He made the remarks after the US-based Council on Foreign Relations published its new report on the top threats to watch out for in 2017.
The think-tank's ninth annual document, which is used by foreign policy professionals, assesses possible conflicts around the globe according to likelihood and impact, and makes a list from a US perspective.
The list itself starts with the possibility of a military confrontation between Russia and NATO, something that is, however, seen as only a moderately probable scenario.
Other top threats for 2017 include a highly disruptive cyberattack on critical US infrastructure and a mass casualty terrorist attack on the US homeland or one of its sworn allies.
These include: political instability in European Union countries stemming from the refugee crisis, the fracturing of Iraq caused by sectarian violence and the Islamic State, increased tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, and the political breakup of Libya.
Commenting on the matter, Doug Wead first of all condemned the US public's dismal ignorance, which he warned is fraught with far-reaching consequences.
"It's all very troubling, and what troubles me is the ignorance of the American general public because sometimes ignorance can lead to unnecessary confrontation and misunderstanding as well as war… So this blissful ignorance can be a curse too," he said.
As an example, he mentioned a biased approach used by the US's "corporate media" to cover the situation in Syria, where he said "among the rebels are terrorists." According to him, such media outlets "do not share" information on the matter.
"I agree with US President-elect Donald Trump that corruption in the United States is our biggest problem. I believe that it has reached the point when it's already a threat to our survival as people," he added.
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