Matters of National Insecurity

Terror originates from many sources, including those who are privileged to serve the public or outraged by the government. American fixation on the belief that Arab peoples are the primary source of terrorism is very troubling and misguided. Politicians want people to believe that barring a company, which is headquartered within the United Arab Emirates, from operating US ports increases national security. This ultimately creates international tension, an environment where it is US versus them. It also makes the US highly hypocritical on its stances for free trade and international cohesion. It also has surely dispelled the illusion of a united front in the war against terror.

Although it may seem more cost-effective to focus on particular sources of harm, the nation would be best served by more generic security measures. Ethnic profiling has an inherent flaw, which can be exploited easily by people with the ability to navigate through myopic countermeasures and deliver large payloads of terror. A generic security protocol that is well implemented will protect people from threats that are foreign or domestic. Such a protocol will be effective against unknown or unexpected sources, or sources that are simply overlooked by highly targeted measures. When both are almost equally costly, a generic solution should always be preferred over one that is riddled with special cases.

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