Very thoughtful post. The problem (in my opinion) seems to be with the monetary system itself. Where there is wealth, there will always be poverty. Where there is progress, there will always be greed. We need to abolish the monetary system and implement the Venus Project. Progressives have their hearts in the right places, but monetary economics won't let everyone live a decent life.
I just did some reading/watching up on the Venus Project, and it seems pretty interesting. What makes you think that the monetary system is the inherent cause of these problems?