Obstacle course.

• Author: Oslik, Norman
• Position: FROM READERS - Letter to the editor

Your World Watch at 20 issue [November/December 2007] reinforced several unfortunate truths: (a) The core facts regarding our current crises have been known for a long time and available to anyone willing to look and listen; (b) Those with a lot to lose and a lot of money to back them up will fight like the devil to protect their shortterm interests, even if our and their longterm interests demand change; (c) Likewise, our system is geared to shortterm thinking and action and responds to money and power; (d) Elected officials, with occasional valiant exceptions, are notoriously reluctant to act for longterm change, especially when there are shortterm costs; and (e) Hoping for a miracle at the ballot box will not cut it; the current system is stacked against it.

World Watch continues to do great work defining problems and solutions. Perhaps it is time to focus more on the obstacles to radical change. Here are a few: How our personal values and worldview inhibit our ability to accept...