Homeland Security and Critical Thinking - Assignment Example

HOMELAND SECURITY & CRITICAL THINKING Homeland security refers to the protection and safety of the motherland from any external threat and foreign invasion, so that the inhabitants of that country could lead a peaceful and prosperous life without any fears or perils within the boundaries of their country. “The US Homeland security”, Peters submits, “consists of all military activities aimed at preparing for, protecting against or managing the consequences of attacks on American soil, including the CONUS and US territories and possessions. It includes all actions to safeguard the populace and its property, critical infrastructure, the government and the military, its installations and deploying forces.” (2000: 2) Hence, homeland security consists of the planning and preparations made at both military and civilian levels to make foolproof arrangements for foiling the external and internal threats challenging the peace and stability of the country. The governments and all other political authorities take essential measures to combat with the external and internal threats by ensuring and improving the strategic measures and defense system of the country on the basis of the available data presenting security threats and perils challenging the very foundations of the country. However, sometimes it so happens that the available statements and statistics are unable to provide accurate information, which causes wrong planning and consequently create great hazards in respect of the security of a country. Thus, the law enforcing agencies and security organizations seek help from the thinkers and intellectuals so that the gathered information could be examined and estimated in a proper way. Since critical thinking aims to analyze and examine the information with the help of reasoning, it provides a wide range of thoughtfulness for assessing the data gathered for different purposes. Hence, critical thinking is also helpful in respect of enhancing the security plans of a country. Critical thinking urges the people to contemplate over the situation in order to draw out appropriate conclusions as well as to find out several alternate solutions to a problem under study. It does not allow making of immediate conclusions on the basis of available information in the form of figures, statements, graphs or other presentation. On the contrary, it lays stress upon viewing the information through different angles in order to explore the hidden aspects of that information that have been concealed under the pile of incorrect information and rigged, engineered and biased statistics. Critical thinking is not confined to one area or zone of study. On the contrary, it is equally important in the fields of politics, history, science, economic, education and others. Consequently, the educationalists particularly concentrate upon applying critical thinking while teaching the students in the classroom. “Critical thinking”, Schafersman states, “is an important and vital topic in modern education. All educators are interested in teaching critical thinking to their students. Many academic departments hope that its professors and instructors will become informed about the strategy of teaching critical thinking skills, identify areas in ones courses as the proper place to emphasize and teach critical thinking, and develop and use some problems in exams that test students’ critical thinking skills.” (1991: 2) Hence, critical thinking is highly effective in educating the students properly, so that they can take advantage of their knowledge in professional life after completing their education. Along with other fields and professions, critical thinking is particularly supportive in respect of making comprehensive strategy for homeland security. Critical thinking presents several different models that suggest step by step solutions to different social, political, religious, ethnic and racial problems; cyclic model of critical thinking is also one of these models, which looks for explaining the steps involved in thinking and analyzing the social phenomena in a comprehensive way, so that the real state of affairs can be brought in the limelight and the necessary measures could be taken in reaction to the incident taken place in the social environment. In addition, the model also elaborates the solution of various problems in a forceful mode by applying intellect for understanding the reasons behind a problem and apposite alternate solutions of the problems appear time and again at individual, national or international levels. Critical thinking also supports the nations in homeland security measures by providing the authorities analyze the information with a critical perspective, in the light of which homeland security plans could become simple, easy and accurate. The first step described in the cyclic model is focus or observation, which simply means that the problem should be focused on with deep observation and thoughtful insight as well. Since estimating and analyzing of a subject or problem maintains imperative significance in it, proper interpretation of a subject matter and deep observation of the given information is highly obligatory for the proper solution of the problems. Hence, accurate observation of the phenomenon is highly supportive in understanding and combating with the problems of grave concern. The second step of cyclic model of critical thinking discusses question or hypothesis i.e. what is the nature of a problem or what are the vital points that pave the way towards the identification of hypothesis and fundamental points of the problem under study. Since detection and classification of problems is the most important thing for solution, cyclic model of critically thinking lays stress upon the identification of the problem and the context in which the issue under study has been presented. The third step of cyclic model aims to estimate the content and value of a statement, situation or problematic state of affairs etc. Critical thinking vehemently argues in favor of looking into the matter by reading between the lines as well as in reference to the context in order to estimate the content and value of the problem under study. Contents are the introductory part of an issue or a problem and explain the details of an issue in a precise mode. Similarly, values determine the steps taken by an overwhelming majority of the population towards a specific direction. It is also useful in analysis of data based on statements, essays, statistical figures and diagrams etc, which can easily be assessed with the help of critical thinking. Analysis and deliberation is fourth part of cyclical model, which concentrates upon the components of the facts available. In addition, it lays stress upon proving the validity of the available data in a rigorous way and with a critical point of view as well to generalize the facts in a comparative way with the other evidences and realities. Hence, it keeps in view the reasons behind a fact presented in the available data. The cyclic model of critical thinking is applicable in homeland security plans and provides a complete solution to the measures should be taken for the protection of the country. The same is applied by the US official while combating with terrorist attacks in the aftermath of 9/11 catastrophe, which shook the very foundations of the so called most secured and protected land of the world. The 9/11 catastrophe appeared as an astounding bombshell that changed the entire scenario of the world politics. It not only challenged the US economy and dragged it towards significant collapse, but also forced the statesmen make immediate alterations in their political policies and foreign relations as well. In addition, an overwhelming majority of the nation-states of the globe had to review their foreign relations too soon after the occurring of the dreadful terrorist attacks in the New York. Consequently, the think tanks and strategy makers of the USA joined heads and contemplated on the reasons behind such dreadful incident as well as the possible remedies to evade such incidents in future. The catastrophe has invited the curiosity of the philosophers and intellectuals and has urged them contemplate over the events in order to make plans and devise strategies for escaping terrorism in future. Hence, the conclusions can be drawn out of the principles determined by the philosophers in the critical thinking. The terrorist attacks of September 2001 gave birth to the following questions in the minds of the intellectuals, philosophers, policy makers and strategic devisers in the light of eight elements of critical thinking: Which of the issues have been raised in the US politics in the aftermath of 9/11 catastrophe? Who has caused terrorists attacks and which were the factors that paved the way towards such nefarious terrorism? Which of the forces regulated the terrorist activities and who was there to provide funds and financial support to such tremendous plan? How were these plans of terrorist attacks implemented and exercised in a highly successful way? Which forces were there active in challenging the financial and strategic plans of so called world power of the contemporary world? Which were the flaws and fouls that encouraged the terrorists to invade on the land and destroy the famous World Trade Center (WTC) by foiling all security measures taken by the so called super power to protect its boundaries? The government witnessed the attacks of the terrorists through colliding airplanes with the mighty building of WTC, which cost over 3000 causalities besides countless injuries and huge financial losses. The government looked into the long list of the nations and communities with which the USA had been in conflict. Some of these rival countries had been victim of the US hatred, on which they had inflicted atrocities and injustices through the platform of the United Nations for the last several decades. Similarly, some of these countries belonged to the Russian block during the cold war period, which could be involved in terrorism of September 2001. Hence, the think tank considered all these aspects in the light of critical thinking. In addition, they also calculated the inequalities the American governments used to display towards the weak and frail communities of the world particularly the US partiality towards Israel in Arab-Israel conflict as well as her criminal negligence at the eve of Indo-Pak conflict and other international disputes and clashes. As a result, the think tanks put allegations of terrorist attacks on the Islamic world, as they thought it as a reaction to the injustices committed by the world towards the Muslim community. Consequently, the USA-led military alliance invaded over Afghanistan and Iraq in 2001 and 2003 respectively with the aim to nip the evil of terrorism in the bud from the very face of the earth. Hence, the US authorities took decision of invading the two Muslim countries in the light of the principles determined in the cyclic model of critical thinking. Since the first principle of cyclic model explains focus and observation of the given information, the US authorities apply these principles by observing the reality that suicidal attacks are committed by the Muslim extremists. Furthermore, they also assessed, in the light of the cyclic model, that terrorists could seek shelter and protection under the Taliban regime of Afghanistan. Consequently, they warned the terrorist Afghan regime to hand over Al Qaeda leadership to the USA. On not complying with the demands made by the American authorities, the Allied forced attacked on Afghanistan in 2001 and forced the terrorists run away from the helm of the Afghanistan government. The second principle of cyclic model defines questions and hypothesis; the same is applied in case of US reaction to the terrorist attacks. The US authorities developed hypotheses that the terrorists would have been sponsored by some prosperous and financially affluent organizations belonging to the extremist sect of the Muslims. The USA authorities also focus upon the content and value of the terrorists exercised in the terrorism on New York. Since the terrorists aimed to destroy the very foundations of the US economy, as they wanted to paralyze the USA so that she could not provide funds to Israel, India and other rival countries of the Muslim community. Hence, critical thinking proved extremely supportive for the US officials for detecting and destroying the network of the terrorists. REFERENCES: Schafersman, Steven D. (1991) An Introduction to Critical Thinking. http://www.freeinquiry.com/critical-thinking.html Peters, John E. (2000) Understanding Homeland Security http://www.fathom.com/course/21701714/session2.html Read More