National Security Versus Civil Liberty - Coursework Example

National Security Vs Civil Liberty Abstract National securities are those actions taken by a country or nation so as to protect itself and its citizens from internal and external threats. It is that requirement of the government to maintain the survival of the state. This concept is mostly in the United States. This can be through political power, the economic power or any other way. National security includes internal and the external security of a country. The external security involves protecting the united state against external factors like terrorism, border invasion or any potential foreign invasion. Internal security involves protecting the United States citizens against internal threats like organized crimes. This involves with issues which are domestic (Watson, 2008). Civil liberty is the right for the United State citizens to enjoy their rights. These rights include the right for privacy, right to speech, protection and to be treated fairly. It is the right of every citizen in the United States to enjoy their civil liberty. This paper looks at the issue of sacrificing a few freedoms to protect national security, both the internal and external security and to ensure the long term viability of civil rights. It looks at which freedom can be sacrificed and to what extent the government should affect civil rights. It also looks at the importance of making these sacrifices. The paper also looks at instances where the civil rights are violated so to emphasis on the importance of the government to ensure that it does not cross the limit. These instances include unlawful detentions and torture. In conclusion, the paper support the sacrifice of civil liberty sometimes only if the government ensures that it does not violet people’s freedom. Elements of national security National security consist of a number of elements, it consist of the social and political stability which ensures that there harmony in a state. It also consist of territorial security of a state where in protects its borders against external invasion. This also consists of economic freedom where there is a free market for investors to operate in freely. Finally, this should consist of peace with externals. This is where a state ensures that it good relations with other countries. This is to be able to protect the state’s interests in those countries. Threats The national security ensures the safety of citizens from threats. The national security includes the internal security which protects citizens from internal threats and the external security which protects citizens. Internal threats include things to do with economic sabotage through activities like smuggling, money laundering and counterfeiting. Issue concerned with organized crimes can also be a major internal threat and also illegal drugs. External threats include smuggling of fire arms, illegal immigrations and eternal terrorism. It also involves cyber crimes. Importance of national security In any country, it is very important to maintaining the national security. This is because national security ensures that that every citizen enjoys their civil rights. The internal national security of a country protects the right to freedom, the freedom to speech, the freedom to ownership (Farber, 2008). National security also ensures that there is domestic tranquility in a country as citizens feel safe in their own country. The national security helps in maintaining safety of the nation from internal and external threats that’s leads to this harmony. The national security of a country can also be related to the economy of the country. Part of the national security strategy is to secure the interests of the country. These interests in most cases affect the economy end thus increase in the national security means an increase in the strength of the economy. National security ensures that the state has good relations with other countries. This ensures that interests of the state in those countries are protected. This also ensures that the state can have good business relations with the country that strengthens the economy of the country and friendship with the country. National security ensures that there are a reduced number of illegal activities in the state which also helps in bringing harmony. This can be seen where the national security protects citizens from illegal activity like organized crimes, counterfeiting, money laundering and the sale of illegal drugs. Argument In order to answer this question, it is important to understand which part of the national security is being talked about. The internal security involves the protection of citizens against threats to their freedom and the external security which involves protecting citizens against external threats. With regard to the internal security of a country, it is the duty of every one, not only the government to protect the national security. After the September 11 attacks on the United States governments around the world were forced to increase the level of security in their countries. This was so as to ensure that such attacks do not happen again. It is with regard that it is felt that sometime it is necessary to sacrifice a few freedoms to protect the national security and to avoid such an attack from happening again. This will ensure the long term viability of civil liberty (Zeugmann, 2008). Freedom of speech can to some extent be sacrificed where the government put surveillance of phone conversations and spy on emails. This helps in protecting the national security where the government can be able to monitor suspecting conversation, terrorist conversation, intercept on there plans. This gives the government an upper hand in increasing the security of the country and thus protecting the national security. The freedom of privacy has to be compromised in some cases where people go through security checks. This increases the security level and provides citizens with that sense of security. This is also important as it can not be assumed that every citizen is acting in the best interest of the national security of the country. For Example, there have to be security checks in airports to ensure that there is security to ensure the safe travel of people. This is very important especially after the September 11 attacks in the United States on the twin towers. This can also be seen where there are surveillance cameras in buildings and the streets. This is so as to monitor activities so as to increase the safety of citizens. In cases where an individual is suspected of being involved with people who are suspected to be acting against the interest of the country, the civil liberty can be violated to some extent. This can be by, for example invasion of people financial records. This is so as to see if their financial activity indicates any alarming transactions. With regards to the national security against eternal threats, it is mainly the duty of the state government to protect its citizens from attacks from external threats like terrorists or foreign invasion. When talking about external threats, the main concern is terrorism; in this case, it is argumentative if it is necessary to sacrifice a few freedoms to protect national security and to ensure the long-term viability of civil liberty. This is because it involves people lives. It is argumentative to sacrifice soldiers’ lives to ensure the safety of people. This can be seen as a threat to national security as civil liberty is the most important right which will be violated through to loss of that right to life (Zeugmann, 2008). This argument also involves individuals who are tortured in prisons especially after September 11 in the name of getting intelligence information from them or even abusing detainees because of their race. To protect the civil rights of people, every individual, despite their race should have the right to fair trial. This will violet the freedom of people and has gone against the patriotic act. That is the freedom to fair trial. This is why many people are reluctant when it comes to the implementation of the national security over civil liberty. This is because there is that fear that people’s rights will be violated. It is with this regard that the government should be very careful as through sacrificing some freedom, it can easily cross the line. Many people are also reluctant for the fear of the government to use this for their own benefit and go against the patriotic act. Conclusion In conclusion, when it comes to the internal security, it is also the duty on citizens to ensure the national security. It is necessary to sacrifice a few freedoms sometime to protect national security and ensure the long term viability of civil liberty. After the September 11 attacks, it has been of at most important for the government to increase the security of citizens in all ways possible. To be able to do this, they need citizens to take that responsibility of sacrificing few freedoms for the greater good. However the government should as much as possible ensure that they do not cross the line in the name of ensuring the long term viability of civil right through violating most of other rights. There should be a limit to which this right is taken away. This violation can be through unlawful detention, discrimination and torture. This is can also tempt some government official to take advantage of this for their benefit. All in all, it is important to balance the national security and the civil liberty for the good of the state and its people and to ensure the long term viability of civil liberty. References Cohen et al. (2004). American national security and civil liberties in an era of terrorism: New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Farber D A. (2008). Security v. liberty: Conflicts between civil liberties and national security in American history: New York: Russell Sage Foundation. Watson, C. A. (2008). U.S. national security: A reference handbook. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC- CLIO Zeugmann, C. (2008). The trade-off between civil liberties and security in the United States and Germany after 9/11/01: An analysis. Hamburg: Diplomica-Verl. United States. (2011). Civil liberties and national security: Hearing before the Subcommittee on The Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, second session, December 9, 2010. Washington: U.S. G.P.O. Read More