America's Most Pressing Threat? Climate Change

I disagree with the substance of ADM Stavradis' position and I find it odd that the military is placing such an enormous emphasis on climate change when there are far more significant and immediate threats to address:

1. The national debt. Not only is the debt *the actual* and only real existential threat our nation faces that no one talks about, it directly impacts the military by constraining the amount of money allocated for defense spending because entitlements are consuming an ever larger portion of the budget pie.

2. Our eroding technological edge. Our military has become dependent on a technological advantage to win wars. Likewise, our society has become accustom to "war without risks" where we can bomb and destroy with impunity and without serious casualties on our side. Without an overwhelming technological advantage, I question our ability as a military and our will as a nation to prosecute a war on the scale of WWII or WWI.

3. The rising power and assertiveness of China. Not only are we losing our technological edge to this competitor, but we have seen in the last 8+ years a willingness by China to actually *use* its growing power and influence at the expense of the United States. If this trend continues, it is difficult to see a scenario in which peace can be maintained given our commitments to certain allies.

4. The increasing threat of nuclear war. Whether it be North Korea or Iran, these rogue nations represent loose cannons (North Korea particularly) that can instantly set off a nuclear conflict and inflict millions of casualties.

5. A resurgent Russia desperate to return to its former glory. Russia is attempting to reassert itself throughout the world as a global actor in a multipolar world. This can be dangerous if Russia or the US miscalculates, such as in the Arctic, where Russia is attempting to lay claim to the entire Arctic shelf. Traditionally, border disputes are settled by war.

Indeed, it seems incredibly myopic and foolish to focus on the impacts of climate change - a phenomenon that may never even occur, and if it does, it could be 20-100 years in the future - while these other threats present themselves front and center.

Note: this text is mostly taken from a comment I made to another climate change related article. I'm reposting here because I feel these points deserve broader dissemination and discussion.