Fallacies of Tomorrow

Arjun was shaken to the core when he saw into the future with unnerving clarity. 20 years was just the blink of an eye, then everything he knew was gone. After seeing a horrifically dark display of people desperately clawing to gain back control of their lives, some of the board members were left trembling. Others were completely unphased, believing the only way for humanity to progress is to sacrifice a certain amount of dead weight.
Is the job of our world leaders to protect and preserve the lives of today's people? Or is it their responsibility to improve the quality of life for those who will survive what has now become inevitable?