What is the single greatest problem we face?

[Boozy]

I thought this might be interesting.

What do you think is the single greatest issue we face, whether in your own country or internationally? You may have different answers depending on what scale you're talking about.

For me, I'd have to say that a good portion of the world's issues boil down to lack of access to quality education. I could expound on my theory a bit, and I may do so when I have more time.

How about you guys?

[Greenday]

Well, I was going to say the stupidity and ignorance of the majority of the people. People who get a chance at a good education, but they don't do squat with it.

[Giggle Goose]

Please don't throw granola at me; but it has to be the environment. Sure, there's educational issues, but we're destroying the planet so fast that soon we won't even have a decent world in which to teach our children and their children.

[anriana]

Misdistribution of wealth. People lucky enough to be born into a first world country can eat themselves to death while people in third world countries starve to death, and something like 1% of the world's population owns 60% of the land.

Lack of education sucks too, but having a full stomach and an empty mind >>> an empty stomach and a full mind.

[AFPheonix]

I will agree on the environment thing, and narrow it down to water supply. That's one of the largest reasons we have wars, and as the climate changes and places that were once temperate become more arid, we will have more conflict.

[Difdi]

I would say that the worst problem facing the USA is the growing belief that decency, honor, ethics, morals and for want of a better term, doing the right thing, are all quaint and outdated concepts, with no place in modern society.

Don't believe me? Ask the average teenager which is more important: winning a challenging game fairly, or just winning, period.

[Boozy]

Please don't throw granola at me; but it has to be the environment. Sure, there's educational issues, but we're destroying the planet so fast that soon we won't even have a decent world in which to teach our children and their children.

I agree with you about the environment. But I think its one of those things that boils down to an education issue. Nothing's getting done to fix the problem because so many world leaders still believe that everything is going to be just fine, and they aren't scientifically-minded enough to appreciate the consequences of their decisions.

Education goes a long way to preventing corruption and poverty in the Third world, too. A well-informed populace with a voice doesn't put up with the kind of dictatorships that cause so many issues.

[rahmota]

I would have to say the biggest problem world wide is the inequal distribution of resources. And I'm not talking about just wealth. Wealth comes from equal distribution of resources like education, freash clean water, sustainable nutritious food, energy. All of these things are the basic resources a person needs to survive. Unfortunately the greed and selfish me first attitude of too many people have resulted in the precious finite resources of earth being squandered in petty bickering and nationalist pride. Eventually things will come to the breaking point and society will either adapt or die.

[Slytovhand]

My vote actually reflects what everyone else here has headed towards... but from a different angle...

Ego.

Not the Jungian or Freudian version of it (as in Id and all that...) but as the perception of the self as it has been indoctrinated into us. We believe various things about ourselves, including how we fit into society.

Most of it is absolute crap.

So... we get led down the garden path of selfishness, greed etc.

Humans are pretty intelligent beings as a whole, and certainly have the capability to sort out all of the above problems.

So.. why don't they?

Answer...ego.

On both the individual basis (who goes and chooses to stand up to something they don't like, and be willing to sacrifice for it, or at least suffer a consequence for it), and on a group or political level ("hey... let's do the best thing for all people - and do it knowing we'll lose the next election and will make us unpopular").

[CancelMyService]

I would have to say the biggest problem world wide is the inequal distribution of resources. And I'm not talking about just wealth. Wealth comes from equal distribution of resources like education, freash clean water, sustainable nutritious food, energy. All of these things are the basic resources a person needs to survive. Unfortunately the greed and selfish me first attitude of too many people have resulted in the precious finite resources of earth being squandered in petty bickering and nationalist pride. Eventually things will come to the breaking point and society will either adapt or die.

You know, it's funny that while you and I could possibly end up rolling around having a fistfight over other topics, I agree with you 100% here.

[Seshat]

Overpopulation.

In and of itself, it is a problem; but is also exacerbates all other problems.


A hundred greedy selfish people with low morals is a problem.

A thousand of them is a serious problem.

A million of them is a disaster.

A billion...?


So .. yeah. Lots of problems. But an excess of humans makes all of them worse.

[Boozy]

Overpopulation....

A hundred greedy selfish people with low morals is a problem.

I agree with overpopulation being the root of many other problems, but I've always thought of it more from a limited resources perspective.

If the earth had unlimited resources, billions of people would not be a bad thing. Yes, there are selfish and greedy people, but there are also billions of good people, and they can be a very powerful force.

[rahmota]

You know, it's funny that while you and I could possibly end up rolling around having a fistfight over other topics, I agree with you 100% here.

Hey goes to show that even the biggest redneck around can make sense sometimes....Just dont get used to it.

If the earth had unlimited resources, billions of people would not be a bad thing. Yes, there are selfish and greedy people, but there are also billions of good people, and they can be a very powerful force.

The problem with that is that space is a resource as well and we can only have so much volume for each person and their support. So even if we had a way of making food and water and power available in unlimited quantities to feed and supply the world (clothign and other supports not considered in this example) we would eventually run out of room. Moving to otherworlds might be a very good idea art that point.

[aniwahya]

I think most of our problems could be solved with vampires, or carnivorous aliens with a tasting for human flesh.

Seriously. As a species we are self absorbed, lazy and most of our time and resources are used for pleasure rather than survival. We like to think of free will as a good thing, but our gene pool is polluted and we have de-fanged "natural selection".

[Slytovhand]

I think most of our problems could be solved with vampires, <snip>

... we have de-fanged "natural selection".

Was that supposed to be a pun???

most of our time and resources are used for pleasure rather than survival.

Is that such a bad thing? I mean, surely life has more meaning and value than just merely living it? It's what you do that has significance??


Slyt