Democratic Views On Homeland Security

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In today’s world, it seems like terrorists and international aggressors are looming around every corner. The Democratic Party believes that there are less aggressive ways to handle these threats than many that have been used in the past. Democratic Views on homeland security include combating terrorism without compromising the Constitution with the use of torture, always attempting to solve conflict through diplomacy and using military force only when necessary, increasing benefits for military members, and increasing border security measures. Democrats would also like to see military members trained to handle more modern-day technological threats.

Democrats and Torture

Democrats believe that Constitutional values need to be upheld on all fronts, at home and abroad, under any circumstances. They do not believe that terrorists are any exception to this statement, and believe that all torture must be stopped. They also believe in eliminating the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, saying, “Advancing our interests may involve new actions and policies to confront threats like terrorism, but the President and the Democratic Party believe these practices must always be in line with our Constitution, preserve our people’s privacy and civil liberties, and withstand the checks and balances that have served us so well. That is why the President banned torture without exception in his first week in office. That is why we are reforming military commissions to bring them in line with the rule of law. That is why we are substantially reducing the population at Guantnamo Bay without adding to it. And we remain committed to working with all branches of government to close the prison altogether because it is inconsistent with our national security interests and our values.”

Democrats and The Military

Democrats believe in utilizing diplomacy over military force whenever possible. This is one of the greatest areas where Republican Homeland Security beliefs differ from those of Democrats. Democrats believe that excessive use of military force only encourages terrorists to use force against us in return, perpetuating the cycle of violence. They believe that diplomacy should be attempted in every situation possible, and military force should be used as a final resort if diplomacy does not work. Even when the nation’s security is threatened, Democrats are against using excessive military force, and instead wish to see force used only to the extent necessary to protect the nation’s people. They also believe in protecting the country through means beyond military strength, stating, “in addition to our military might, we must deploy all that is in America’s arsenal – our diplomacy, our intelligence system, our economic power, and the appeal of our values and ideas.” Democrats also believe that the United States’ dependence on Middle Eastern oil is a matter of homeland security, and that “to safeguard our freedom and ensure our nation’s future, we must end our dependence on Mideast oil.”

Democrats do believe in maintaining the military in order to be prepared if force becomes necessary. They wish to see the military modernized, so that soldiers are equipped to meet the threats of the 21st century.

Democrats and Intelligence

Democrats believe in improving the nations’ intelligence networks to better find and defeat terrorists. They hope to do this by combining initiatives on several fronts, stating, “We will train and equip the military to enhance its capabilities to seek out and destroy terrorists. We will strengthen the capacity of intelligence and law enforcement around the world by forging stronger international coalitions to provide better information and communication. We must also improve our intelligence here at home. From the failure to uncover the September 11th plot to the deeply misguided reports about Iraq’s supposed weapons of mass destruction, we have experienced unprecedented intelligence failures in recent years. We must do what President Bush has refused to do – reform our intelligence system by creating a true Director of National Intelligence with real control of intelligence personnel and budgets. We must train more analysts in languages spoken by terrorists. And we must break down the old communications barriers between national intelligence and local law enforcement, taking care to fully preserve our liberties.”

Democrats and Weapons Systems

Democrats strongly believe that the production of nuclear material must cease. They would like to see all bomb-production materials worldwide safeguarded, stating “We need to find it, catalog it, & lock it away. Our approach should be simple: treat nuclear materials that make bombs like they are bombs.” They also hope to reduce the preexisting stocks of nuclear weapons around the world. They would also like to see the development of an anti-tactical missile defense system in the United States. This system is far more limited than that envisioned by the Republican Party, but Democrats believe that this will make it safer, stating In light of the possibility that U.S. forces will have to contend with hostile tactical range ballistic missiles, we have been working rapidly to develop anti-tactical ballistic missile systems. We reject Republican plans to endanger our security with massive unilateral cuts in our arsenal and to construct an unproven, expensive, and ill-conceived missile defense system that would plunge us into a new arms race. Democrats support the development of the technology for a limited national missile defense system.”

Barack Obama on Homeland Security

With all of the threats looming on the horizon, President Obama has had to make preventing terrorism a priority of his administration. He has invested a great deal in information sharing domestically and in promoting information sharing among our allies. Through these tactics, he hopes to strengthen America’s ability to keep nuclear and biological weapons out of the hands of terrorists. He also hopes to address efforts to create more secure borders, and improve the defense of our national infrastructure.

President Obama and his party have taken several actions in regards to homeland security during his time in office. The Department of Defense has released an updated Nuclear Posture Review, which outlines stricter guidelines for when nuclear weapons could be used, hoping to prevent nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism. 140,000 troops have been withdrawn from Iraq during his time in office, and by doing so Obama has turned security responsibility over to Iraqi Security Forces. President Obama has also signed a new START treaty, which pledges to reduce the number of nuclear warheads maintained by both the United States and Russia. Democrats have also passed the Southwest Border Security Supplemental, which is meant to “bolster the work of federal law enforcement officials and improve their ability to partner with state, local, and tribal law enforcement.”

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