The Big Question: You Spoke

The biggest question of all is the origin of the Universe and how its fundamental constituents interact via the fundamental forces.

With every advance by physicists and astronomers, society, whether it realizes it or not, changes in fundamental ways the manner in which it thinks of itself and the natural world.
Bradley Cox (PhD Physics ’67)

The big question confronting human society around the globe is, can we work together to solve the climate crisis in sufficient time to stabilize the human-created warming that is occurring at an ever-increasing rate around us. To accomplish this, I feel that we must make some fundamental changes in our use of energy from fossil fuels and re-think behaviors that we have come to accept as the norm — our current energy and resource consumption habits are unsustainable.
David Baxa (Environmental Science ’73)

I think the biggest question of our time is how are we going to reform our society fast enough to save the environment?
Kelli Nash (Environmental Sciences, Anthropology ’09)

Do we believe that health care is a human right, and if so, how will we ensure that the right is respected in our own country (not to mention the rest of the world)?
Jessica Tarleton (Human Biology ’04)

The Most Important Issues of Our Time

ECONOMICS

What sort of economic system can be put into place, that would provide the benefits afforded by capitalism as well as those afforded by socialism, without, at the same time, visiting the more destructive aspects of those systems upon the population?
 
Benefits of capitalism include:
1. Capitalism harnesses individuals’ competitive nature, rewarding excellence with the meeting of the various levels in the “hierarchy of needs.”
 
Destructive aspects of capitalism include:
1. Capitalism allows the accumulation of wealth to become so pronounced as to remove the incentive to excel from scions of those whose pursuit of excellence create capitalist fortunes, in the first place.
 
2. Capitalism’s reliance on money as a symbol of excellence achieved allows parasites and criminals to masquerade as capitalists.
 
Benefits of socialism include:
1. Socialism provides a “safety net” that allows all members of society to survive, at some level that is defined as “minimally acceptable.”
 
Destructive aspects of socialism include:
1. Socialism provides an incentive to all members of society, to do less and less, to exert themselves less and less, in order to be able to survive at a “minimally acceptable” level, without working.
 
2. Socialism provides an incentive to constantly raise the bar of what is a “minimally acceptable” level of survival. First, food is free. Then, certain foods are not good enough, and higher-quality food must be free. Where does it end, especially when the “free” good is not food but health care?
Larry Powers (College ’82)

Well for me, I have several concerns that share the same priorities: Environmental Impact of our Wasteful Society which leads eventually to Global Warming and natural resources shortfalls, Social Security in conjunction with the retirement of the baby boomers and where it will leave me in 20 or so years when I am ready to retire, and of course the quality of education offered in our public K-12 in terms of competitiveness, well-rounded teaching curriculum and preparedness for the postsecondary education.
Tuan Anh Do (Religious Studies ’95)
“Will you be a reader, a student merely, or a seer? Read your fate, see what is before you, and walk into futurity.”
Walden, Henry David Thoreau

To me, the biggest issue confronting our great country is the coming effort to make it great again. And to do that we must elect a good president this year. This is the choice of the people this election year. America’s position in the world has greatly suffered in the past eight years and must be righted again. Please discuss this since it is of such importance!
Bill Jebram (Geography ’59)

I think the big question is not really a question, but a word. Sustainability. Environmental sustainability issues have captured the concern of many, which has increased the push to go green in everything that we do. Economic stability. Microlending has become a hot topic. The mortgage crisis has everyone in a frenzy. People are worried about how to pay for higher education. Political sustainability. Is our country safe from terrorist threat? What about these nations with such volatile political conditions, assassinated prime ministers, warfare, etc.? What is our country going to do about the lack of talented and educated recruits to fight for our country? Everything right now seems quite volatile and uncertain, so the big question confronting society is a multifaceted one concerning sustainability.
Minji Christine Lim (Studio Art ’07)

We need to focus on reducing our environmental footprint by living more sustainably and thinking more about future generations and the effects of climate change. Better urban planning with more energy-efficient houses and a layout that encourages people to walk/cycle or take the bus instead of driving are just a few of the areas to focus on. Finding a truly renewable energy source (that unlike ethanol does not disrupt food prices around the world) will not only reduce our dependence on foreign oil and unstable governments, it will help protect the environment for future generations. For example, discovering an economical way produce energy and fuel from waste (without polluting the air) would go a long way in this direction.
Kris Nanda (History ’81, Law ’85)

The BIG Question …? The big question to me is whether we, as Americans, can take the long view and address some of the serious concerns that are looming on our horizon. Global warming, society’s dependence on fossil fuels, obesity, universal health care, failing public education, deficit spending and a host of other “long-term issues” are daily fare in the news, especially in an election year. But little significant progress has been made on any of these, despite years of media attention to these “crises.” The BIG question is … “Why not?”
 
The issue to me seems to be that solving these now, even partially, would require personal sacrifice, and as a society we seem to be living for the moment, enjoying the “good life” and burying our heads in the sand hoping “it” will go away. This selfish attitude will cost us dearly in the future. Unfortunately, this selfishness extends to our political leaders who seem to spend inordinate amounts of time tackling “tough” issues like the use of steroids by a hundred or so overpaid, professional baseball players, or similarly short-term, relatively unimportant-in-the-scheme-of-things issues, instead of working as leaders to find solutions to the BIG questions that impact most or all of us. After all, it is easier to get re-elected if you make a name for yourself without raising any controversial issues! 

There are unfortunately dozens of BIG questions, but even if we identify them and perhaps even if we can find a solution, do we have the intestinal fortitude to actually implement the solutions that require personal sacrifice? And if we don’t have that willingness to sacrifice and our political leaders continue to duck the real issues, what will really be different in a decade or two, other than that the BIG issues will be even worse and possibly unsolvable! THAT is a BIG question and a huge concern for our children and future generations!
David Underhill (History ’82)

Despite the value that so many Americans put on education, why is more emphasis not put on creating a highly skilled and motivated teaching workforce, and in turn, why are teachers not given larger salaries and benefits?
Sarah Kennelley (Biology ’09)

With current globalization and hence the “recent” offshoring efforts made by U.S. organizations, are we moving so much intellectual property offshore that we eventually give up our dominance in many industries?
Betsy Tepedino (MS, MIT ’96)

After eight years of polarization, inept leadership and legislative inertia, how can we truly force Washington to put America back on track domestically and internationally?

I think that is the BIG QUESTION for the coming year.
Robin Meyer Frye (History ’76)

First, congratulations on creating this tool and methodology to reach out in more meaningful way to alumni and broader U.Va. community. Hope the following offers some insights, especially for U.Va. students as they graduate.
 
Most important issues:
A) 1) Globalization & Regionalization 2) Re-positioning of U.S. relative to a) China/Asia and b) Europe and Latin America
 
As this 21st century proceeds, it is becoming clearer that:
a) China is becoming more and more important. Today China holds a high percentage of U.S. Treasury notes, enjoys huge balance of payments versus U.S. and is growing its domestic market. China will likely remain dysfunctional and very uneven (cities versus rural). The U.S. must carefully manage its relationships with India and China.
b) Europe (second regional power-region) remains strong but not growing more powerful, largely distracted by the East (former U.S.S.R. and former U.S.S.R. subject states (Ukraine, Poland, etc., etc.) and Turkey.
c) U.S. is the second most dynamic regional power; U.S. has decisions to make in order to remain a positive society and a leader in international affairs. The next 10 to 20 years require mature, careful leadership both in the executive branch (led by the president) and in key institutions (Federal Reserve, think tanks, regulatory agencies, and, of course, U.S. military).
d) Latin America will more and more be led by emergence of Brazil as a world-class nation.
 
B) Energy and the imperative for U.S. to become significantly less dependent on imports. That change is expected to reduce tension in Arab world versus U.S.
Val Mathews (Physics ’60)

Business has become globalized and we are all connected via the Internet. Societies around the world are destined to become more like each other. My question is, should not our laws and legal system be globalized, too? The law of business, or Lex Mercatoria, is way ahead of us in this regard, by necessity. Do we hesitate to give up some sovereign powers by becoming part of a loose, global federation which could actually promote the “spread of democracy” and protect human rights everywhere? It comes down to strengthening the U.N., the organization best poised to carry this out. Maybe I am asking, what is the future of the U.N.?
Darlene S. Wood (English Language and Literature, Government-Foreign Affairs ’76)

Thomas Jefferson spent much of his adult life fostering the democratic principles of a freshly unified entity, the United States of America. Obviously, current academic vogue emphasizes the values not of unity but of diversity as is reflected in recruiting strategies, in the composition of the student body, in the faculty and in scholarly missions and offerings. The University of Virginia is no different in this respect. The benefits of this are unquestioned but what is the concomitant commitment of the university to national unity? Jefferson felt it was important. Does the College and, if so, what is the programmatic evidence that unity is a principle embraced on a par with diversity by the college?
Thomas B. Pool (PhD Biology ’76)

1. Of course, everyone wants to be free, happy and fulfilled. The question is, how do we get there? With half of the world’s population unable to get clean water, let alone food, the challenge seems almost impossible. But we can make some progress if we look at the puzzle one piece at a time:
(a) There is plenty of food and water to be had and the wealthy nations are willing to provide the needed resources, but you can’t get past the local civil war and established dictator or warlord. Therefore, a combination of diplomacy and stronger measures will be needed.
(b) A corollary of the above is that terrorists (e.g., extreme Islamists) are trying to capitalize on this situation and need to be dealt with decisively through coordinated action by the free nations around the globe. Rogue weapons of mass destruction are a huge threat for all.
(c) Ultimately, democracy for each nation is a prerequisite for freedom, both political and religious, and should be supported, defended and fostered with zeal. The U.N. seems to be unable to deal with this threat and perhaps new inter-nation structures may have to be developed, a more democratic attempt towards a world government. The European Union is a good example here; how about a similar Pan American Union, Pacific Rim Union, etc.? Of course, the dream for later is a Global Union, but it will take a while.
 
2. How is space exploration and technology going to impact this question? Is war and conflict moving to space? Free enterprise? How is technology developed in relation with space going to be controlled and/or shared? Similar concerns exist for technology in the microscopic world, e.g., bioengineering, etc.
 
3. With the rapid progress of technology over the past few decades, we can now contemplate an increasingly severe drop in diseases, and gradual but healthy extension of human lifespan to, perhaps, double or more today’s life expectancy. Can this happen through purely “health” measures or is technology poised to enter our bodies permanently in some massive fashion, e.g., in the form of artificial limbs and internal organs? In that case, what is life going to be like and who will the humans of the future be?
John Kotsonis (PhD Physics ’78, Darden ’80)

The Big Question facing society today is whether the society is a group of individuals, or a thing unto itself, and what each of those answers means in its full consequence.
Benjamin Radburn Mayo (College ’10)

The big question is how do we harness the unlimited potential we have as human beings for good rather than evil; to build rather than destroy; to bless rather than curse. Do we rely on genetics, evolution, upbringing, culture, education, government or faith?
John D. Allis Jr. (Environmental Sciences ’75)

Climate change, and what we’re going to do about it. No earthly question is bigger than whether the planet is going to remain as hospitable to life as it has been during humanity’s age thus far.
Bruce Bishop (Echols ’87, Law ’96)

The biggest issues are: 1) that the world will not have the natural resources (energy, food and water) to permit the rapidly populating, lesser developed countries sufficient economic growth to compete with developed countries and 2) the globalization may accidentally set off a global epidemic such as SAARS almost did.
Bob Sinnott (Economics ’71)

I think (in no particular order of importance) these are “big questions” that should generate discussion, and:

1. What would a politician need to do to be “a uniter, not a divider”?

2. Can universal health coverage be fairly provided (without bankrupting the country, and without rationing/poor quality)?

3. Are the extreme disparities in wealth and poverty in the U.S. anti-American (i.e., do they violate our founding principles)?
Lucien T. “Tres” Thompson (PhD Neuroscience ’88)

The big question is how do we balance the economic, moral (including environmental) and practical (including security and reliability) of or energy supply. Our energy supply is more expensive and more vulnerable than it has been since the days of Thomas Edison. Environmental concerns about air quality, global warming and resource management add to the cost and disfavor our most secure and abundant energy sources, such as coal. Aesthetic objections to visible utility facilities and infrastructure slow development, increase cost and have made our transmission and generation infrastructure frighteningly fragile. At the same time, our energy use grows at exponential rates — huge plasma televisions use much more energy than the tubes they are replacing, daily commutes of an hour or more in each direction are commonplace, and our demand for manufactured goods is skyrocketing. We are on a collision course with ourselves, and it’s going to get ugly.
James P. Guy (English Language and Literature ’87, Law ’90)

Big question: Will the Jeffersonian vision of U.S. Society endure or be replaced by a worldwide trend to fundamentalism? For example, will the Jeffersonian goal of the separation of church and state be salvaged from the current presidential administration that has advanced its own fundamentalist religion in areas of education (advocating the teaching of religious concepts instead of scientific views of evolution), health (adherence to its own, albeit minority, views of religious principles to place the state in the position of limiting abortion and eliminating certain kinds of medical research).

In other words, is Jefferson a teacher or a figurehead?
Gene Blumenreich (Mathematics ’64)

Russia has stated its intent to increase its influence over the now independent states that were part of the former U.S.S.R. How should Western Europe and particularly U.S.A. react to this?
Davant Latham (History ’84)

The place of the public sphere is the central question facing society today. Modern life is built on a complex and costly infrastructure, much of which has been neglected for the last half century, as part of a long process of public disinvestment. This privatization of public life, enabled by the durability of much of this infrastructure, has allowed us to accept the falsity that private and corporate management is inherently superior (see the bridge collapse in Minneapolis as only one sign of this issue). The fact that private action implicitly omits the poor from the playing field is reality but has failed to gain political traction. In the imminent future, as the nation and the globe will finally be forced to deal with environmental deterioration and energy scarcity, we will need to come together as a society to bring about necessary changes. How can we rebuild our national trust in collective action and government direction? How do we overcome a corporate system that naturally favors private action? I believe a return to trust and faith in ourselves will be the big question we face in the future.
Elizabeth Milnarik (MARH ’04, PhD Architectural History ’10)

My BIG Question:

Will enough citizens come to understand the nature of the true threat to the republic, and regain control of the governments from the corporate interests?

Or as Ike might refer to them today:
The military industrial communication complex.
Jeffrey R. Owen (Physics ’72)

Inner-city violence, lack of concern for the poor and falsehood in the sports world. Bad preachers and a lack of love.
Rev. Daniel Taliaferro (Sociology ’86)

How can we transition the global economy to a sustainable one that provides social justice, economic prosperity and ecological health for all?
Anne Bedarf (Environmental Sciences ’92, MUEP ’10)

1. Health costs and society’s willingness to support a rapidly aging population.
2. Multipolar power centers (China, India, EU) and decline of U.S.
superpower status.
3. International terrorism and a change in U.S. military strategy
4. Decline of U.S. economic hegemony and rise of multiple economic centers (Dubai, Singapore, etc.)
5. Jobs, lifestyles and growth in the nation’s information economy (superseding the former agricultural, manufacturing and even services foundation of the past)
James B. Rouse (Government and Foreign Affairs ’66)

Building character in individuals to help elevate the individual and society as a whole and help prevent bad decisions from being made is, in my mind, as important an issue as any.    I don't see any explicit focus on this in the general education process.  How to best do this is subject to debate, but the goal shouldn’t be dismissed.
Ed Overly (Mathematics ’75, MS Engineering-Computer Science ’84)

How can we rebuild a sense of community, of civic-mindedness, to create a climate in which citizenship is seen as a commitment to every day and to each other? How can community and citizenship help fight global climate change and ensure the preservation of the world, so that there is a world to bequeath to our children and grandchildren?

How do we combat extremism in all its forms, including extreme disparities of wealth and poverty as well as extremism in nationalism and religious belief?
James Steward (History, French ’81)

Big Issues:

- Environment/energy/global warming are interlinked; crucial issues to resolve over next decade;

- Income distribution and poverty;

- Ability of Americans to sustain way of life (how pay for health care, security, education);

- U.S. world leadership and desire to work within the international system as a partner;

- Extremist violence/terrorism.
J. Sherwood McGinnis (History ’67, MA History ’68)

Big Issues

1. Optimal health for all U.S. citizens

• The need to develop a level of coverage that is essential for all people. Pay for services that are either cost-saving or yield quality adjusted life years at a reasonable price set by Congress.
• Helping the needy to afford the coverage, while maintaining appropriate compensation for the providers.
• Allowing anyone to pay out of pocket for extra services that are either cosmetic, too expensive (by the above criteria) or of unproven utility

2. The widening disparity between the haves and the have-nots and the corollary about glorification of media stars - film/music/sports.

• Why are some industries price regulated (i.e., health care through Medicare/Medicaid which set the standards for insurance companies) when others are not?
• Adjust the tax brackets to reflect cost of living including college education, now the required equivalent of a high-school degree in years past. Fix the system that allows Warren Buffet to pay ~ 15 percent of his income in taxes and his workers pay ~ 30+ percent of their income in taxes.
• Change the laws to permit small business that deal with oligopsonist industry giants to join together in cooperatives to combat the one-sided negotiations.

3. The appearance, if not fact, of religious intolerance in the U.S.

• Get the faith-based agencies out of government service.
• Prosecute for hate crimes fomenters of violence against others who practice legal beliefs.

4. The future of the U.S. as an economic peer, not superpower.

• Getting rid of the bully.
• Protecting intellectual property outside of the country of origin, especially as the U.S. moves from manufacturing to service.

5. Oil independence and environmental preservation
Ken Harkavy (College ’67)

I can think of several “big” issues of our time, issues that transcend what the chattering classes talk about.

I genuinely believe an immense problem is that a debate must be center stage about human population growth and its degradation of our planet. I say this for it is component of our environmental issues, energy issues, public health concerns and poverty problems, to name some.

I believe Larry Sabato, in his recent book, focuses on another big issue concerning the U.S.A. Our national government functions very, very poorly. Mr. Jefferson foresaw this when he observed that some revolution every now and again is probably called for. Mr. Sabato asserts that revision of our constitution might be a more civil way to engage the problem.

I believe the confluence of petroleum wealth, a reactionary resurgence of Islamic piety and the forces of freedom are converging toward a planetary conflict of unbounded severity. More crudely put — a conflict between the Western world and the Middle Eastern world looms!

Clearly there are other issues, frankly of more limited import, such as how a wealthy society allocates resources to provide health care to those left behind, how governments that have promised more than they can deliver to their populace will satisfy the promises, how to let Jews have a nation-state in an area that adamantly opposes them, how to provide incentives to high achievers without permitting them to garner so much wealth that others are shut out. How the Western world will come to accept what seems to be the growing clout of Asian peoples. I could go on and on.
Harvey W. Gleeksman (College ’59)

Big Question – What is the Moral Standard of our Society?

In the last decade or so, there seems to be a “perceived” push to remove any kind of Judeo-Christian (mostly Christian) influence from all public influences — i.e., public school and government.

If this perception is indeed true, and our society moves toward an atheistic model, what is the moral standard? Is there a moral standard for our society? How does this affect how we view the direction of our morals in our current society (TV/movies, music, language, acceptable behavior, volunteering, family, sex, community, individualism, cafeteria religion [formulate your own] versus sound doctrine)?
Micah Thompson (Environmental Sciences, Economics ’96)

The biggest question, underlying crime, public safety, health, social security, education, the economy and local, state and federal government is:
 
How can we halt the decline of the family as unit, with a mother and father; how can we protect, encourage and enhance it?
Stuart Turille (English Language and Literature ’83)

I believe than in Brazil, where I now live, it is easier to witness what are, in my opinion, the most important issues of our time:

• The tremendous economic gap between the rich and the poor
• The lack of decent housing and basic commodities for huge numbers of people, mainly in underdeveloped urban areas
• Poverty and hunger
• Weapons proliferation
• Any kind of violence and cruelty (military, police or individual)
• Environmental destruction
• Greedy mercantilism
• Human rights abuses (child labor/racism/women abuses/inmates/homosexuals/oppression)
• Lack of education (from elementary school to university level) and of professional courses
Javier Escudero (MA Spanish ’88, PhD ’92)

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