First......for TallyPlayer......I was following your train of thought until you had to turn it political and bring Obama's wife into it. Frankly, that's part of the problem; the willingness to politicize something to try to make a point. But if you want to cut right to the heart of the political matter; with Obama I have seen no "vision" of true change from him other than bigger and more intrusive government......And a leopard doesn't change it's spots. Twenty-some years of, at best, see more "questionable" associations cannot be overcome by good speeches.

Now the meat and potatoes......

99.9% of the time government is the problem not the solution.

One man (or woman) working a shovel can accomplish more than all the bureaucrats on the globe sitting around and talking about doing something. Political ideologies have no place at the table when it comes to changing the world for the better, but we cannot forget the fact that each culture has it's own belief system that is different from ours. Inspite of this we can still find common ground. The largest problem we face is creating a working environment between cultures where the most extreme fringe elements of each culture lose their relevance, and hence their influence.

That doesn't happen on a government level. It starts when just two "people" can put aside politics, ethnicity, religion, or any cultural differences to achieve a common goal.....In it's simplest terms; two people with shovels working together to finish a project which will benefit both.

I think the most common misconception is that citizens of developed countries need to "lower" their standard of living to save the planet. In fact, the most productive way to save the planet would be to raise the standard of living elsewhere. This can include any number of different things, but first and foremost we need to think about food, water, and sanitation. Infrastructure projects, better farming techniques, etc.

Combine this with rational development of industry with thought given to environmental impact. Better technological developement to reduce pollution, and better products that use less of our non-renewable resources. Regardless of what some environmentalist groups would have you believe we are not a global populace of careless consumers. We buy products that suit our needs and fulfill our desires. The vast majority of us would gladly buy a vehicle that achieved 100 miles per gallon of fuel so long as there was no loss of functionality for our needs. We don't want more, more, more. We just want those things that we believe will enrich our lives. As a personal example.....I have a 42 inch HD LCD TV, but I drive a 21 year old car that gets 35 MPG. Both things serve their purpose in terms of what it takes for me to feel happy. Could I buy a new car? Absolutely! But I don't NEED a new car that will get the same or worse gas mileage than the one I have now.....

Another fundamental problem we face with industry is changing the mindset in the corporate world regarding profit. Yes, everyone wants to make money, and that's okay, so long as the owner of the business remembers that the people who are producing his products are just that; "people", not some disposable commodity to be used and tossed away.

We also need to remember that we speak very loudly with our pocketbooks. We do not need to buy products from companies that have oppressive work rules, or buy from nations that have oppressive governments. This goes back to the "relevance of extremism" I spoke about above. Money speaks louder than all else, and when we consume products from countries that suppress free thought, encourage industry to enforce poverty and a peasant class, deny it's citizens access to any other sources of information than what the government produces, then we are tacitly approving of what they are doing to their citizens.

Likewise, when we purchase goods from companies in our own countries that we know have poor practices in how they treat their workers in terms of pay and working conditions, then we are again at fault.

We do have to remember however, that what is considered a "good wage" in some other countries isn't what we consider a good wage at home. In many developing countries a dollar an hour is still a good wage, and that's something that needs to change as well.

One last thing to touch on here.....Education.

Not one of us is so prescient that we can say with certainty "where" the next great scientific achievement will come from. It's extremely important that we find a way to educate ALL children of the world in the basics of math, science and language. Great minds and scientific achievements have never been limited to one culture, and we cannot be so arrogant as to think that a school girl in Darfur will never be equipped to be the person who comes up with a cure for cancer.

We should seek to empower all children with the ability to have an education if they choose to pursue that endeavor. What we must discourage however, is letting political or religious ideology poison young minds with hate; a problem that governments have created, not people.

We can celebrate diversity if we can communicate. And communication is going to be key in creating a better world for our children and grandchildren. We cannot just tell someone they are wrong.....we have to show them a way that is better and let them understand that for themselves.

Avarice and an unquenchable desire for power are our greatest enemies. Our humility and our humanity are our greatest strengths. Through those gifts we can create a better world.