Entries in the 'World' Category

The European Union Has No Future In Its Present State

Dr. Michael LaitmanOpinion: (Michael Khazin, an economist, from km.ru):The most interesting observation seems to have been presented by Jacek Rostowski, the financial minister of Poland: ‘European elites, including German elites, must decide if they want the euro to survive – even at a high price – or not. If not, we should prepare for a controlled dismantling of the currency zone.’ He added: ‘We have a simple choice: Solidarity or the collapse of Europe. The choice is simple: Either solidarity or the collapse of the Euro bloc.’

“Either Germany (and only it!) takes personal responsibility upon itself to pay all the debts of all the countries in the European Union and maintains a standard of living in all the Union countries, or the system will begin to disintegrate.

“The attempt to annex Eastern Germany indicates that there aren’t enough resources in order to raise all of them to Germany’s level. That means the standard of living in Germany should be lowered in order to raise the standard of living in the periphery. How can such a decision be ‘sold’ to the German citizens who will have to vote for it?

“Clearly, stories about ‘European values’ don’t suit here: Most likely, fascism will resurrect on the background of the lowered standard of living, and it will replace the tolerance and multiculturalism. Germany’s interest to expand the European Union protected the market. The internal laws of the European Union greatly limited the markets in the union and closed them to foreign import. The primary internal supplier was Germany.

“Under the present conditions, it is impossible to yield a decision regarding the unity of the Euro bloc, for both political inner-German(…) and financial reasons. Germany simply doesn’t have enough money to implement this plan. That means that the European Union will have to step down from the political scene.”

My Comment: The EU has a way out, which might seem unrealistic: To continue business as usual, as is, but for the European Union’s survival, to add, on all levels, the movement for inner unity, mutual guarantee, participation, and closeness and to resemble the global and integral conditions of nature.

Indeed, in any case we are obligated, in accordance with the evolutionary plan, to acquire that form, so let’s do it consciously, out of our own will, without resisting the pressure, but rather from the realization that it is the next stage of our development. And if we internalize that, we will attain something much more perfect in an easy and hastened manner, rather than under pressure, through misery.

Every country in the world faces this challenge, yet Europe is particularly relevant since all the suitable economic and social conditions already exist in the European Union. Particularly the inner bond among people, canceling the boundaries between each and every citizen of the European Union will lead Europe to full bloom. Otherwise, it will collapse, dragging the whole world after it. The decisive point is not concerning the question of “should the EU be disassembled,” but rather “will there be peace or war.”
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The National Intelligence Council’s Report

Dr. Michael LaitmanReport (Global Trends 2025: The National Intelligence Council’s 2025 project): “The international system will be challenged by growing resource constraints at the same time that it is coping with the impact of new players.

“Continued escalation of energy demand will hasten the impacts of climate change.

“Over the next 20 years, worries about climate change effects may be more significant than any physical changes linked to climate change.

“The rising energy demands of growing populations and economies may bring into question the availability, reliability, and affordability of energy supplies.

“Terrorism is unlikely to disappear by 2025, but its appeal could lessen if economic growth continues and youth unemployment is mitigated in the Middle East.

“Current trends suggest that global governance in 2025 will be a patchwork of overlapping, often ad hoc and fragmented efforts, with shifting coalitions of member nations, international organizations, social movements, NGOs, philanthropic foundations, and companies.

“The need for effective global governance will increase faster than existing mechanisms can respond.”

My Comment: Unfortunately, from the point of view and perspective of Kabbalah, the report presents an outdated view on the old world, and by no means a new perspective on the world of the future. And yet it talks about 2025 and beyond! Analysts have to first analyze themselves, their approach, and its correspondence to reality and then search for a genuine solution, rather than just an obvious solution for their report.
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Shifting To The Economy Of The Future

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What economic concept does the idea of mutual guarantee offer?

Answer: It’s difficult to say something about the current transitional period. We have to work together with specialists. There is the economy that worked until now, and there is the economy of the next phase, built upon fair distribution and the provision of basic needs. A person will work to provide himself with the vital necessities in the commonly accepted sense, while investing all the rest of his efforts into inner growth because there he experiences fulfillment, which will eventually become infinite.

Together we decide how to provide for our vital necessities, and then, as we advance, we will see how they get reduced to the basic ones.

But for the time being, the world has to live normally. A person needs a home, a washing machine, a refrigerator, a vacuum cleaner, a bed, furniture, a school for his children, a pension, a vacation, health insurance, and so on. However, all of this is required to the degree necessary for existence, considering that all of our intentions aspire to mutual guarantee. This is the surest guarantee in and of itself: When I am sure that everyone takes care of me, I get rid of my egoistic worries. We have to help every person so he would be able to not think about himself.

For that we need an economy, banks, trade, and mutual calculations—everything that’s necessary for providing for seven billion people and for solving problems and compensating for unforeseen accidents and failures. In short, we need large scale systems, but ones that work on the principle of complementarity rather than competition.

Accordingly, we will give up excesses. Say, we won’t exchange our cars for new ones as often if the old ones are still fit for use. Or we will cancel expensive scientific projects that are pointless.

The problem is the transition, which is possible only on the condition that we work together, showing economists, sociologists, and political scientists the next state of the world. Then they’ll understand that there is no other choice but to shift from opposition to unification, and to discuss the ways to come out of the crisis in order to be saved from the threat of annihilation. They have to become aware of this problem, and then they will be able to compile a mutual, therapeutic program.

On our part, we have to influence the world as much as possible so the transitional phase won’t be so painful. This depends mainly on us. After all, everyone else is acting automatically, by the orders of egoism, which can only be budged by troubles and to some extent, our influence. And we are not addressing people’s minds, but are bringing our unity into human society, which will become a favorable ground.

Then they will suddenly feel, “There is something worth listening to here.” Even if they did not know anything before, on the inside they will admit that we are right.
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From the 5th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 9/25/11, “The Nation”

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Unity As The Method Of Solving The Crisis, Part 4

Dr. Michael LaitmanOpinion: (Dr. Rodrigue Tremblay, Professor of Economics, Emeritus, University of Montreal, Canada, the author of The Code for Global Ethics): “The world’s crisis is a moral one. …Humanity needs a new moral revival free from the old formula that encouraged conflicts and wars. Tremblay’s The Code For Global Ethics proposes a universal code of rights and obligations outlining rational humanistic principles to be applied to a global, shrinking and interdependent world.

“[He states] that humanism’s foundation is idealism, compassion, and mutual tolerance; it is humanity’s universal vision. A moral code, writes Tremblay, must be judged on its treatment of others and improvement of lives.”

My Comment: But who can develop this code and make it acceptable to the world community? Only Kabbalists will be able to draw up this code because they are familiar with the future state of the world, while only well-known people can present this code to the world.
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The Law Of Globalization In Action

Dr. Michael LaitmanThe crisis has shown the hopelessness of the governments and their inability to govern on the world scale. The crisis has formed in the world community a new global planetary way of thinking. We must realize that the unfolding changes are the act of the fundamental law of the development of the human civilization: the law of globalization.

As the law of the development of humanity, globalization is manifesting in our time in society, but in nature, this law is fundamental and constant.

We must teach the law of globalization because we will be able to solve all our problems only by properly following this law. We cannot go against globalization, but by studying it, we will rebuild ourselves and draw the most benefit from it.
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Kids, Don’t Quarrel, Play Nicely!

Dr. Michael LaitmanOpinion: (Former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder): “‘The current crisis makes it relentlessly clear that we cannot have a common currency zone without a common fiscal, economic, and social policy,’ Schroeder said.

“He added: ‘We will have to give up national sovereignty.’

“‘From the European Commission, we should make a government which would be supervised by the European Parliament. And that means the United States of Europe.’

“‘In the crisis lies a real opportunity to achieve a political union in Europe,’ he said.

“Schroeder, who says the EU can only respond to growing competition with the United States and Asia by being fully united, has long pointed to Britain as a hurdle to further EU integration.

“‘Great Britain causes the greatest problems. (It is) not in the euro but the British nevertheless always want to participate when it comes to designing a European economic area,’ he said. ‘That doesn’t work.'”

My Comment: The world will face the choice between integration and rebirth by suppressing its individual egoistic interests, or disintegration into separate parts and preservation of “unique identity.” And although disintegration will be obviously disadvantageous, it will egoistically confront unity, which requires rising above personal egoism. And thus, in the birth pangs, humanity will come to the realization of the plan of nature, to its full unity.
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Germany: The EU Rescue Plan

Dr. Michael LaitmanIn the News (from Spiegel Online International): “The head of Europe’s banking watchdog has called for the euro rescue fund to provide direct aid to ailing banks to help calm markets.

“The European Banking Authority, a supervisory body for banks in the European Union, wants the €440 billion ($635 billion) European Financial Stability Facility to provide direct capital injections to ailing banks.”

My Comment: This will not help! We will soon witness the collapse of the EU unless they take emergency measures towards true unification. We should treat not the consequence, but the cause pointing to the goal: We must become integrally interconnected by mutual guarantee throughout the world.

This is the direction of our development, and if our steps correspond to it, we do well in life and develop comfortably. But if we do not evolve in the direction of our evolution, the force of our development will continue to work on us and move us towards the goal, while we will feel it as a continuous source of suffering and problems in the environment, society, and everyone of us. And after much suffering, we will be wiser and agree to unite!
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Nazarbayev: World Drew No Conclusions From Financial Crisis

Dr. Michael LaitmanOpinion: (President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev): “Proper conclusions have not been drawn from the world crisis, while a transition to a new global economic model is only a subject for discussion, President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan believes. ‘The world has not drawn the needed conclusions from the past crisis years, and now nobody can make a reliable forecast even for the coming few months….,’ he said.

“He suggested to adopt new bank regulation laws as soon as possible. ‘Three years ago we all saw what happened to our absolutely liberal banking system that was not controlled by anybody. Banks have turned into the gangs of swindlers and thieves,’ he continued.

“’Discussions around the law on project financing have been going on since the end of 2010, and I call your attention once again to the alarming situation in the world financial system. Those draft laws include legal guarantees to all the consumers of financial services. I suggest to proceed with their adoption,’ he stressed in conclusion.”

My Comment: However, nobody has a plan for exiting the current situation. It’s because they do not take into account the fact that this situation is a natural state of our evolution or rather, of our incompatibility with the global interconnected system of nature.
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A Trial Or A Farce?

Dr. Michael LaitmanIn 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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Italy’s General Strike Over Austerity

Dr. Michael LaitmanIn 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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