Wonderful post about some important issues. But as long as there's a profit to be made (preferably insane profits), few people in charge or in power will do anything to deal with these issues.
As for your conclusion that our leaders are "idiots," I'd go even further and say that most of them are insane – quite frankly and undeniably, IN----SANE. (fill in the blank)
That's why we cannot leave things to them. Something better change, and one of the most essential changes must be in our leadership.
(I aint too optimistic....)
I am with you on everything you said. And am not optimistic either - there is too much power (big money) that has a huge interest in keeping on making huge profits - consequences be damned.
Yes, and when the coming crash comes, many of those big-money men will have to rethink their obsession with huge profits.
But the consequences will be such that "rethinking" will be ineffective. They and all of us will suffer the consequences, for years, before things change for the better. Until then ... all the best.