Raise the Hammer

I can't disagree with that outline of what is "the right thing" Ryan, but much like the engineers I work with I'm afraid I'm going to tell you that what you have there is good on paper only.

Actually achieves the underlying objective…

There is usually more than one way to skin a cat so this often becomes a debate of preference. And if the one way happens to make you or one of your political friends more money that is probably the way that will be chosen… not sure if that is right though. If I want to blow up a building I can use dynamite or demolition equipment. Both achieve the underlying objective, but if I've invested in dynamite futures ;) the "right thing" is obvious to me.

Solves the real problem, not the manufactured 'crisis'…

Very hard to distinguish between the two these days because many of us are still dependent on traditional media for our information and at best our media has lost its ability (willingness?) to differentiate between the two and at worst is complacent in manufacturing the crisis. Making the "real problem" difficult to determine.

supported by the evidence, not propped up by fear and anecdotes

Evidence can be bought and paid for, fear and anecdotes can be manufactured, this is why we have a "climate debate." We live in a world where almost everything can be questioned and debated (and that is intentional). Where corporations employ as many (or more) scientists as universities and many scientists are more loyal to money than science. There is no shortage of disagreement on almost any subject often with the purveyors of evidence right in the thick of it arguing amongst themselves.

I think you have outlined very good criteria Ryan, I just fear those three criteria are becoming harder and harder to determine. What is the real problem, what is the factual evidence, what works and what doesn't, all these things are routinely debated now. There is a movement afoot to make everything subjective to make all opinions of equal value, to erode and discredit any notion of factually and evidentially right, to make everything a debate… to hide truth.