Issues with issues

The newest post from Verbal Energy is a good one: on issue vs. problem.

Have you noticed that people who used to have relatively straightforward "problems" now have "issues" instead? Are issues really problems -- or questions? Or are we downgrading the language we use to describe the bad things that we have to deal with in our lives?

The definition at question is

a: a matter that is in dispute between two or more parties b: a vital or unsettled matter (economic issues) c: the point at which an unsettled matter is ready for a decision (brought the matter to an issue)

She also discusses the evolution of an economic downturn -- from panic to the euphemistic depression, which after the Great Depression "lost its euphemizing qualities."

Also, how much must a stock market fall before we call it a crash? How much conflict do we need before it's a war?