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One of the things that makes being the President of the United States one of the toughest jobs in the world is that crises and critically important and urgent issues don't neatly line themselves up, each waiting its turn patiently for the PotUS to have time for dealing with each.
Every morning the president receives a briefing of what happened in the world while he slept a few hours that he needs to know, and what he needs to address. Things pile up rapidly, and it is an unending race to keep up and not let anything critical go bust while you're busy with the previous top priority dozen or more issues.
Thus, this question assumes something that isn't so. President Obama has to deal with all these issues and many others in parallel. If we wait to improve our energy situation until healthcare, the economy, and the wars are all resolved, we'll never get around to it. Likewise, if we wait for energy independence before addressing the rest of our economy, we'll soon cease to be a superpower and become a beggar nation (which is much worse than being a debtor nation which we already are).
Having said all that, we can analyze which of these issues is more urgent than the others. This can be done by asking how long we can continue to move forward without addressing a particular issue at all, and what would be the consequences.
1. The economy: The longer we let our economy stagnate in a recession, with high unemployment, the poorer we will be, both as a nation, and as individuals. Turning around the economy can wait the least of the issues you list, from a societal standpoint.
2. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan: This is a tricky one. All other things being equal, we can sustain our efforts in both wars for many years. The economic costs are high, but not ruinous. The personal costs are very high for military families (especially where their loved ones are injured or killed in the line of duty), but given the volunteer nature of our military, this has a rather limited impact on society at large. However, things are not all equal. First, the longer we stay at war, the more difficult it becomes to maintain an all-volunteer force. Also, just as in investing there is an "opportunity cost" to any investment, where putting your money in one investment means you cannot also put it into a new opportunity that may show up later, in the case of the military, if we have 200,000 troops deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq, and need at least that many, if not double that, to allow troops to cycle back home after a year of deployment, we do not have the capacity to address new challenges where projecting force in a credible manner is needed. This allows our foes to become bolder, knowing we're too busy to deal with them as long as they keep their actions at a lower impact on our national security interests than Iraq and Afghanistan. Overall, we can probably continue with the current effort levels in these conflicts near where they currently are for a few more years, but should be doing what we can to get to a successful conclusion sooner rather than later.
3. Healthcare: Here we can continue to muddle along as we have been for another decade or perhaps two before the system goes bust. This is therefore a highly important issue, but not as urgent as the previous two.
4. Energy Independence: Again, we can continue to let things develop pretty much as they are now for several decades before things go critical. However, if we could develop controlled fusion power plants, it would be a major game-changer in both the economic and security fields. The latter because we would no longer need to rely on questionable countries as a source for our energy needs, putting us in the current unenviable situation where we have to take their wants into account ahead of many of our own principles and needs.
Every morning the president receives a briefing of what happened in the world while he slept a few hours that he needs to know, and what he needs to address. Things pile up rapidly, and it is an unending race to keep up and not let anything critical go bust while you're busy with the previous top priority dozen or more issues.
Thus, this question assumes something that isn't so. President Obama has to deal with all these issues and many others in parallel. If we wait to improve our energy situation until healthcare, the economy, and the wars are all resolved, we'll never get around to it. Likewise, if we wait for energy independence before addressing the rest of our economy, we'll soon cease to be a superpower and become a beggar nation (which is much worse than being a debtor nation which we already are).
Having said all that, we can analyze which of these issues is more urgent than the others. This can be done by asking how long we can continue to move forward without addressing a particular issue at all, and what would be the consequences.
1. The economy: The longer we let our economy stagnate in a recession, with high unemployment, the poorer we will be, both as a nation, and as individuals. Turning around the economy can wait the least of the issues you list, from a societal standpoint.
2. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan: This is a tricky one. All other things being equal, we can sustain our efforts in both wars for many years. The economic costs are high, but not ruinous. The personal costs are very high for military families (especially where their loved ones are injured or killed in the line of duty), but given the volunteer nature of our military, this has a rather limited impact on society at large. However, things are not all equal. First, the longer we stay at war, the more difficult it becomes to maintain an all-volunteer force. Also, just as in investing there is an "opportunity cost" to any investment, where putting your money in one investment means you cannot also put it into a new opportunity that may show up later, in the case of the military, if we have 200,000 troops deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq, and need at least that many, if not double that, to allow troops to cycle back home after a year of deployment, we do not have the capacity to address new challenges where projecting force in a credible manner is needed. This allows our foes to become bolder, knowing we're too busy to deal with them as long as they keep their actions at a lower impact on our national security interests than Iraq and Afghanistan. Overall, we can probably continue with the current effort levels in these conflicts near where they currently are for a few more years, but should be doing what we can to get to a successful conclusion sooner rather than later.
3. Healthcare: Here we can continue to muddle along as we have been for another decade or perhaps two before the system goes bust. This is therefore a highly important issue, but not as urgent as the previous two.
4. Energy Independence: Again, we can continue to let things develop pretty much as they are now for several decades before things go critical. However, if we could develop controlled fusion power plants, it would be a major game-changer in both the economic and security fields. The latter because we would no longer need to rely on questionable countries as a source for our energy needs, putting us in the current unenviable situation where we have to take their wants into account ahead of many of our own principles and needs.
voted helpful: jasoncalacanis, cherise
1) Economy. If our country is broke of financially malfunctioning we will accomplish nothing so this should be first.
2) War. Methods for ending our wars sooner than later will be up for debate as to their validity but these wars are expensive in every type of currency. (social, economic etc)
3)Healthcare. We would all be better off if this debate left the table one way or the other. I like to go to the doctor.
4)Energy Independence. This is a luxury item and will be on the table until technology catches up with intention.
2) War. Methods for ending our wars sooner than later will be up for debate as to their validity but these wars are expensive in every type of currency. (social, economic etc)
3)Healthcare. We would all be better off if this debate left the table one way or the other. I like to go to the doctor.
4)Energy Independence. This is a luxury item and will be on the table until technology catches up with intention.
voted helpful: jasoncalacanis, cherise
This is what I was going to say, almost exactly.
Ending both wars, reforming Healthcare and developing energy independence will each have a profound positive effect on the economy ... in that order.
source(s):
William Thomas
William Thomas
voted helpful: jasoncalacanis
Voted as best: kty2777
Well what i see is we shouldent even be at war . During the election the president promised to bring the troops back. That means ending the war in Iraq and leaving Afghanistan alone. By doing this he could fund healthcare and reduce the use of fossel fuels creating a start in energy independence. A shift in economic spending will occure when the troops come back.
Voted as best: xds
1.Ending the War
This is a huge and pointless money drain in my opinion, we've been done, let's end it. It's not that hard to bring your troops home. The money can then be applied to #2.
2.Economy
I'm going to agree with everyone here that the economy is the country, without it we are nothing.
3.Energy Independence
America becoming energy independent will help the economy as it will bring more jobs back to the US. I hope to see them moving towards clean, renewable energy as well.
4.Health care
This is the least important subject to me, and no I don't have healthcare. I think we have bigger problems at the moment and though this is something that should be in the feature addressed, now is not the time.
This is a huge and pointless money drain in my opinion, we've been done, let's end it. It's not that hard to bring your troops home. The money can then be applied to #2.
2.Economy
I'm going to agree with everyone here that the economy is the country, without it we are nothing.
3.Energy Independence
America becoming energy independent will help the economy as it will bring more jobs back to the US. I hope to see them moving towards clean, renewable energy as well.
4.Health care
This is the least important subject to me, and no I don't have healthcare. I think we have bigger problems at the moment and though this is something that should be in the feature addressed, now is not the time.
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