yeah, the moment you can do what he described and make the problem "solve itself" you also have enough authority to just... solve the problem. being able to make small changes here and there, checks and balances, represent the people in x or y section of government through perseverance and hard work, all that is shit that the powers that shouldn't be have already done away with. the hard way is the only way left.

Ikiru by Kurosawa is a good movie about this. if you dedicate your life to it until your last breath, maybe you can politically arrange a public park to be built... forget actually fixing anything.