The Most Urgent Crisis

This article is a poll on public opinion. What do you think is the most urgent crisis in the coming year and decade? There are many challenges facing our nation and the world. We only have limited resources. The challenge for us and our government officials is to focus on the things that matter most. We don't always agree on what is the things that matter.

- Dec. 2019

1. climate change
2. homeless
3. national debt
4. illegal immigration
5. medical costs and healthcare
6. environment, clean air clear water
7. nuclear war
8. terrorism
9. AI and jobs
10. political divide

1. Climate change especially due to human activity is the focus. A debate among the world population on who is at fault and what to do about it. Is it our use of fossil fuel that is the main driver behind the climate change and extreme weather events?

2. The homeless crisis is in the news again. Every so many years, this problem seem to resurface. It is a complex issue with drug addicting, alcoholism, high cost of housing and mental illness...and a sympathetic city council that seems unwilling to deal with this health and human tragedy.

3. Our national debt has been rising to new heights every year for the past 10 years. It is now 23 trillion dollars. This is a crisis of monumental proportions. This debt will come due sooner or later. The current low interest rate has helped in dealing with this debt since money is cheap tight now. It may not always be this way. History teaches us that interest rates will fluctuate. If it rises in the future, the interest on this debt could be a huge challenge.

4. Illegal immigration has been growing off and on for many decades. This has created both an economic and a health crisis. The longer we wait, the bigger the problem. Some of the people don't think it is even a problem. That is why it has been hard to deal with. We don't seem to have the will as a nation to try and solve it.

5. Healthcare was a big topic a decade ago. We enacted the ACA bill to deal with rising healthcare costs. Unfortunately, a decade later, we are still suffering with the consequences of a poorly designed bill. With the baby boomers reaching retirement and senior years, healthcare and insurance and medicare are all under stress.

6. Environment is a big part of our quality of life. I try to separate climate change which is a long term problem from the more immediate environment issues such as clean air and clean water. These are real day to day issues that affect billions of people worldwide. The EPA is mandated to work on protecting our environment from human and other abuses. Our survival depends on access to clean air and clean water.

7. The threat of nuclear war is real. With so many nations possessing nuclear capabilities and others working to achieve them, it is a challenge to keep the threat of nuclear annihilation in check.

8. Terrorism is still a real threat. ISIS is still active in many parts of the world. Despite the recent killing of its head, there are others waiting in line to take over and continue this global threat.

9. Artificial intelligence and robotics are making new in roads. It will affect all our jobs and potentially create a new world of global surveillance and monitoring. Some are worried of dangers of too much power in the hands of a few. Especially with killer robots replacing our armed forces. In the near future, wars will be conducted by machines and drones under computer control. The worry is real.

10. Our political divide is reaching new mark. Recent elections are settled by very close margins. This divide is reaching a point similar to the civil war. Where a difference in ideology is too great a gap and the only solution was armed conflict. We may have history repeat itself. Current debate is not easily settled. There seems to be very little common grounds.

Please take the following poll and let me know your thoughts. If you think it is something other than the 10 items I mentioned, please tell me in the comment section below. Remember, this is the top item of most urgent for the coming year.