National Security: Is This a Real Issue?

National Security: Is This A Real Issue or One That Promotes U.S. Hegemony?

By Brother Tracy Gibson...


The Presidential candidates are debating the topic of ``American interests'' and ``National Security.'' Meanwhile the major media has little to say to interpret this topic for us as the public, the layman and general readers go wanting for real information that explains the term and concept and how it is used to promote harsh Capitalism over peaceful coexistence and sustainability.  I have written about this topic before, but I have to wonder-- is anybody is listening?

The ``National Security'' issue in the U.S. seems, to me, to be a fake or phony issue.  Do you ever, ever hear of other countries such as France, Greece or even England having such problems with ``National Security?''  Why is this such a problem--and an illusive one at that--for our National Leaders, our politicians, especially our established politicians, and especially our politicians in higher office such as Cabinet officers, other top Administration Officials, the Vice President, Senators, Congressmen and especially The President of the United States?

The reason for our consistent obsession with ``National Security,'' is that we can't mind our own damned business as a country so we go snooping around in other country's business and calling it ``our concern.''  We have made this snooping our ``business'' concern, but other countries are literally sick of seeing their grass-roots people and their laborers exploited by U.S. firms all under the guise of ``National North American Interests'' and National Security.'' What other countries do, regardless if it has an impact on us in the U.S., is that particular country's concern--not ours.  We should only try to have an influence that impacts on our best interests through diplomacy, the arts, media, foreign exchange, trade and other forms of open and honest communications.  When we open the Pandora's Box of National Security we ALWAYS get into trouble because we are trying to leverage and PRY open access and influence we should not legitimately have--especially if we are trying to promote democracy in other parts of the world such as Africa, Asia, Russia, Cuba, South America, and India.

I'm NOT saying that our so-call interests in other parts of the world should stop at our borders.  As the world becomes smaller and smaller due to the faster and faster exchange of ideas, faster and faster rates of travel and communications, we are foolish to think we can just keep ``foreighners'' out of our borders and down play diplomacy's importance in the world.  But if we think we are going to use nuclear weapons, a massive military, armaments, and other formations of military strength such as nuclear subs, massive aircraft carriers and the personnel required to sustain such military power to have overpowering and undue influence on other Nations, we are sadly mistaken. 

Just look how the small, poor nation of North Korea has acted like the small mouse that scared the hell out of the elephant in a dark room.  So has Iran and Venezuela.  We should not be using oil and food and guns, military technology, nuclear subs, aircraft carriers and other warheads and nuclear weapons as a tool to force what we see as ``our way'' on everybody else.  Other nations will take up democracy in their own due time and they will do so with their own cultural interpretations--not ours. This seems, to me, to be what the crux of National Security is all about.   We should be using forms of culture--music, film, Hip Hop, Progressive and underground TV, dance, culinary arts, the Olympics and other athletics to have a positive way to show off our people's talents and our Way of life not as superior, but as Peaceful, different and desirable.  The use of weaponry, death and destruction is NOT acceptable and the fact that this is what our leaders are promoting is the reason why we are still hated around the world. This violence proneness of ours is also the reason why the events that took place in Libya took place a few weeks ago.   Our system, if we can ever stop exploiting people, and being bent on greed and self-destruction, will sell itself throughout the world. But we have to work on it PEACEFULLY--not through the sale, proliferation and promotion of national threats, coercion, violence and such...