National Security Strategy for a New Era

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Introduction The state of the United States today is in many ways similar to what it was following the Vietnam War. Then as is now, there are concerns over the misuse and overreaching of military force. As well, today’s economic dispair mimics that of the inflation that gripped the nation in the 1970’s and 1980’s (Snow, 2014, p. 5). Left unidentified is a comprehensive strategy for United States national security. What are the priorities for American national security today, and how can they effectively be met? What are the overarching goals of the United States going and how can they be achieved? Answers to these questions are too often divided along partisan lines, making it difficult to construct a strategy that most policy-makers can support. Yet like a rudder on a ship, the U.S. needs a central strategy that has bipartisan support and wide public appeal to decisively move forward into the 21st century. What is needed is a“strategic narrative” (Y, 2011). What is National Security? National security refers to the preservation of a territory, its people, and their way of life. The central premise deals with “the protection of the fundamental values and core interests necessary to the continued existence and vitality of the state,” (Jordan et al, 2009, p. 4). Its purpose is to safeguard those items deemed to be of national or vital interest to the United States. National interests are those that are recognized as being salient to the prosperity and well-being of a state. These include political values such as ensuring democracy, and economic and political interests such as continued access to a free market. Of critical importance are vital interests; those items deemed absolutely essential to the survivability of the ... ... middle of paper ... ...o; 1:04:00]. East-West Center Public Address. Retrieved from: http://vimeo.com/10884124 Snow, Donald. (2014). National Security for a New Era. Fifth Edition. Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Whitehouse.gov. (2010, May). National Security Strategy. Retrieved from: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/national_security_strategy.pdf Y, Mr. (2011). “A National Strategic Narrative.” The Woodrow Wilson Center. Retrieved from: https://blackboard.ecu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_group=courses&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fcontent%2FcontentWrapper.jsp%3Fcontent_id%3D_6907379_1%26displayName%3DLinked%2BFile%26course_id%3D_372235_1%26navItem%3Dcontent%26attachment%3Dtrue%26href%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.wilsoncenter.org%252Fsites%252Fdefault%252Ffiles%252FA%252520National%252520Strategic%252520Narrative.pdf

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