Again a bit off topic, but I was impressed by this personal effort to help the world deal with its problems. In reading the news of the day I came across a reference to the Nicholas Berggruen Institute – founded by the billionaire who thinks the heart of our current international crises is poor governance.
I am not equipped to speak to the global situation, but emergency management and homeland security in the U.S. would surely benefit from improved governance.
Recovery Diva 
Thoughtful comments, thanks.
The Romans used the Latin word “Gravitas” to describe the essential factor in those who Govern! Much of the current world and USA leadership lack this essential and fundamentally are not serious people who take their leadership role seriously but believe the elected or appointed role they have won or earned is because of their innate skills and competencies instead of a combination of factors including being at the right place at the right time. As a result thinking they “deserve” the job and are not “owing” to any but themselves they are immune from learning and no longer believe they can benefit from the knowledge of others. Yes, ego, hubris, and other factors innate to humanity may well like the lemmings drive US over the cliff that leads to our destruction.
As Jared Diamond writes in his book “The Collapse of Civilizations” what was the last person who felled the last tree on Easter Island thinking? What were the Japanese who designed, implemented and built Fukishimi Daiichi in one of the most heavily earthquake prone, Tsunami prone areas on Earth thinking? What were the terrorists on 9/11/01 thinking? What were the banksters and gamblers on Wall Street that worked for Lehman Brothers and others like MADOFF thinking?
Yes the seeds of our own self-destruction are in US but also our possibilities. So Claire thanks for the post and as we elect officials and involve ourselves in human institutions it is important to weigh the personal qualities of those we choose and what they stand for when the going gets tough.