participation from us and the realization of our own evil.

Revolutions “off the mark” where people come out to public plazas and “take them over” won’t help us because we are no longer dealing with the gradual development of egoism, which breaks through the blockades of government or regimes and reaches new frontiers. We are moving further and further from slavery to freedom, but this freedom is deceptive. In reality, we are putting ourselves into a more sophisticated system of slavery.

On the other hand, it is impossible to go from the egoistic regime to the altruistic one by the same, routine scheme. This requires a sensation and realization of evil, a need for a change of state in spite of our nature. That means we have to prepare for an inner revolution: to build an environment as a factor of influence, to use the science of Kabbalah as a means, as an instruction manual for working, and form a pyramid so the leading, understanding, and feeling part will head the process. We have to go through levels of despair and helplessness in the current state. It’s not enough to simply admit that all means have been exhausted, as economists, pedagogues, and other specialists are now saying. We must also agree with the fact that any further deterioration will bring us to total collapse.

Then people will be able to hear the message about nature’s plan, which has prepared this entire path for us so that today we would feel the need to change ourselves and would find the means to transform ourselves and become opposite to what we currently are. If people will hear this, we will be able to go through the phases of development relatively smoothly. But we won’t avoid the pain until people are able to hear, until they desire to receive the message, and until they realize it.

Nevertheless, it will be possible to go through the forthcoming phases without real bloodshed. Otherwise there is great suffering ahead for us.

We are facing a turning point, a bifurcation point. It is possible to go from the egoistic regime to the altruistic one, to bestowal, fair distribution, social justice, and mutual guarantee, only in two ways:

– By means of horrible disasters. But the disasters won’t help by themselves and we won’t learn anything from them. They will simply entail analysis and conclusions.
– By means of dissemination, which will allow people to understand that there is no other way out and we have to change the tendency.

You and I are at this very point, and these states will now have to be realized.
[55189]
From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/20/11, “The Nation”

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Question: What is the use in educating the masses if the elite will continue to take the lion’s share?

Answer: The lion’s share of what? Do you think that the elite will not help us in providing basic needs? I do not think so. The government and the rich will not stand aside; they will lend a helping hand. In fact, neither they nor the masses have a choice. If we are heading towards general recovery, any part of the nation can take part in this.

For example, everyone but the poorest will allocate 10 percent of their income to social needs. What will motivate them? The threat of social riot and the collapse of country. The state will also cut one-tenth of the fat, both from the budget as well as from informal resources.

We need to understand what will follow. Unemployment will increase; the gap between rich and poor will grow, and people, as well as the government, will be confused. This is what will happen if we do not proceed to global education. The same thing is happening in Europe and America. Everyone will have to resort to this method. And we, Israelis, should set an example for the whole world.

And above all, it is desirable to demonstrate to people as soon as possible that “fair distribution” without global education is not fair and provides no solutions. We will not be able to deal with any modern problem without radical changes in society.
[55203]
From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/20/2011, “The Nation”

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Opinion: (Yuri Yakovets, Professor, Russian Academy of Public Administration; from the report to the UN): “In the first half of the 21st century the world of civilizations faced new challenges of the next whorl of historical progress, was hit with a wave of global crises – financial-economic, energy-ecological, food, technological, socio-cultural – and is now on the crossroads.

“The multi-polar world has become a reality. A strategic choice is made between its two models: multi-polar world based on the confrontation and conflicts of civilizations or on their dialogue and partnership.”

For the time being, the predominant strategy is to adapt to new conditions, thereby prolonging the agony of the old regime and exacerbating global conflict. But having outlined a future society, it is necessary to develop and implement the strategy of becoming an integral civilization, the foundations of which originate before our eyes, thus alleviating the birthing pains of the transition to a new stage of our development.

My Comment: The stages of “fetal development” and its birth have been already described; we only need to circulate and implement them. The events should unfold like in a Hollywood movie that shows how the inhabitants of the Earth prepare for the arrival of aliens from outer space. We too need to rush to get ready for the coming of a new world. We feel its manifestation and our lack of preparedness as a crisis. This crisis is in us, but if we start to change, our bitter sensations will turn into their opposite.
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Opinion: (Floyd Norris, The New York Times): “If there was one lesson to be learned from the European sovereign debt crisis, it was that monetary union by itself cannot work indefinitely. If Europe really wants to preserve the advantages of the euro currency, it will need far more fiscal and economic integration. Nations will have to give up a significant amount of sovereignty.

“European leaders seem to be willing to accept that reality. But persuading publics may be far more difficult.

“Those realities will continue to pressure Europeans toward either abandoning the currency union or accepting much more financial union. For now, anyway, they are choosing the latter course.”

My Comment: But any alliance calls for the consent of the citizens, and that requires educating people in the spirit of considering all society as a single system. Otherwise, the government will not have the support of its citizens. But it is impossible to persuade the public to go against their own interests in one go. This requires multiple, extensive explanations of the general condition and its single solution: to bring the EU countries to general (financial) guarantee.
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