National Security

I found the 2001 National Security article very interesting and something that I was able to relate to very well, partly because of the language used and because of the fact that it was not written only for highly-authorized personnel.

I would like to focus on this article and on the theory of realism, which I find very prominently in the ideas. The beliefs in realism would agree strongly with most of the ideas presented in the article, specifically the security examples. The United States is at a height, militarily and economically and will do anything to ensure safety, which is part of the realist theory, although realism would not agree with the fact that the United States will try to create free societies and a balance of power.

I do not think that the article follows up much on this subject. The following paragraph states that the fundamental concern of the U.S. is to ensure safety of OUR nation and then it continues to detail the methods of ensuring the country which include methods of military, intelligence, law, and defense. These are all essential parts of defense and security for the theory of realism.

The ideas listed to help prevent terrorism begin by sounding more liberal, yet the bottom line is the safety of the United States, OUR NATION, which is listed over and over again throughout the document. Some of the goals mention relations between nations which in effect will create 'world peace,' yet the end effect is the safety of the United States. The theory of realism is the basis of all decisions made by the United States and this is obvious in the security article. The most important part of this article for realists would be the discussion about destroying terrorism. The methods are clearly listed, and although many reasons including international benefits and preventing attacks against other countries, the main reason to focus on this is the for the security of the United States and other countries BECAUSE IF OUR ALLIES ARE ATTACKED, WE WILL HAVE SECURITY RISKS.

Because of my view on realism, I think that liberalism and constructivism are more parts of realism than theories on their own. I believe that anything can be traced down to realism, because in the end, security is the main concern, and this is the fundamental idea and necessity of realism. Just by the title of the security article, realism is prominent and is the basis of this piece of writing.