Biggest Threat to National Security

• John Vandivier

This article discusses several possible candidates for the biggest threat to US national security. We will look at claims made by others and try to narrow the field. Here are 3 pundits giving their distinct opinions on the biggest threat to US national security:

  1. Robert Gates says it's Washington paralysis
  2. Poll Says Cyber Attacks
  3. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says it's the National Debt

  4. John Bolton says it's Obama

Here are my responses:
  1. While it may be unpopular, paralysis in Washington really only leads to a slowdown in the growth of government. This results in a stronger economy and a propensity not to engage in foreign war. This is good for security. By the way, it's only unpopular because people watch too much of the bought and sold media that wants us to go to war and have a need for government intervention in the economy to justify its existence.
  2. In theory, yes, this is a big issue. In reality, cyber attacks have been rare and many times beneficial to the public. For example, Anonymous is a major cyber attacker. Anonymous has hacked a number of government records and used them to benefit the public. On the other hand, there are instances which are bad for the public too, such as when Target had so many customer credit card numbers stolen. I will maintain another option is the most dangerous but this is bad too.
  3. Not at all. National debt may devalue the dollar, but even if the dollar crashes the economy can subsist in a number of ways such as using other currencies or switching to commodities or some such. Furthermore, massive printing is damaging the dollar more than debt is. Maybe the Joint Chiefs should take a hard look at the Federal Reserve. Lastly, devaluing the dollar is not so bad when other governments are devaluing their currencies just as quickly.
  4. Yes, but let me take it a step further. It's not only Obama, but any person who occupies such a centralized seat of power as the American Presidency. Furthermore it's an unavoidable consequence of the construction of our constitution. It's not like our constitution is particularly bad though, it's just the nature of people and government.