The U.S.

and its
National Security

John Hartmann
 America is at war with terrorist enemies who intend on attacking our Homeland

and destroying our way of life. The central responsibility of the nation state is its own

survival. Our Strategy for National Security recognizes that while we must continue to

focus on the determined and evolving terrorist threat. To defend against such threats,

governments create networks, institutions, and agencies designed to locate and

eliminate threats to national security. National security has been a part of political

leaders throughout history. As the world started aging, and conflict has started to rise,

national security became a central guiding principal of nation states. One theme

national security shows is that intelligence and security agencies look inward at

destabilizing elements that try to threaten the country.

On October 24, 1952: President Truman established the National Security

Agency (NSA) as an heir to the Armed forces Security Agency, which was created on

May 20, 1949 to help crack German and Japanese communications codes during World

War II. This marks the beginning of the United States national security. In 1973, the

Supreme Court Rules Warrants Are Required for Domestic Intelligence Surveillance. In

1978, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) was signed into law, protecting

Americans from domestic spying. These events that occurred are the basis or history of

the United States National Security.

Democrats and Republicans have different views on national security.

Democrats views on national security revolve around how American Troops should

have the training, tools, and support that they need when they are deployed and the

care that they and their families need and deserve when they return home. They like to

see national security as being more than border security. Its also about training troops
to be equipped to handle new threats when they appear. Our former U.S. Secretary of

Defense Leon Panetta and President Obama have made it a priority to have our troops

modernized and to eliminate outdated programs. Eliminating these programs serve to

make training programs more modern and cut out unnecessary spending with the

defense budget. Democrats believe that improving communication between national

intelligence and law enforcement, will better our act on information provided by

intelligence channels. Democrats believe in focusing not only on confronting terrorism,

but ensuring that constitutional values are being supported while they do so. To support

this, President Obama banned torture, showing no regrets or exceptions when doing so.

This helps the reasoning behind reducing the population of Guantanamo Bay, and not

adding further prisoners there. Democrats believe in strongly guarding nuclear material,

they want to know how much nuclear material is out in the world, who has it, and then

lock it away forever. They support the development of a type of limited national missile

defense system. Democrats severely criticize President Bush and his start to the war on

terrorism. They believe that if they improve intelligence both worldwide and at home it is

the best approach to stopping terrorists, stating, We must do what President Bush has

refused to do reform our intelligence system by creating a true Director of National

Intelligence with real control of intelligence personnel and budgets. We must train more

analysts in languages spoken by terrorists. And we must break down the old

communications barriers between national intelligence and local law enforcement,

taking care to fully preserve our liberties. Democrats support the building of a limited

national missile defense system, as well as opposing building a widespread system as

Republicans would like to see, believing it would risk beginning a new arms race.
 Republicans have an obsession with national security that results in a reduction

in national security. Republicans believe that we need to privatize the Transportation

Security Administration (TSA) and end frisking. While the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist

attacks brought about a greater need for homeland security, the American people have

already delivered their point of view on the Transportation Security Administration. Its

procedures, and much of its personnel need to be changed. It is now a massive

establishment of 65,000 employees who seem to be accountable to no one. We call for

the private area to take over airport screening wherever possible and replace the

personal violation of frisking. The republicans believe that our national security strategy

should deter rogue aggression. They believe we must discourage any adversary who

would attack us or use terror as a tool of government. Every potential enemy must know

that we do not doubt our capabilities, our promise, and our will to defeat them. They

think that we must immediately make a new blueprint for a National Military Strategy

that is based on informed assessments of the potential threats that we face, one that

restores as a principal objective the discouragement using the full spectrum of our

military capabilities. Republicans want to keep our homeland safe by taking action on

multiple fronts. President Bush and the Republicans that are in congress keep our

homeland safe by taking action on multiple fronts. The FBI has focused to track down

terrorists before they attack. The Treasury Department is now leading the energy to find

and eliminate sources of terrorist financing around the world. Since 9/11, the US and

our allies have designated 345 terrorist-related entities and froze more than $139 Million

in terrorist properties in more than 1,400 accounts worldwide. The Patriot Act gives law

enforcement and intelligent agents the tools to fight organized crime and drug
trafficking. It was also made possible for law enforcement and intelligence agents to

share information and coordinate efforts to prevent terrorism. After the Patriot Act was

passed, 4 terrorist cells have been found and broken up inside of the US and more than

189 individuals have been convicted to terrorism-related offenses.

The Liberation party is a 3rd party that takes its own stance on National Security.

The Liberators support the maintenance of an adequate military to defend the United

States against violence. The United States should both abandon its attempts to act as

policeman for the world and evade entangling alliances. We oppose any form of

required national service. They also believe that we should reduce defense spending by

half and just defend the US. The US accounts for 37% of all the worlds military

spending. Another 30% of world military spending is by countries in Western Europe

along with Japan, South Korea, and Israel, and nations which pose no possible threat to

the US. Liberators believe that we should eliminate all nuclear weapons and bring all

U.S. troops home. The possible use of nuclear weapons is the greatest threat to

America. We call on the U.S. government to continue discussions to the end that all

such weapons will ultimately be eliminated. If Europeans want nuclear weapons on their

soil, they should take full responsibility for them and pay the cost. They want to have a

call for the withdrawal of American military personnel stationed overseas, including the

countries of NATO Europe, Japan, the Philippines, Central America and South Korea.

We as a country should take our national security seriously, and the liberation party is a

great party to follow from to improve our national security.

Since the turn of the millennium, our Nation has underwent history's deadliest

attack of international terrorism and the most destructive natural disaster to strike
American surface. In the face of these challenges, America has replied boldly, with

focus and clarity of purpose, and today we are safer, stronger, and better prepared to

address the full range of catastrophic events. Our work, however, is far from over. We

remain firm in our commitment to prevent and disrupt terrorist attacks in and on our

Homeland, protect the American people and the Nation's critical infrastructure and key

properties, and effectively respond to and recover from those incidents that do occur.

Working together, our Nation will protect the Homeland in order to sustain our way of life

now and for generations to come.

 Works Cited

The Democratic Platform for America. "Democratic Party on Homeland

Security." Democratic Party on Homeland Security. Ed. 2012 Democratic Party

Platform and 2006 Democratic Party Congressional Promise. N.p., 7 July 2014.

Web. 26 Feb. 2015.

"Democratic Views on National Security." Republicanviews.org.

Republicanviews.org, 2 Nov. 2014. Web. 26 Feb. 2015.

National Platform of the Liberation Party. Liberation Contributions, and

Resolutions of the Liberation National Comimittee. "Libertarian Party on

Homeland Security." Libertarian Party on Homeland Security. N.p., 7 July 2014.

Web. 27 Feb. 2015.

"The National Security Agency (NSA) Controversy: Timeline - Discover the

Networks." The National Security Agency (NSA) Controversy: Timeline - Discover

the Networks. N.p., Feb.-Mar. 2005. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.

"Republican Party on Homeland Security." Republican Party on Homeland

Security. Republican Party Platform, Aug.-Sept. 2012. Web. 26 Feb. 2015.

Siegel, Paul. "National Security: Republican vs. Democratic Views."

Democrats & Liberals Archives. N.p., 9 Feb. 2006. Web. 26 Feb. 2015.