Medium published my new article “Is Freedom of Expression for Sale?”

Space seems to be too small for Elon Musk, the richest man in the world. After making private space travel a reality his next goal is to conquer the information planet. The business magnate has offered to buy Twitter for $43 billion because he believes in its potential as a global platform for “freedom of expression.” Will it truly make the world freer, more open?

The battle for Twitter’s management has probably just begun. Musk’s proposal and statement have rattled the nerves of the members of the company’s board of directors, who are already taking steps to prevent the billionaire from taking over the popular network.

If at one time social media, and the media outlets in general, tried to keep up appearances as platforms for pluralism and freedom of expression, it is now clear that free speech is for sale, and that whoever controls the shares, controls the information.

People read a newspaper, scroll through the networks, listen to all kinds of narratives, and then believe that they select their world view. This is ludicrous, because free speech and free press do not exist in reality and never have. The narrative has always been determined by the one who pays, who orders the “news,” sets the agenda, and wants to influence public opinion. That’s how it has been and that’s how it will be.

In fact, it is to the credit of Musk and other rich people fighting for control today that we understand there is no freedom of speech. We understand with greater clarity who is pulling the strings and making the decisions behind the scenes. Whereas in the past, the control centers used to be anonymous, now everything is transparent, and we clearly know which newspaper and which network belongs to whom.

The next step to be expected is that all the wealthy will join together and have full control in one hand. Even if tomorrow President Biden dominates the media, or former President Trump, who is currently banned from Twitter, were to return to accelerated activity on social media, or a thousand other leaders were to take their place, it would change nothing. There are vested interests above them with capital flowing out of their hands, and they are the controlling shareholders. Therefore, there is no realistic hope for freedom of expression.

Even if there were hope for free speech, what free truth could the media tell us? That there are wars here and there? And what could anyone do about it? Could they give advice on how to get out of the trouble? Could they tell the world about its good future?

In the meantime, no leader, newspaper, or network can possibly succeed in bringing the world closer to peace and reconciliation. On the contrary, everyone is only looking for their own personal interests. Therefore, we cannot yet bring ourselves to admit the simple truth: that a good future can only be found when there are cordial bonds between people. The wars that intensify now with the rising of egoism or self-interest have no future to offer; in fact, all they can promise is our destruction.

To step out of the cycle of wars and endless fighting, Twitter and other similar media need to disseminate the viability of peace and mutual reconciliation between all. They could play an important role in positively shaping public opinion and the perception of reality of society through examples from the past and present about the benefits of upgrading human relations. So far, this goal looks as distant as space.
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Question: Does the discovery of The Book of the Zohar and the fact that we are studying it indicate that a new cycle of development has begun in humanity?

Answer: According to Kabbalah, since the end of the 20th century humanity has entered a special period when it is obliged to change the paradigm of development from reception to bestowal. We must fully implement the principle of “love your neighbor as yourself.”

However, we have neither the strength nor the desire for this. We are guided only by the need to avoid suffering. If, along with this, we open The Book of the Zohar, then a person will be able to change so much that while in our world he will feel himself as if he is in paradise.

Today, there are many comments and explanations on this book available in every language. There are about two million people around the world who are studying within the system of the international KabU education centers. Therefore, we have the experience to explain to everyone the essence of The Book of Zohar.

In the past, we were promised a bright future and we will really be able to implement it because there is a force in nature that can change us. The communists did not know this, but the Jews had it as their little secret. Today they tell everyone about it.

The time has come when humanity must realize that it must change itself, otherwise it has no future. Therefore, The Book of Zohar is now revealed and we can use it. I am sure that all of us will be happy.
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From KabTV’s “Close-Up, Gene of Altruism” 9/19/10

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The coronavirus gave us a short breather for a few weeks and then began to spread with renewed vigor. We wonder why this epidemic seemingly will not end? But this is a sign that we have not yet done what we should have done to properly respond to this virus.

As usual, there is no other cure but connection or rapprochement between us and a more human and attentive attitude to each other. This would have greatly weakened the virus.

We expected that after half the country had been ill with omicron, some kind of general immunity would arise, yet for some reason the pandemic is not going away and instead is growing again. The fact is that the previous laws do not apply to this virus. They won’t help anymore.

After all, this is not an ordinary virus, but one that requires us to fix the relationships between people. It would seem, what can the virus know about our relations? However, the virus knows everything because it has all the information inside it. We think it’s just a piece of DNA, but it’s alive!

This is not a dead element or a vegetable, but is in fact on the animal level, the same as ourselves. The coronavirus has a mind and feelings. It perceives the environment and influences it. It is able to connect to others, penetrate into the human body, and integrate into it so much that it begins to control this body.

Do not treat it condescendingly and with neglect. It seems to us, well, how can the virus know if I said hello to my neighbor today? But the virus is smarter than us and it knows everything. The virus controls the world because it is a particle of the Creator.

Coronavirus is an important element of nature, which includes in it a special concentration of all the information about this world in order to influence it. Therefore, it can be destroyed only by improving our human relations.

This may sound a little naive, but let’s try it! We don’t have anything to lose. Let’s start treating each other well and with great attention and care. We will take care of the needy, the elderly, the children, and each other; let us not litter the street or make noise. Let’s try to think about others and try to do everything to make them feel good.

I’m not waiting for someone to tell me what to do, but I’m looking for where I can help others with my kind attitude and show them that I really wish them well. Let’s conduct such an experiment in the country and in a month we will check what the situation is with the coronavirus through the following questions: Is the pandemic continuing or not? How many people have died this month? How many died from road accidents? It’s easy to check, let’s try it.
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From KabTV’s “Insight” 3/21/22

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Question: Should a leader have a desire for power? Can he do without it?

Answer: It depends on what this power is for. If I want to raise my children correctly, I must have power over them. But this is for their benefit and within the framework that is given to me by nature.

Everything else is a bad use of power. This is already something that should not be.

Question: In general, is the desire for power an innate characteristic of a person or an acquired one?

Answer: It is an innate desire. A person is born a dictator and it is impossible to raise a dictator. Society only provides conditions.
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From KabTV’s “Spiritual States” 3/22/22

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Question: What advice would you give to a leader or a manager who feels a desire for power? What should he do?

Answer: They should decide to conduct elections only according to the criterion of kindness and love of the candidate for power: what he wants to do, what kind of good deeds, and how he wants to fill the space subordinate to him with his love.

Comment: Usually he has an entire list of things he wants to do.

My Response: No! The list will not help here. It is necessary to constantly check his management:, every day, every week, every month, and every year. If it is not according to these criteria, he should be dismissed immediately.

And behind him there is a queue of people who will fight for kindness! A queue of people who want to show the power of love in relation to society.
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From KabTV’s “Spiritual States” 3/22/22

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Question: Are there any effective mechanisms for combating the negative influence of power on an individual and on the behavior of a person?

Answer: There is the gradual cultivation of love in everyone for everyone else over many years and even maybe generations. Nothing else! Only in this way will we be able to rise above our egoistic essence and become controlled by love.

Comment: But this is a long educational process.

My Response: We do not have anything else.
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From KabTV’s “Spiritual States” 3/22/22

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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “Europe’s ‘Strategic Compass’”

Some three weeks ago, Europe announced the launch of the Strategic Compass initiative, “an ambitious plan of action for strengthening the EU’s security and defence [sic] policy.” The initiative does not intend to be a part of NATO, but to run alongside it and relate to NATO as a “strategic partner.”

Despite the fact that NATO is an alliance established primarily in order to protect Europe, and even though the majority of the countries in both entities, including the primary initiator of the “Compass,” France, participate in both, the new organization will compete against NATO for the same resources. It’s Military Mobility plan, for example, is “an EU initiative to improve the mobility of military personnel, materiel and assets within and beyond the EU.” Similarly, the “Compass” will build an EU Rapid Deployment Capacity task force to enable the EU “to react to conflicts quickly, robustly and effectively. To that end, the EU will develop a Rapid Deployment Capacity (EU RDC) consisting of up to 5000 troops.”

As I see it, Europe’s anti-American spirit will blow up in its face. The initiative demonstrates how disunited the European Union really is. The only solution to this situation is that soon, both France and Germany (to a lesser extent), will suffer powerful blows that will shake the anti-American spirit out of them.

The relentless ambition to be unique, superior, and all powerful, especially in the leading countries in the EU, makes Europe the opposite of united, and in that sense, this initiative is exemplary. The rest of the European countries will have to balance them, but it will not be easy.

Europe had been the dominant continent for centuries, but two world wars have upended the world order. Today, Europe has two leaders, Germany and France, in that order, which are completely opposite to one another in every sense of the word. Additionally, there are the United States, Russia, and a number of Asian countries such as China, India, and several others, which are also growing increasingly powerful and dominant. The EU countries pale in comparison to them.

Because of it, Europe has no future. They might join hands in order to protect themselves against outside aggressors, but the connection among the EU countries has always been loose and competitive. This is why they cannot get along and why they will not succeed.

If there is a future for Europe, it is to show the entire world that humanity has no choice but to live together in peace and rise above the ego. The sustainable concept for humanity is to begin to genuinely help one another. Instead of looking for the next opportunity to beat each other on the head, we must learn to look for ways to tighten the bonds between us.

Granted, this is a learning process, but it has to start somewhere. If Europe sows the seeds now, they will see them bear fruit. If they stall, matters will deteriorate until they are forced to go down this path of peace against their will. As long as Germany stands on one side and France on the other, and in between no one does anything, nothing good will happen.‎
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Question: In May of 2020 TikTok blogger Demi Skipper from San Francisco took announced on her blog that wanted to start with an ordinary bobby pin [hair pin] and swap her way up to a home. She exchanged it for a pair of earrings, and then continued to make a progression of more valuable trade-ups until in November of the same year she achieved her goal of owning a home.

This isn’t the first case of someone trading up a relatively worthless item to owning a house. In 2007, Canadian Kyle McDonald made 14 exchanges to home ownership starting with a big red paper clip.

What do you think about these tales that seem like fantasy?

Answer: All this takes place in front of an audience. But it is quite possible. From where does wealth, money, steamships, etc. come in general? That’s exactly how it’s done.

Question: What’s happening in the chain? Why? How does it get so hyped?

Answer: These are desires multiplied by human stupidity, swagger, fame, and so on. All this gives value to these amounts.

Question: “I’ll do it, and I’ll give you a car for a paper clip. And they will talk about me.” Something like that?

Answer: Yes, it is a sale, of course.

Question: What would you personally like to launch, something simple like this paper clip, and what would you like to get at the end?

Answer: I would like to launch into the world the popularity of the happiness of the world, the real happiness of the world, and at the end for everyone to get an understanding of it. But there is no such TikTok currently, not yet.

Question: A simple sentence like this: “What is happiness for the world?” And as a result, everyone will understand it. Is there no such thing?

Answer: No. There are no such games like this. A deep awareness is needed by each and everyone, of course, that a person is created an egoist and so on. This is the only way. A  game won’t help here; it can’t wind up just like that. It’s not a show.

A person should really want to connect with others, to take care of them, and to realize that we are on the same Titanic.

Question: Can this Titanic sail?

Answer: If we support it this way, then undoubtedly.

Question: If we unite?

Answer: Yes.

Question: And if not, then this is the Titanic?

Answer: Of course.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 12/23/21

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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “Will the Jews be Blamed for the War in Ukraine?”

As with any conflict, especially a major one, it is only a matter of time before a blaming finger is turned toward the Jews. The war in Ukraine is no exception. As the war continues, more and more posts and videos are popping up online blaming Israel, or Jews, or both, for the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine. In our defense, we may argue that the truth is to the contrary: Israel’s prime minister tried his best to broker a truce, we set up a field hospital in Ukraine at our own expense, Israel took in tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees although we are a very small country, and Ukraine’s prime minister is himself Jewish. But no one listens to us since the hatred of Israel and Jews is as old as Judaism itself, and its roots are buried deep in the heart of every person on the planet.

In his comprehensive composition A History of ‎the Jews, acclaimed historian Paul Johnson eloquently articulated how the world feels about Jews: “At a very early stage in their collective existence they [Jews] believed they had ‎detected a divine scheme for the human race, of which their own society was to be a pilot.”

Indeed, the Jewish people did not evolve naturally, out of a core clan or tribe. It evolved by gradually gathering individuals from many different tribes and nations over generations. These individuals eventually amalgamated into a nation by following a single tenet that determined everything they did: the aspiration to love each other as themselves.

If you examine the legacy of Judaism, you will find that it consists primarily of social rules that determine how to build a just and cohesive society where people care for one another. This is why Rabbi Akiva, possibly the greatest sage since Moses, said that the encompassing law of Judaism is “Love your neighbor as yourself.” This is also why Hillel, another one of our greatest sages, said to a man who asked him to explain the whole Torah (Jewish law) in a nutshell (allegorically, while he is standing on one leg): “That which you hate, do not do unto another; the rest is commentary.”

When we were tasked with being “a light unto nations,” at the foot of Mt. Sinai, this love of others was the “light” that we were ordered to shine, our unity above all differences. King Solomon immortalized the tenet of love above all divisions with his words (Prov. 10:12), “Hate stirs up strife, and love will cover all crimes.”

Throughout our ancient history, we struggled to maintain our unity and love for one another. We fought to overcome internal hatred and struggles that arose within us, and be the light to the nations that we were ordered to be.

However, toward the beginning of the Common Era, we succumbed to self-hatred and our social structure collapsed. That failure had made us the world’s pariahs, as we had failed to be a light unto nations. Until we restore our unity and fulfill our vocation, the nations will not forgive us and will not want us among them.

For the most part, they will not be able to articulate exactly why they hate us, so they will rationalize their anger by blaming us for contemporary plights such as diseases, wars, economic crises, religious conflicts, and all the other problems for which Jews have been blamed. However, underneath them all, there is, was, and will be only one grievance that the world has against us: our lack of unity, and in consequence, our failure to shine the light of unity to the nations.

Only when we rise above the division that has been tearing us apart from within for more than two millennia, the world will accept and welcome us. If we unite, we will not need to explain our position; we will not need to justify ourselves; and we will not need to fight against antisemitism. If we defeat the antisemite within us, who hates his own brethren, the external antisemitism will vanish on its own.
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Medium published my new article “Indebted against Our Will”

Much has changed in the job market over the past two years. There is a constant shortage of employees as more and more people are unwilling to groan under jobs they do not like. They are looking for freedom and satisfaction, and they are willing to settle for lower wages in return for more freedom. People are becoming increasingly narcissistic. As a result, they are reluctant to follow instructions, and will easily quit just to be free of their bosses. In many cases, people have become so rebellious that they can barely obey law enforcement officers. They simply cannot bow to anyone. But when we break the system that sustains us without building a better one instead, we are risking ourselves and all of society.

If we live in a society, any society, we are indebted to it whether we like it or not. The society influences us, and we influence the society. Since we cannot survive on our own, we are compelled to live in a society.

Therefore, in order to live in a society that we like, we must know the rules of our society and how to conduct ourselves calmly within it. To achieve calm, we must maintain balance among all parts of society. This includes not only the people in our society, but our entire environment, since our peace of mind and well-being depend not only on the people around us, but also on the climate, vegetation, and everything that surrounds us.

The key word in the formula that makes life peaceful and sustainable is “balance.” Everything in nature is balanced in the sense that it is equally nourished by its surroundings and nourishes its surroundings.

We, on the other hand, think only of ourselves. We have no interest in giving anything to anyone. But a society of narcissists is unsustainable. Since everyone operates with only themselves in mind, the society is collapsing. This imbalance between giving and receiving is the source of all our troubles.

We struggle against the compulsion to maintain balance, but the result is that we are in a climate crisis, social crisis, and an economic crisis. There is a growing shortage of food, extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and ferocity, inflation is soaring, and social orders are collapsing the world over.

If we want to feel free, we must free ourselves from egoism. This is what causes our narcissism, and this is our real tyrant. The ego enslaves us and forces us to obey its will. If we choose freedom from egoism, we will learn what real freedom means.
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