Baal HaSulam, “Peace in the World”: If the above practical difficulties, which disturb us helpless people on our way, are not enough, we have in addition a further mix-up and great battle of the psychological predispositions, meaning the attributes themselves within each and everyone of us individually, which are unique and contradictory to one another. …

Thus you see how our attributes collide and fight one another, and not only between sects, but within each person, the four attributes dominate him all at once or one at a time and fight within him until it is impossible for common sense to organize them and bring them to complete consent.

Despite all the efforts, strife will reign on the Earth. We will never achieve peace and balance. You cannot distinguish what properties dominate in the global world. Everyone is included in everyone else and as a result, we have no hope for perfection and harmony.

Over time we will understand, feel, and “taste,” the categories of peace, mercy, justice, and truth. Then we will be able to carry out scientific research and recognize what categories and how exactly they are emphasized in countries and societies with different mentalities, with different approaches to life and religion, with different histories, including the history of inter-communal and international relations. After all, due to the prevalence of some properties over others, nations and civilizations today are in incorrect relationships. As a consequence, we have no chance to establish a good life either in individual societies or between them.

Just looking into the essence of things by means of comprehensive studies we will understand the process of development, and grasp how to combine the four main categories so that on the basis of their interaction, they will help bring the human being, society, and the whole world to the realization of evil, meaning to understand the cause of all failures. And only then will the world have the opportunity to be healed.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/28/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Our state depends on how we evaluate it, according to what values. A person receives a scale of values from the environment. We started to develop due to the environment when we climbed down from the trees. All of human development occurs because society promotes that it’s necessary to be big, strong, and prosperous. Thus the progress of humanity began.

The development is only possible thanks to the community. If society had not instilled new values in us, in excess of what is required by the body for simple existence, we would have remained as animals. We are no different from them except for the element of competition, which we are engaged in amongst ourselves, a development due to the environment.

The environment is evolving and we are developing together with it. This development is not characteristic of animals, only of humans. A special kind of animal that can grow due to the environment is called a human being in this world. And the kind of human being who is able to develop by means of purposefully developing his environment is called a Kabbalist. These are two stages that rise above the animal level: an ordinary person and a Kabbalist.

Kabbalists specially develop their environment to evolve due to it, as if they pull themselves up by the hair. Average people do not do that. Society develops and pulls them in different directions in the same plane of this world, but not towards qualitatively new values.

Thus, humanity evolves naturally until it comes to a crisis. The development based on competition leads to the situation when a part of humanity is insanely enriched and the other completely impoverished. The situation becomes critical because no middle layer is left. We have already passed the stage when society had hoped to achieve universal prosperity, the realization of the American dream that promised everyone abundance for his work.

But this is impossible; human egoism will not let the rich sacrifice even a bit. It will force them to keep 100% of their wealth. The most they will tear from themselves for the poor is 0.1% only so the poor can somehow survive and serve the rich, but not more.

So, we return to Marx’s theory because our ego separates us to the antagonistic poles between which war is inevitable. The attempt to build a developed post-industrial welfare society has failed because in this case someone has to sacrifice his profit; the rich should share with the poor. And why should they suddenly agree to that if it’s possible to squeeze out of the poor everything and leave only a minimum so they will not starve to death?

Our egoism deprives us of reason; you look at the world and are amazed by what happens in it: The rich are killing themselves by their actions, risking their own lives. But they cannot stop. The ego is growing and forcing them to act in this manner.
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From the 1^st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/18/13, Writings of Rabash

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In the News (from The New York Times): “Once upon a time women seemed more eager than men to marry. Today such generalizations no longer apply.

“Is it women’s preferences (the demand for husbands) or men’s preferences (the supply of husbands) that are driving the trend toward less marriage? It’s hard to tell, but some gender asymmetries are apparent. For instance, a recent poll of unmarried blacks of prime marrying age found that only 25 percent of women were seeking a long-term relationship compared with 43 percent of men. …

“As a contractual commitment, marriage has a price. It offers both costs and benefits to potential partners. The contract involves commitments for financial support and family care on terms that can be completely egalitarian. …

“Women are willing to pay a higher price for marriage than men if they have few alternatives, as when their opportunities for economic independence are restricted. An increase in the supply of women who want to marry drives the price of marriage down for men.

“If the supply of women who want to marry decreases, the terms of marriage move in favor of women. They are likely to receive a larger share of joint income and leisure time. Husbands become more likely to relinquish some decision-making power and do more housework and child care.

“Marriage market dynamics mean that a bride’s bargaining power is partly determined by the number of other choices her groom has (and vice versa). The changing terms of marriage complicate the effects of women’s improved economic position. On the one hand, men should like the prospect of sharing income with a high-earning woman. On the other hand, they may find it difficult to adjust to a new social role. …

“These economists also contend that couples in which the wife earns more than the husband are less satisfied with their marriage and are more likely to divorce. …

“The demand for long-term commitments seems to be steadily declining among both women and men. Philip Cohen persuasively asserts that we should stop bemoaning this change and adapt to a world in which fewer adults marry.”

My Comment: The family is the foundation of civilization and it will exist as long civilization exists. In the past, Bolsheviks dreamed of free sex and raising children in boarding schools, but nature always returns everything to its place. The main thing is to constantly try to strive for harmony with nature by studying it.
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If you ask people in different countries whether they have hope for peace, it is hard to say what their honest answer would be. Many have completely despaired of good expectations and do not know what can help them. This applies equally to the “big and small of this world.” Despair overcomes everyone and we seemingly have forgotten basic things: Creating a family, having children, looking to the future… Humanity faces a serious problem, and apparently, it should bring people to a certain decision.

In the meantime hopes for a good tomorrow are melting, not to mention peace on Earth. Actually, the word “peace” in Hebrew (“Shalom”) is perfection (“Shlemut”).

At the beginning of the last century, as well as in the middle, at the end of the Second World War, there were high hopes for prosperity and progress, even for a breakthrough to the stars. But it all ended very quickly; today many would prefer not to think about tomorrow. Today, there is no more goal that attracts people. The human being without a purpose turns into a beast again…

We can observe firsthand how humanity is sinking, slips down in self-awareness and self-esteem, despite all the demagoguery of beautiful words. The spirit of life leaves and although various “masters of the world” are very much afraid of this trend that leaves people feeling helpless, they have nothing to give to people so they calm down and become satisfied with life.

All this can lead to big explosions. If a person has nothing to lose, he is capable of anything. He feels bad not so much because of material deprivation, but because there is nothing by what he can satisfy his human need to know the cause and purpose of existence.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/24/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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Any attempts to establish peace before we are corrected leads to destruction. “Peace” among egoists just prevents them from correcting the situation. Only the category of truth can be worse when it is realized without proper preparation.

In general, these are the real vessels, desires, behind those categories, which are better not to reveal until we have obtained the screen (Masach). For example, if right now we begin to treat each other from the position of truth, then no one will be able to get along with anyone. In reality we are all different, everyone confronts others, everyone is able to receive only what it is good for him and reject what is bad for him, thus, on a whole, a terrible situation develops.

The spiritual laws of human society are a “deadly poison” until we turn them into the “elixir of life.” And that is why today the whole world is gradually sinking. In general, until today, only troubles pushed us forward and now we were given an opportunity to advance along the right path, the path of unity. We can already feel something in the fog, to recognize the way, to step on the path of acceleration, the Reshimot of which are slightly revealed in us. But anyway, the higher the spiritual categories are, the more powerful their destructive potential is in the event of incorrect use in the uncorrected vessels, desires.

Therefore, first we need to obtain the screen. Then in any case, “love will cover all crimes,” that is, I initially will aim at mercy and thus will be able to gradually realize the category of truth.
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From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/24/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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In the News (from Raw Story): “’There is a cyberwar going on,’ Hamadoun Toure, secretary general of the International Telecommunication Union, said during a cybersecurity debate at the Geneva Press Club.

“’Just like a conventional war, there are no winners, only destruction,’ he warned an audience of reporters, diplomats and technology experts.

While Toure declined to pin the blame on individual countries, such attacks have become common currency. …

“In an increasingly connected and Internet-dependent world, cyber attacks by governments and criminal gangs alike have the potential to wreak havoc on everything from the financial sector to key public services, Toure said.

“’No one single entity can do it alone. We have to change the mindset. Are we mentally prepared to work with one another?’ he asked.

“’In this arena, there’s no such thing as a superpower anymore,’ he said, given that is it cheap to create viruses and launch attacks.

“’It’s the human brain that’s driving this. So we’re all equal in this, and we need to come together. That’s the new order. It’s not one country. It’s not like a nuclear power, where the technology, the knowledge base and the infrastructure and the funding are required for that.’

“’We have to treat cyberspace like we treat the real world,’ he added. ‘What’s true in the real world is true in cyberspace. Some people say we’re in a new environment where the rules are completely different. We’re not. Because humans are at the centre of this.’”

My Comment: As nature reveals itself as an integral whole, our connection and interdependence will be constantly revealed in increasing scale and depth. Agents like Snowden (not traitors) and residents are required to let the world know that “everyone’s hands are in everyone elses.” Thus the process of liberation from boundaries only shortens. This requires a psychological revolution in people by means of the method of integral education, but this is only possible in the integral analog system in which we find nature and ourselves.
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Baal HaSulam, “Peace in the World:” First, everyone must thoroughly understand and explain to his surroundings that the wellbeing of society, which is the wellbeing of the state and the wellbeing of the world, are completely interdependent. As long as the laws of society are not satisfactory to each and every individual in the state, and leave a minority that is unsatisfied with the government of the state, this minority conspires under the government of the state and seeks to overthrow it.

Once, it was different, but today, as a result of liberalism, the arms race, and the special structure of society, even a tiny group of people is able to undermine the foundation of entire countries. The world is fragile as never before: The least distortion, any disorder, any disagreement, even in some small thing, eventually turns into a big problem that could destroy the entire building. Technology and means of destruction have gone too far, politics is too hypocritical, social order is too vulnerable.

The same happens in the family: A trivial quarrel can scatter its parts away from each other. The Internet, in general, provides unimaginable possibilities: several “brats,” sitting in front of the screen, can make millions out “virtual space,” but they can also undermine the foundations of companies, banks, countries, anything.

It turns out that nowadays a handful of people can cause considerable damage to the whole country. Moreover, the more developed that country is, the more vulnerable and sensitive it is to the strike of single groups.

The world has become very sensitive to the slightest frictions and differences. This tension between its parts will only grow until it will lead us to the understanding that whether we like it or not, we need to find some common ground for everyone, the common denominator, free of any kind of disagreement, imbued with integrity and unanimity. It seems to be something absolutely unreal, and yet, the law of the global, perfect, integral unity is manifested before us more clearly.

That is why the world needs complete, total wellbeing. It will not be able to live fragmented into parties, sectors, and power factions; it will no longer be able to struggle in its own disagreement. Be that as it may, but we already see that nature pushes us towards wholeness. What is not unified has no right to exist.
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From the 3^rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 7/17/13, Writings of Baal HaSulam

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In the News (from Washington Examiner): “Behind Wal-Mart, the second-largest employer in America is Kelly Services, a temporary work provider.

“Friday’s disappointing jobs report showed that part-time jobs are at an all-time high, with 28 million Americans now working part-time. The report also showed another disturbing fact: There are now a record number of Americans with temporary jobs. Approximately 2.7 million, in fact. And the trend has been growing. …

“It’s a sad state of affairs for our country. While part-time and temp jobs reached highs last month, full-time jobs decreased by another 240,000. The recovery, or lack thereof, is being fueled by a shift from full-time to part-time work.”

My Comment: They lie—downsizing occurs everywhere, and the numbers are inflated to calm down the markets. Society is gradually transformed into a society that produces nothing; hidden unemployment is ubiquitous. People must be somehow occupied and countries are thinking about how to engage them. But this will not lead to appeasement because nature leads us to the realization of the need for a new level of development.
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One hundred percent of our systems of relationships are connected to the economy. The economy is a reflection of our egoistic connections because it’s not just about finances. Even if we politely say to each other, “Hello, thanks, goodbye” or just give someone a fork, when we sit at a shared table, this is also economics because these are acts of exchange. We are not necessarily obligated to count dollars because the exchange is happening both in the energetic level and at the verbal level.

Therefore, the wisdom of Kabbalah says that the world will pass to another economy, and the present economy will simply destroy itself. And the sooner we understand where it’s heading the easier it will transition to a new economy.

A new economy is an economy of sensible consumption where we don’t consider our options but our needs and work only for them. The economy will be built upon satisfying a rational human lifestyle and nothing more. Whereas, the principle by which it works today will soon be successfully “removed” everywhere, everything will collapse.

If we don’t lead the integral education, it will be realized through crisis and bankruptcy, which already have their place now. We take upon ourselves only the educational work. We need new economists, people different from those who are found in power today.
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From the Convention In Krasnoyarsk 6/14/13, Lesson 4   

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In the News (from huffingtonpost.com): “Approximately 48 percent of Americans say they think that a Great Depression is either very or somewhat likely to occur within the year according to a CNN Opinion Research Poll, the highest percentage of respondents that have stated that level of certainty since CNN first started asking the question in October 2008. Respondents’ fear that they would soon become unemployed also spiked to an all-time high of 30 percent….”

“‘That’s not just economic pessimism,’ CNN polling director Keating Holling told CNN, reflecting on the polling results, ‘that’s economic fatalism.'”

The nation’s overall unemployment rate sits at 8.8 percent and the rate among white Americans is at 7.9 percent. 15.5 percent of African Americans are out of work and still looking for a job.

During the global recession (1929-1939), later called the Great Depression, the highest level of unemployment rose to 23.6% in the USA.
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