National+Security

=National Security=  -**Edit this page** and contribute information and resources on the policies of John McCain and Barack Obama. -**Visit our** [|online social network] and participate in various discussions about the election  The Free Dictionary (an online dictionary) defines national security as “a collective term encompassing both national defense and foreign relations of the United States. Specifically, the condition provided by: a. a military or defense advantage over any foreign nation or group of nations; b. a favorable foreign relations position; or c. a defense posture capable of successfully resisting hostile or destructive action from within or without, overt (open) or covert(in secret).” The concept of security of a nation goes back to the dawn of nations themselves. Armies for domestic peacekeeping have existed since the dawn of recorded history. [|Intelligence agencies]  and [|secret services]  of governments date back to the [|Roman Empire] . While the general concepts of keeping a nation secure are not new, the specific modern term "national security" came into common use in the 20th Century. However, in the wake of September 11, 2001, the Bush Administration has passed new laws, such as the USA PATRIOT Act (passed in 2001 and 2006), have put national security in the forefront of many peoples’ minds. Although these new national security measures are imposed to protect society as a whole, these laws will necessarily tend to restrict the rights and freedoms of individuals. The concern of many privacy advocates is that where the exercise of national security laws and powers is not subject to the right people, there is a risk that "national security" may simply serve as an excuse for suppressing [|different political and social views] . This view says that measures which may serve a national security purpose (such as [|mass surveillance] , and [|censorship]  of [|mass media] ), could ultimately lead to a <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0, 32, 96); font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none">[|police state] <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0, 32, 96); font-family: Arial"> or a place where the government controls the view of the population. Our next president’s view of national security, then, is crucial because this will shape our country a great deal in the coming years.
 * For ideas on what to contribute, visit the Immigration and Iraq War pages developed by students at the <span class="wiki_link_ext">Noble and Greenough School in <span class="wiki_link_ext">Dedham Massachusetts.

Barack Obama's View's http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8iGKCTOODA John McCain's View's http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL-x2t8S2yk

__Barack Obama's View's__
 * Improving security for our transit systems and chemical plants
 * Senator Obama is a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee and has supported efforts to base homeland security spending on risk
 * He has also introduced legislation to stregthen chemical plant and drinking water security and to enhance disaster preparedne

__John McCain's View's__
 * Strongly supports the development and deployment of missile defenses.
 * These are crucial to protect America from rogue regimes like North Korea.
 * John McCain strongly thinks that the most important weapons are the men and women, so he wants to enlarge the size of the US Military.
 * Believes in increasing benefits for veterans.
 * Thinks that the defense “allowance” should be funded by the regular appropriations process, and not by any emergency supplemental.