Real Estate Investor · Aurora, CO · Member since 2010 · 175 posts · 92 votes
16y
For some perspective, live outside the country for awhile. I can remember our plane sitting on the tarmac at the Italian airport outside of Milan surrounded by soldiers with machine guns. This was in 1987. They took terrorism very seriously and there was no jetway, you had to walk into the terminal.
To get a visa into France, interrogation was the norm.
Driving around Italy, we'd get pulled over by the police at least once a week and have to show our papers that allowed us to be in the country. My blonde hair probably contributed to our racial profiling and most people thought we were Swiss.
Sure, it was slightly annoying to be pulled over all the time, (at least it wasn't for speeding) but it's their country and they make the rules. You wanna live there, you abide by them.
Immigration becomes a security threat when citizens are outnumbered in their own community by people that have no vested interest in keeping the standard of living that Americans enjoy. It's supposed to be the UNITED States of America.
Real Estate Lender · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2009 · 216 posts · 112 votes
16y
National Debt. When the economy collapses, so will the country. External threats are scary, but I believe that as a nation, we are prepared to deal with them. A total collapse of the economy will divide this country and the threat will come from the desperation of those with nothing.
Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 17k+ votes
16y
Depends on what you mean by "national security?"
Unfortunately, these days, that seems to be a catch phrase that means whatever the speaker wants it to mean.
Don't like something? Just say it's a threat to our national security.
Don't like our immigration policy -- well, then it's a threat to our national security. Don't like the fact that people are holding tea party rallies -- well, let's accuse them of threatening our national security. Don't like our government's spending habits -- well, let's call it a threat to national security. Don't like that our President has a middle name that's common among the religion of the people who happened to commit an attack on our country 10 years ago -- well, clearly THAT'S a threat to our national security. Don't like gay marriage -- well, how can you argue that it's a threat to our national security (yes, I've heard people say this).
Personally, when I think of threats to national security, I think of those things that have the ability to cause mass destruction on American soil and allow foreign regimes to destabilize and/or take over our government.
That said, the biggest threat to our national security are the countries that have nuclear weapons capable of threatening the 48 lower states -- Russia and China are the two big ones that come to mind.
Now, if by threat to "national security," you mean the long-term viability of the country, insofar as not losing status as the largest superpower on earth, then I would say it's none of the above and instead is our educational system.
In my opinion, the dumbing down of America is the biggest threat to ultimately dismantle this nation as a superpower.
Just my opinion, of course... :)
Though yes, I do agree that all 4 of the things on your list (or at least the first three) are VERY concerning as well...
Real Estate Lender · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2009 · 216 posts · 112 votes
16y
I think that is exactly why the national debt is our biggest threat. It will be the erosion of the moral of the citizens of this country and the mass destruction that is caused when the economy completely collapses that will destabilize our government to the point that foreign regimes will have an opportunity to take over. Nuclear threats are not threats in my opinion. Any country that drops a nuke on the United States will begin the end of the world, not just the end of a superpower.
Investor · Round Rock, TX · Member since 2010 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
16y
Tough question…That is like asking which instrument are you most likely to get killed with walking the streets!
I would think that the answer depends on the definition of “most threatening.†If you are talking about which would present the worst magnitude of disaster I would think item 3 is the worst. Item 4 is an enabler of item 3 though.
National debt is a wildcard, but we can monetize that if we need to so I don’t see it threatening short-run national security as much as the other items since our installed military is already #1 in the world be an order of magnitude.
MOST rouge nations don’t present as much of a problem because most of them lack the capacity to launch an attack on our homeland absent #4.
Overall I would argue that terrorism is most threatening because of our open border policy AND the magnitude of loss that would arise IF one of the nations snuck a dirty bomb in.
Investor · Westminster, CO · Member since 2009 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
16y
When I read Rich's opening post, my very first thought was "our Education System". But then I saw J beat me to posting it. Our Education System is more interested in teaching our students how to vote instead of how to learn. We are a nation that has forgotten how to THINK for itself, and we all follow the "pied piper", no matter what party they belong to. We vote for someone because of their race or because they were a Hollywood Actor or because they are good looking (I actually heard a soccer mom say, "I am voting for Bill Clinton because he is so good looking). This past election should have been Hillary Clinton vs. Rudy Giulani. At least we would have had two experienced people to chose from.
The next security threat is the "gimme, gimme, gimme" attitude. More, bigger, better!! Have to keep up with the Jones's! If American's would be content with a 2 year old cell phone vs a new droid or iPhone, then we could save, invest and be a better nation. I just got an iPad and it is the very FIRST portable computer I have ever owned, I have never owned a laptop and I built my own desktop.
There is an old saying, I do not know the origin, but it goes something like this. It is not the storms and winds that knock down the Grand Old Tree, it is the bugs and decay in the root system that bring it down. Look at the 'bark beetle' in our forests. They have infected 3-4 million acres of trees and I got a good look at them in the Rocky Mountain National Forest this past weekend. The Bolder Fire is nothing compared to the tiny bark beetle. Our country will be destroyed by the internal conflicts and the dumbing down being done by our Education System.
These are all potentially a nightmare. Which is your # 1? Rich
The borders with the debt a close second. Rogue states and terrorism can damage the country, but it can't destroy it - even if they come up with WMDs. The debt bubble can all but destroy the country when it bursts, but we can do things like monetization to survive it.
Our border situation, however, makes everything else worse. It's a path where terrorists and rogue states can smuggle all sorts of things into the country. Illegals here tax our economy and make the debt burden worse. Bottom line is that a sovereign state has the priviledge and responsibility to secure its borders. Otherwise, it isn't really sovereign.
Real Estate Investor · the villages, FL · Member since 2008 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
16y
Good points on the education, but not one in the study. I just wanted to see if BP represented a good cross section or not. I don't think I can tell with only 5 votes, the "margin of error" would probably be a +- 70%! Any other entries? Rich
Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 17k+ votes
16y
Originally posted by Rich Weese:
Good points on the education, but not one in the study.
Can you clarify what the study defines as "threat to national security?"
As I pointed out above, that's a catch-all phrase that's overused these days, and could mean anything. A more specific definition would probably elicit more specific answers...
Investor · Westminster, CO · Member since 2009 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
16y
If I had to chose, I would chose Terrorism. As we saw in Oklahoma City, terrorist's don't always come from outside the US. The same goes for Columbine High School and the military base where that whacko killed a bunch of soldiers. A plane flown into a crowded stadium, a poisoned water supply or a biological agent released is very scary.
Landlord · Seattle, WA · Member since 2010 · 3k+ posts · 1k+ votes
16y
If I had to choose the order it would be
1. Borders
2. Terrorism
3. National debt
4. Rouge nations
IMO what happens within our borders is more controllable. Those outside of our borders that want to inflict harm are a great threat to security.
Borders first because this helps lessen any potential act of terrorism. Acts of terrorism must be high on the list IMO. National debt is an internal problem that we create if we choose poor leaders then we live with the consequences.
We can watch rogue nations but it is harder to control what happens here. Nations though are more likely to help with rogues though than acts of terrorism.
Real Estate Investor · Aurora, CO · Member since 2010 · 175 posts · 92 votes
16y
Debt. America is already bankrupt. Nobody really knows what the tipping point will be but an act of terrorism could send us over the edge or maybe China pulls out their investments here. I follow ClubOrlov, a blog written by a Russian living in the US and he sees many parallels of what is going on here and what happened in Russia before they collapsed.
I recently watched "Jericho", a TV miniseries that is now available streaming from Netflix. It's about a small Kansas town that survives a nuclear blast in Denver. Warning: Very addictive to watch.
One of the reasons (there are many) I'm moving to TX is because of their resources. Texas has their own power grid and would most likely be up and running before anyone else. I think it would be good place to be while Rome burns.
Really, I'm not a doom and gloomer but I like to adopt the boy scout mentality of being prepared. Warm climate for growing food and clean water are at the top of the list!
These are all potentially a nightmare. Which is your # 1? Rich
My order (from your list)....
1.Terrorism
2.Rogue nations
3.Unsecured borders
4.National debt
Acually in my opinion, the first three are tied together. Coming from Texas, there was a time when the border was not a concern. Those crossing illegaly were chasing a dream. Now, "Rogues" that really want to cause me and my family harm can cross our borders with the same ease. The worse Fears I have are the nut jobs we are producing with our education system. As Mike said before, we are allowing them to be taught about things that have no relevance to the basics. I fear the worse is yet to come from terroist that are produced right here in the USA (or Kenya, Hawaii, Indonesia). Which reminds me. What right does our Yahoo president have to declare that we are not a Christian nation anymore? I claim to be a Christian. Do I still have a country?
Sorry for the rant Rich. I don't know if that is what you were looking for or not.
Don
Real Estate Investor · MD · Member since 2010 · 124 posts · 84 votes
16y
What does rogue nations mean?
In my mind if I had to pick something from your list, terrorism would be number 1. I don't even see how border security is on the list though. What terrorists are there that came across our borders illegally? All the terrorists are us citizens or us nationals. I think J Scott put it best.
Real Estate Investor · MD · Member since 2010 · 124 posts · 84 votes
16y
Tom, Arizona tried to implement racial profiling, that wouldnt address the illegal alien problem but would give police officers more leway to stop and harrass people with dark skin. I mean, if you want to go after illegal aliens, you would have to stop everyone, they could be from Italy, Ireland, Russia, Hispanic countries, Africa, etc. Hispanics aren't the only illegals but thats what Arizona thought, thats why they are getting sued. Also, 20k Mexicans have now fled to New Mexico. Guess what that means, the rental property market sucks, businesses have lost 20k customers, actually a significant blow to their economy by getting rid of consumers and renters. Speak to some people who have lost their tenants. It's a mess what Arizona did.
Real Estate Lender · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2009 · 216 posts · 112 votes
16y
I agree that terrorism is scary, but it will not destroy the country. It will affect an isolated population where the terrorism occurs. The country will recover from an act of terrorism. I do not believe that this country will fall apart due to attacks from outsiders. It will fall apart from the inside out, starting with the economy. Only once our economy collapses will outsiders be able to effectively attack us here, IMO.
Real Estate Investor · MD · Member since 2010 · 124 posts · 84 votes
16y
James, as many others have pointed out, the problem is the definition of national security. To me it means protection of the nation from terroristic threats. Peoples answers will be based on their definition so its a hard question to answer definitively.
Investor · Round Rock, TX · Member since 2010 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
16y
Didn’t we already have the immigration debate in another thread? I thought this thread was supposed to be about threats to national security.
I know it isn’t popular with some, but secure borders and immigration policy are linked. What is good for businesses and immigrants is bad for national security. How someone can argue that this isn’t the case is beyond me, regardless of whether or not the 9/11 attackers entered legally or we have home-grown terrorists.
Real Estate Investor · MD · Member since 2010 · 124 posts · 84 votes
16y
Tom, please explain to me how Arizona police officers were going to implement what you call, "non racial profiling" where they can ask ID of anyone they 'suspect' is illegal.
Landlord · Seattle, WA · Member since 2010 · 3k+ posts · 1k+ votes
16y
National debt is a serious problem, but it is a home grown problem that we as a country can take care of if we choose. I don't see this as a security threat.
The debt issue may require some hard choices and definitely requires a better informed electorate.
Investor · Round Rock, TX · Member since 2010 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
16y
National security:
//Begin definition
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 or covert. See also security.
//End definition
Resisting hostile or destructive action from WITHOUT requires having a strong border policy.
Real Estate Investor · Audubon, PA · Member since 2009 · 13k+ posts · 8k+ votes
16y
Originally posted by mdlandlord:
Tom, please explain to me how Arizona police officers were going to implement what you call, "non racial profiling" where they can ask ID of anyone they 'suspect' is illegal.
One way to "suspect" somebody is illegal is by whether they speak the English language. This is not fool proof since English is taught in schools in many other countires. But a non-English speaker would certainly be "suspect".
Real Estate Investor · MD · Member since 2010 · 124 posts · 84 votes
16y
lol, ok I like that one Steve, but most of my tenants dont speak english well and they're all citizens, lol!!! That would be a hard job for the police, wow.