Every single major problem we face today can be solved

[burythehatchet]

and probably with ease, given the incredible ingenuity of the world's people. What prevents us from solving our problems is that a very few, a miniscule number of people profit from a broken system.

For example, healthcare. I could deliver a 3 page proposal that would fix how healthcare is delivered and financed. Many others, more learned that I could ever be, could describe very elegant solutions. In fact, there are so many solutions that are better options than the current system, that the vested interests are forced to spend tens of millions of dollars to prop up their house of cards.

Same thing with war. The vast majority of people would stop war immediately and forever. But the minority interests, the war profiteers, just keep arming all sides.

Its a shame that the 28% of lemmings who still support chuckle-nuts can't seem to get that concept. Their argument is not against us.

[rockymountaindem]

1. Yep

I don't side with the doomsayers when they say, "it's too late", but I do side with some of them when they question the ability of us regular folks to overcome the hurdles presented by corporate greedheads.

[burythehatchet]

2. sometimes

I meditate upon the potential energy that could be generated if we, home sapiens, all over the planet, worked towards common goals. The thought boggles the mind.

[Fridays Child]

3. Every single major problem we face today can be solved...

...by women--or, at least, by the global implementation of a more feminine world view.

The Real Wealth of Nations

"In this powerful book, eminent social scientist Riane Eisler shows that the great problems of our time – such as poverty, inequality, war, terrorism, and environmental degradation – are due largely to flawed economic systems that set the wrong priorities and misallocate resources. Conventional economic models fail to value and support the most essential human work: caring and caregiving. So basic human needs are increasingly neglected, despair and ecological destruction escalate, and the resulting social tensions fuel many of the conflicts we face today."

[Matsubara]

4. I would add that most major problems would be solved by a reduction in birthrates.

So many economic, ecological and other problems are caused by overpopulation. I would much rather see the human population eventually brought back down to 4 billion or so via sensible birth control, rather than the war, famine and disease outbreaks that seem ever more likely with each passing year.

[Fridays Child]

6. I agree. Earth's resources are finite--every one of them.

If population outpaces resources, catastrophic natural consequences will result.

[leftofthedial]

5. and george bush calls them his base

[Hamlette]

7. reminds me of my favorite Clinton quote: "There is nothing wrong with American that can't be solved

by what's right with America."

I tell you, there are days when that quote gets me by.

[MN ChimpH8R]

8. We could solve everything

with these tools:

- Instant runoff voting on paper ballots
- Public financing of all elections at the state and federal levels and free TV time for all candidates over 5% in a reputable series of polls
- An end to eternal corporate personhood

If ya get those three, everything else will fall into place.

[burythehatchet]

9. Wow

you're in my head!

...corporate personhood would probably be number 1 though.

[Jonathan50]

10. For every problem there is a solution...

That is simple, elegant and wrong.

We would have to change human nature in order to implement most of the solutions I see discussed here.

At the core we are still naked apes, only interested in our own well being and maybe that of our clan.

[burythehatchet]

11. I could not disagree more

As long as one person is capable to thinking in terms of common interest, every human being of capable of it.

[Jonathan50]

14. No, that's not true of everyone..

There is a genetic component to altruism that is rapidly being lost in today's mobile world where people do not live in extended families any more.

There is a significant fraction of the population who are either sociopaths or have sociopathic leanings, one hell of a lot of them end up in positions of power since power over others is what sociopaths seek.

[gravity]

12. Nope

Usually when you try to fix one problem, you just create a new one, which needs another solution leading to more problems.

Simple but elegant solutions only work on paper. In the real world, the law of unintended consequences will destroy any well intentioned plan.

[The2ndWheel]

13. *With* ease?

I'm not buying that.

We're not really about solving problems. We just make them bigger and more complex (we still die, we just do it later). Most of the things we call "problems" are physical reality that we don't want to accept. We make it easier to deal with those realities, but then we end up with more problems as a result.

[Speck Tater]

15. Except the problem of stupidity and the ripple effect one stupid person can have

on the people around him.

No matter what we do, HALF of the people will always have below average IQs.