Mass Surveillance and Its Role in Promoting National Security

Americans like to know things. With the most complex of information available with a simple Google search and breaking news updates instantly accessible via smart phones, the United States has adopted a culture that demands to know what is going on. That being said, it is no wonder Americans were outranged upon discovering their government had been discreetly monitoring their activity. The spark that ignited the controversy of mass surveillance initially arose in early 2013, when former CIA {Central Intelligence Agency} and NSA {National Security Agency} employee Edward Snowden â€Å"leaked information about the United States government’s highly classified mass surveillance programs† to journalists from several major publications, including the Washington Post and the Guardian (Edward Snowden). The result was an uproar of accusations aimed at the executive branch and the NSA, declaring these data sweeps â€Å"unconstitutional† and â€Å"useless† (End The Phone Data Sweeps) because of their supposed invasion of privacy and lack of pertinent results. Despite these claims, it is clear that the protection of national security is undoubtedly worth the sacrifice of personal privacy by the people of the Untied States. Because all US citizens are protected by the Constitution, many have turned to the authority of the Bill of Rights in attempt to prove data sweeps unconstitutional. But can Amendment IV really be used as evidence in a case against mass surveillance? Not particularly. TheShow MoreRelatedEssay about Securing Our Country: The Department of Homeland Security1532 Words   |  7 Pagesof the Department of Homeland Security are as follows; the Homeland Security Act of 2002, Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, and the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 was introduced after the September 11, 2001 attacks and mailing of anthrax. It was signed into law by then President George W. Bush in November 2002. It created both the United States Department of Homeland Security and the cabinet-level positionRead MoreDomestic Terrorism And Its Effect On Terrorism Essay1541 Words   |  7 Pagescarried out by Islamic Muslims, but anyone with political assertions can lead an attack. (5) Some terrorist organizations operating have been Phineas Priesthood, a group that desires a pure Christian and white nation by promoting hate and violence; the Black Liberation Army, a group promoting equality for African Americans through violence; and the Ku Klux Klan, an organization since 1865 advocating white supremacy while assassinating African Americans, religious and political figures. (6) As there areRead MoreCentral Intelligence Agency And The Cold War1821 Words   |  8 Pagessix-pronged defense strategy which includ ed the National Security Act of 1947, giving birth to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (Roark, et al. 789). The consensus of the Cold War was driven by capitalist ideology and a culture of mass consumption, but displayed to the public as a true fear of the Soviet Union. An analysis of the CIA during the Cold War Era reveals great misalignment with stated US values which can be seen by examining their role in the war, illegal activities they committed,Read MoreU.s. Foreign Policy Policies1297 Words   |  6 PagesEurope but also to assert their leadership over the Americas. The 20th century celebrated the rise of the United States as the incontestable imperial force. In President Franklin Roosevelt’s eyes, it was the duty of powerful nations to take up the role of ‘international arbiter’ and act as some sort of police officer (Roosevelt, 1904:1). Latin America was thus a U.S. laboratory where it could assert its blatant paternalistic imperialism (Olson, 2015). In this context, Washington intervened in theRead MorePolitics : Us, Realism, And Terrorism3539 Words   |  15 Pagesrealist mindset, more specifically, a neo-realistic mindset. US has argued that its counterterrorism policies are just and fair. In the Country Report on Terrorism, US’s Bureau of Counterterrorism states that, â€Å"building the capacity of partner nation security forces to address threats within their own borders and participate in regional counterterrorism operations; and strengthening relationships with U.S. partners around the world to make the rule of law a critical part of a broader, more comprehensiveRead MoreEssay about The United States Has NO Comprehensive Terrorism Policy2500 Words   |  10 Pagesand Hamas and the introduction of suicide bombers which was a big threat to America. There have been a lot of concerns in America due to the issues given by the Middle East threatening to wipe out the whole nation using the most powerful weapons of mass destruction like the atomic bombs and nuclear weapons (Cettl 4-11). United States Involvement in the war on terrorism The world in the modern history is faced with many crises which have been growing since the Second World War. This has been as aRead MoreUnited States National Interests: An Analysis2529 Words   |  10 Pages1. What three United States national interests do you think will be at great risk over the next five years? Describe those interests and identify which instruments of national power can be leveraged to protect or advance those national interests and how those instruments can be used. As President Obama stated in his addresses to Congress in February 2009, the most important problem that the country faced was the economy, which was in the worst recession since the 1930s. This affected both domesticRead MoreCustoms and Border Protection3897 Words   |  16 PagesMesngon July 20, 2014 Abstract This paper explores an overview of the mission and the overall organization of the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP). It will also discuss the roles and responsibilities of the organization, its history, and how they support the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This paper will provide you with facts, highlights, and challenges germane to CBP. You will understand how CBP interacts and operates with the intelligence community and the Armed ForcesRead More The Perpetuation of Racism in Canada by the Mainstream News Media3990 Words   |  16 Pagesinternationally renowned for its commitment to multiculturalism. In fact, Canada was the first nation to officially adopt a multicultural policy. However, while the Canadian government has developed a broad-based multicultural mandate that includes a national human rights code and increased penalties for hate-motivated crimes, and most Canadians oppose overt forms of discrimination and hate, racism continues to exist i n Canadian society, albeit in a subtle fashion. Many theorists lay blame for the perpetuationRead MoreEmergency Management Stakeholders15452 Words   |  62 Pagesstakeholders is the lack of a broad-based support group for individual householders, analogous to the Neighborhood Watch programs that exist across the country. In some communities, Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) are beginning to fill this role. CERTs may also be known as Neighborhood Emergency Response Teams, Neighborhood Emergency Assistance Teams, or other similar designations, but they share a common origin and many other characteristics (Simpson, 2001). CERTs are designed to train first