Managing Homeland Security - Essay Example

Question One Though it may be considered trite to say that the post-terrorism world is one in which the issues of democracy are becoming fixated on fear, it is most definitely a veracious statement. In maintaining progressive thinking working for IPPR, it is most behooving to state that a democracy in fear is one that is not in control, as Walter Laqueur (February, 1997) states in his articles, Post-Modern Terrorism, "The terrorist of the future will be less ideological, more likely to harbor ethnic grievances, harder to distinguish from other criminals, and a particular threat to technologically advanced societies." Thus, as the Emergency Management Coordinator in order to respond to terrorism during post 9/11 the issues facing democracy such as its level of autocratic power and its level of democratic (that is society's power) will be addressed in my term in office and a mutual way of dealing with terrorism while not becoming a state of autocratic power and especially a state immersed in xenophobia will be the prime issues of my platform as Wilcox (1997), states, terrorism provokes deep fear and insecurity -- more than other forms of violence. Terrorists strike innocent civilians, often randomly, and without warning. We think we can protect ourselves against other forms of violence, but we feel defenseless against terrorists. ..Terrorists know this, and they seek to use intimidation to impose their political or other agendas. Killing is only a means to that end. By creating fear and panic, terrorists try to extort concessions or to weaken and discredit governments by showing they are unable to protect their citizens. Thus, emergency management is the coordination of a city-wide cooperative involvement to ensure the entire safety of that community. Such events that could arise that this committee would be called upon would be natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, etc. and other disasters such as terrorism as has been mentioned prior. As the Emergency Management Coordinator it is my job to activate the necessary mobile force that would generate the appropriate level of action for when these events occur. As such I am in charge of decided a plan of action such as emergency evacuations of houses for when a natural disaster has been proclaimed through the national weather service. I would have to use the aid of the committee and local police force to aid in making sure the entire community is safe and re-located in enough time to prevent injury or death. As the Emergency Management Coordinator it is necessary to wake the entire community aware of evacuation procedures, where to go, where to relocate, and how to get in touch with family members who may have become separated from each other. A post will be set up in the evacuation area, which will usually be in a large arena in the next city in case of a flood, or hurricane and there will be several posts in town where people can go in case of a tornado or earthquake to receive temporary shelter, food, and to locate their family. There is a lot involved in being an Emergency Management Coordinator, but with the cooperation of the community, presenting the facts of where to go when an emergency occurs, the movement of an entire city prior to such a catastrophe should not be too difficult. The temporary shelters will be in locations such as area YMCAs, malls, high schools, and other large buildings that will be commandeered during this time. Food will be provided through such agencies as Red Cross and other donations until such a time as rebuilding and moving back into the area will occur. As the Emergency Management Coordinator it is my job to act as swiftly as possible to ensure the safety of the lives in this community and I will do this job with the utmost of my ability. Question Two For the modern thinkers, the most rational reason behind war is "patriotism".1 Thus, in order to coincide the active and willing participation of the hospitals, the police, and the fire department a mutual understanding of their pulled efforts must be presented to them. According to Augustine's vision, patriotism was an artificial emotion - fostered through the imposition of authority. Though people of a group set may believe that they are freely adhering to a common thread, according Augustine, this would be akin to the effects of brainwashing. Therefore, through the ideas of Augustine, one can justify war through the guise of defense. "Not of one's community", because, as Augustine states, community is an illusion, but rather "a kind of armed peace, generally referred to as 'international stability'".2 It is through this definition, one can argue the case for warfare for any number of reasons - regardless of the feelings of patriotism. By creating an individualized view of the state of peace, and stating that a group based war could ensure that safety, the state could then justify war. Therefore, to ensure the full cooperation of the above-mentioned groups, a shared goal must be brought to their attention. Although St. Augustine thought peace and community were illusions, it must be brought to the forefront of the argument for these groups to get along that in order for an entire community to survive they must recognize the common goal of preserving the city and its residents, otherwise, chaos will be inevitable and lives will be lost. Question Three Because of the restructuring of the seats of power within Washington, post 9-11, there have been many changes in the chain of command. The CIA, FBI, and NSA are now centralized within the DHS (Department of Homeland Security). However, the autonomy that the DHS has frees it from public oversight and review. Though the intent was for these sections of government to communicate more efficiently, as the world saw the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, this intent has failed. The actions of the Bush administration have worked in a counter-productive manner to the preservation of the American construct. The actions that have come to define the administration have been labeled as deceitful, illegal, and unethical - and events such as the hunting accident further this opinion. In determining the issues facing democracy the people and the administrators in the government must be thinking about how a civiliazed society should be approaching blatant violence, how do the citizenry view such violence, how can we learn from 9/11 (in regards to preventing terrorism), and how can democracy become strong again after the effects of such terrorism (WG-15, Civil Society and Political Violence, 2005). Question Foure The way in which strength in ideas can be found is through counter-terrorism organizations. Among the many organizations that pave the way for peace, as Jim Fuller states in his article, POPULAR U.S. PROGRAM HELPS GOVERNMENTS FIGHT TERRORISM A relatively small U.S. program to train and equip countries to fight international terrorism has been invaluable in strengthening U.S. relationships with other governments and in protecting the lives of diplomats overseas. The U.S. Department of State's Antiterrorism Assistance (ATA) Program provides this assistance to friendly governments that face a significant threat from terrorism. Since its inception in 1983, the program has provided training to over 19,000 individuals from more than 80 countries. The training ranges from bomb detection and deactivation to hostage negotiations, dignitary protection, crime scene investigation, and airport security. In these programs and many others in a myriad of countries, the issues facing democracy post-9/11 are becoming more about prevention and less about getting even, or a vendetta mind-set. Often times it may be detrimental to the progression of emergency action by dictating the level form which the Emergency Manager operates. If there is a large community then there is a larger area to cover, more people to relocate and feed. Question Five I believe the level of government that should be securing the homeland is all levels; as has been stated above, in order to prevent the most catastrophe all levels of a community from the hospitals to the police and fire department must be working towards the same goal; this is the same for the government. If the entire government is not working for the same goal then less positive results will occur. Work Cited The American Journal of International Law. (Jan., 2005). Legality of U.S.-Led Invasion of Iraq. Vol. 99, No. 1 P. 269-270. Fuller, Jim. ( February 1997). POPULAR U.S. PROGRAM HELPS GOVERNMENTS FIGHT TERRORISM. USIA Electronic Journal, Vol. 2, No. 1. Hundert, E.J. "Augustine and the Sources of the Divided Self". Political Theory. 20 No. 1 (1992): 86-123 Laqueur, Walter. (February, 1997). Post-Modern Terrorism. USIA Electronic Journal, Vol. 2, No. 1. Liberty: Protecting Civil Liberties, Promoting Human Rights. Liberty and Security. Murphy, Sean. (April, 2003) Use of Military Force to Disarm Iraq. American Journal of International Law. Vol. 97, No. 2. P. 419-432. Report of the Policy Working Group on the United Nations and Terrorism. UN Report written in August 2002 on the recommendations for dealing with terrorism. http://www.un.org/terrorism/a57273.htm. Wilcox, Phillip. (February, 1997). Terrorism Remains a Global Issue. USIA Electronic Journal, Vol. 2, No. 1. WG-15. Civil Society and Political Violence. International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism, And Security. March 7, 2005. < http://english.safe-democracy.org/mediaroom/press release-march-8-wg-15.html> Read More