Afghanistan Security

I have mixed feelings towards the security that the troops deployed in Afghanistan currently provide. The idea of them being there provides a visible sign to the rest of the world that if you mess with the United States, we won’t just stand back. It’s a constant reminder that the country is willing to get involved when threatened and I think that presence provides almost a deterrence to other states that may wish to foster non-state actors posing a threat to the United States. However, the fact that the troops are there and aren’t easily deployable makes me worry about my own personal security and that of the country’s. If there was to be another terrorist attack, some type of natural disaster, etc. where troops would be needed at home, we could be, depending on the magnitude of the program, be overextended. So with troops over in Afghanistan, I almost think we are not as safe here at home.

When I think about feeling “secure” myself, I think about personally feeling safe at night, not keeping in minds the objectives and threats to the United States as a whole. Going by that definition, I think that I would feel more secure with us out of Afghanistan, or staying at home preparing to defend as oppose to almost continuing a type of preventive strategy that may or may not be effective.

It’s important to note how different the question specifically asking about Afghanistan is if it has been replaced with Iraq. I think because I believe we had to go to Afghanistan after 9/11, but, by contrast, don’t believe going to Iraq was the best decision (see the fact that Tenet was referencing early 90s information when calling WMD a “slam dunk” case), I feel much more secure with troops in Afghanistan than Iraq because I better understand the purpose and the threat that is posed.

Distance Security

Security. Being secure. Feeling secure. They are all different. I think security are the actual forces or contraptions that are protecting us and alerting us to potential danger or threats. Being secure is the act. Password locking all your information, turning on the house alarm when you leave the house, and locking your car after you park it are all acts of being secure. It's in your hands. Feeling secure is the sense you get knowing that no one is going to hack into your computer, break into your house and kill you in your sleep, or steal your stuff from your car. Feeling secure, however, is not a guarantee that you are indeed secure. I feel secure sitting in my dorm room typing this blog post even though my door is unlocked and anyone can come in without my permission. It's not necessarily a secure area, but I trust my floor mates to respect the open-door policy on the floor and not violate it.

At the same time, one can feel apathy to an external act of security, like the troops in Afghanistan. Theoretically, they are there to protect America and make sure nothing happens to the U.S., providing security to the people. However, the fact that there are currently troops in Afghanistan ready to put their life on the line in the name of the United States doesn't really affect my sense of security because it doesn't really have a direct affect on me. Don't get me wrong, I am extremely grateful to the troops for their service to our country, but the physical state of having troops there doesn't really affect me as much as having troops in Iraq post 9/11 affected me and then too it was a patriotic feeling and a desire to stop further terrorist activities. But say that Obama decides to move all troops out of the middle east tomorrow, I think I'd feel happiness for the troops and their families, but not a lessened sense of security.

Reflective Post: Week 10

This week we talked a lot about national security so I suppose I should talk about that in this post as well. The nation faces threats from all sides and even from inside our golden gates of opportunity. Trust no one. Shoot first, ask questions later. Ok I talked about it.

Apparently everyone else in the class just talked about The Rally in their reflective posts so I suppose, in the resigned-sheep nature of this post, that I'll talk about that too. First of all, I did not go to The Rally nor did I have any desire to go. From what I've gleaned about The Rally it was an oversized comedy show that flaunted pseudo-political jabber as real activism. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about standing up for what you believe in and making a statement, but a bunch of kids laughing at a couple comedians and musicians make fools of themselves and their country on the national mall is not social activism. John Stewart and Steven Colbert are funny men, but that' about it. In case your forgot their shows are on Comedy Central, not CNN or FOX or any other organization even claiming to be legitimate news or political commentary.

But congratulations are in order to the two gentlemen mentioned above for pulling off the biggest farce to be called political action since Woodstock.

Dude, I just solved all America's problems...wait...nope...I lost it. Let's just do some acid and maybe I'll remember it again

This weekend was legend-... wait for it... and I hope you're not lactose intolerant because the second half of that word is DAIRY!

Where shall I start? What an amazing weekend!

First: trick-or-treating at the embassies--a little disappointing, but still memorable. Only one embassy actually gave us international candy--Korea. But we had a great bonding experience and some members of the group even landed on the front page of the Washington Post! I was busy taking a picture of the embassy so I'm not actually in the picture :(

Second: the Idina Menzel concert. A great medley of pop culture spanning from Barbara Streisand to Lady Gaga, the NSO Pops conducted by Marvin Hamlisch and Idina Menzel made my night unforgettable. It was the perfect blend of sass, pop culture trivia, comedy, passion, and beautiful music from Marvin, Idina, and the NSO Pops. Touched on many songs that played a major role in shaping today's pop culture. Starting with the Overture from Gypsy, Mr. Hamlisch conducted 4 pieces that had two things in common: 1. the Musical they are from exemplify women's strength and 2. they expressed the culture of various time periods. (The other songs were Annie Get Your Gun Overture, Memories from Cats, and My Fair LadyOverture. He talked about how he got his start in music. It was phenomenal listening to a man who has created history himself. If you don't know who Marvin Hamlisch is, look him up--immediately. Idina also talked about some historical events that she took part in or witnessed, including the dress rehearsal for Rent when the writer of the musical died suddenly, playing Elphie in Wicked, and singing for Barbara Streisand at the Lincoln Center. And, just as a bonus, I got her autograph twice that night. :)

Third: Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. I didn't camp out. I didn't wake up extra early. I did cram into a metro car to travel to Metro Center, the entire trip with my head pushed against a stranger's arm. Walking from Metro Center to the rally, we got to see people selling buttons and memorabilia reminding people how historical that day was. After spending my previous night listening to my idols recant their encounters with historical events, I got to participate in a rally that would change how the media affects politics. Who knows, it may have been the beginning of the end of the brainwashing era! AND I (and every other AU/Gtown student and like a few thousand other people) WAS THERE TO WITNESS IT LIVE!

Fourth: Trick-or-Treating for real. Timeless past time. nuff said :)

But now it's November... bunny bunny foot foot!

Holy Guacamole, Batman! What A Weekend!

Yes, this is a solid portion of Letts 6 South. And yes, we were on the front of the Washington Post.

A mere day before John Stewart and Stephen Colbert  donned the cover of the Washington Post, it was festively represented by numerous members of UC World Politics! Albeit a little disappointing, (there was very little foreign candy) the outing was worthwhile and memorable, such as walking into Japan's embassy even though they weren't participating because they opened the gate for us and being yelled at to get out after ominously walking up to the door. 

Then of course, was the rally. I cannot begin to explain the rally again (as I have already essentially replayed it for my mother, father, and boyfriend) but I will tell you that it was an experience I will never forget and that was well worth waking up at (or rather, staying up to watch a batman marathon until) 6 am and nearly losing my mind in a crowd of claustrophobia-inducing 215,000 people (according to CBS).

The Problem With the Lines We Draw...

A vast majority of the responses to this blog addressed the issue of national security imposing itself on civil liberties. This is a natural response. It is a trained response. It is what we have all been taught to ask, because that is how the system works. A security measure is proposed, some men in suits weigh it's imposition on civil liberties and pass it or don't on whether the loss of liberties seem worse it. But there is another factor falling under the radar...

or maybe rather flying over it...

Rather infrequently do policy makers ever make too much of a stink over whether the safety measures will actually ensure anyone's safety. They assume that if it's in the effort of safety, then it will, in fact, save lives. The truth is we are allocating our funds and resources to the wrong places. We need to draw our eyes away from the easy-to-object-to impositions on civil liberties, and turn them to the statistics. Terrorist attacks on American citizens have killed approximately less than 3000 people in the last 15 years, though some numbers are variable. That's about 200 people a year. Flu deaths (not even bird or swine... just flu) are estimated to kill 30,000 to 40,000 in a good year. Even if 3000 was a low number, that is still a DRAMATIC yet largely ignored gap. And the leading cause of death in the U.S. according to the CDC was Heart Disease in 2002, killing 576,301 citizens, as opposed to 9/11's 2,749 casualties. Instead of fueling things like data mining with millions of dollars, we could be subsidizing more vaccines or research into medicine. But terrorism is dramatic and receives a lot of media (just as the terrorists want it to) and thus it gets a disproportionate amount of attention.I'm not saying that terrorism isn't a threat, but that we need to prioritize our threats, and take security actions based on how well they will ACTUALLY SECURE US, not just based on how much they infringe on our individual rights. 

Cheerleading Follow Up

From the combined reflection that Elle and I wrote last week about the dynamics of cheerleading, we found that liberalism is the eventual goal of the team, with the use of realism and constructivism to reach that. However, at practice yesterday, this goal was actually made concrete in the words of our coach. The attempts at forcing the team to bond had, in fact, led more to factions splitting off, between not just rookies and vets, but the vets themselves. Our coach stood up yesterday and told us that we literally can’t do anything without each other, that we are all “allies,” to quote, out on the mat. The question still remains if the team will take this to heart and form the dependent alliances necessary to become an effective team. Because the focus is on rational actors choosing what benefits them, our coach and the captains are hoping now that each team member will choose to work with everyone else by using their talents and encouraging the growth and development of others.