stormy brains thinking big thoughts

Ross Mayfield is at the Fortune Brainstorm conference, and he passes along a set of weighty questions that the attendees are asked to respond to. Here's me:

What is the most pressing problem to solve?
Tough to pick just one, but preventing the breakdown of global civil society ranks high on my list. There are several threats to this outcome that could play out in the near term, these are relatively low probability but high impact events. Pandemic disease, rapid rise in sea levels, climatic instability, NBC terrorism, critical loss of biodiversity.

Your biggest fear?
Governments (especially the USA, China and south/east Asia in general) will inadequately prepare for these events and thus fail to maintain social order / Governments (especially the USA) will sacrifice core ideals of liberty in the name of safeguarding the social order.

Three global leaders who will set next decade's course?
A decade isn't very long, and world events have long time constants. Dubya has set a lot of wheels in motion that will be spinning for years. Hu Jintao. Possibly Bill+Melinda, although I'm probably being too optimistic.

Your most cherished value?
Justice. TANJ, unfortunately.

Jurvetson's answer to the last one is priceless.