Reflection-Week 9

Security as a theme seems very important in this day and age. We spend a great deal of time as Americans focusing on our own national security. While most of us don’t realize these objectives until we arrive at the airport to be screened by TSA officers, they are ever-present factors of our daily life. Living in DC has only made that clearer to me. Security cameras discreetly are placed at most intersections and in the Metro stations, and even a plethora of police cars, both District police and federal police pass through the streets of DC every day, seamlessly blending in with our daily lives. In addition a majority of this security comes from unmarked cars, discreet officers, and top-secret measures that are designed to ensure the safety of the American people.

As time has gone on, the necessity for a secure homeland (not a reference to Homeland Security) has become paramount in the domestic goals of the United States. While in retrospect we are able to evaluate the “threat” of the Soviet Union as mainly a power struggle that never escalated, the very real threat of terrorist organizations has been made very clear in the past decade. As we discussed in class, during the Cold War it was very possible to locate the enemy. The enemy could be clearly marked on a map as the USSR. Today, that ability has ceased to exist. Terrorist cells are known to operate in certain regions of the world, but they have no borders and cannot be contained to prevent the spread of their ideology. This increases the threat they pose. If we cannot fully secure ourselves against the threats against us, there will always be fear. Because our security measures are only as good as the information we have, it is also important that we recognize the importance of being two or three steps ahead and acquiring accurate information gathering technology and reliable sources. It seems impossible sometimes, but considering the prevented terrorist attacks on US soil since 9/11, it is very clear that our security policies and the changes that have been made since that fateful day are effective.

While many strive for peace within the world, it is clear that cultural differences among the members of this earth prevent that possibility. Tolerance may be the ultimate goal, but peace might never be achieved. It must also be noted at this time that war leads to the development of society economically. While I do not condone war as a means to repair the current state of the economy around the world, the future outbreak of war could have both negative and positive effects on the world.

Security is the optimal goal of any society. After examining the change in domestic security policy during the Cold War, immediately after September 11^th, and today, it is clear that our nation’s leaders have a firm grasp on the powerful role they play in securing the nation as a whole.

It also must be said that while many see George W. Bush as an inept leader who was incapable of thinking on his own, the security strategy implemented during his presidency immediately following 9/11 successfully set the stage for the secure America we know today. While there are many factors that are valid points upon which to criticize “Dubya”, I feel that it would be unpatriotic to admonish his leadership in the year following that fateful day.