Changes Terrorism Has Brought to the United States Research Paper

Terrorism Has Changed the United States

The United States has experienced considerable threats of terrorism in the past decade similar to other parts of the world. This threat has largely emerged from the fact that groups like Al-Qaeda and other terror organizations have continued to pose a significant threat to the United States homeland. Despite the success that the country has achieved in eliminating terror groups and organizations like al-Qaeda, affiliate and extremist groups continue to pose a major threat to the United States. The increase in terrorist activities and incidents in the recent past have contributed to various measures adopted by the United States as well as other countries towards combating terrorism. These efforts have significantly transformed the United States and other countries around the globe with regards to security measures, immigration, and foreign policy.

The Threat of Terrorism to the United States

The United States wasn't officially involved in any foreign war more than a decade ago, which contributed to a simpler surveillance state as compared to today (Green par, 1). However, the threat of terrorism in the past decade has contributed to America's involvement in foreign wars since the 9/11 terror attacks. The threat of terror has continued to rise in the past decade as various terrorist groups or organizations and extremist groups have developed, especially in Islamic countries. The growth or the rise of the threat of terrorism in the past 10 years is also attributed to the rapid technological developments that have characterized the modern society. The technological advancements have made it easier for terrorists and their respective groups to develop sophisticated weapons, which help them in achieving their respective goals.

In the past few years, America has successfully developed and implemented measures that have helped in eliminating and dealing with terrorist organizations like al-Qaeda. However, affiliate and extremist groups have made it difficult to completely deal with the threat of terrorism. Actually, the threat of terrorism has increased because of continued emergence of terrorist groups and organizations with certain political, ideological, economic, and social objectives. This has contributed to difficulties in identifying a single, universal definition or description of terrorism. However, terrorism is described as the use of illegitimate use of force and violence against people or property to coerce, intimidate a government or population in order to achieve certain political, ideological, or social objectives (Plumer par, 3).

The other aspect through which the threat of terrorism has become a major security issue in the United States is the emergence of terrorists and terror groups within the country. Despite success in dealing with external terrorist groups, domestic terrorism has also increased significantly in the United States in the past decade. The growth of domestic terrorism has been characterized by arrests of local terrorist and several terrorist attacks carried out by terrorists within the country. Similar to foreign terrorist groups and organizations, domestic terrorists have carried out their attacks and activities in attempts to further a specific political, ideological, social or economic objective.

Changes on the United States because of Terrorism

As the growth and threat of terrorism has become a major issue across the globe, terrorism has significantly changed the United States. These changes have particularly been implemented after the 9/11 terror attacks, which had a significant impact on the country. The changes that terrorism has brought on the United States have occurred because of the government's increased measures towards improving homeland security. Actually, the United States has continued to adopt various measures to protect people and property and combat terrorism. Moreover, the likelihood of another terror attack on the United States has made the country to brace itself for such attacks and prevent them from happening through developing and implementing several security measures. Some of the major in which terrorism has changed the United States include

Changes in America's Core Values

One of the major ways through which terrorism has changed the United States is by contributing to changes in the country's core values. In essence, the threat of terrorism has changed America's laws and core values with regards to enhancing homeland security. These changes have been characterized by increased expenditures on national or homeland security since billions of dollars have been spent on security policies and practices (Jenkins par, 5). The other evidence of changes in America's core values because of terrorism is changes in America's military doctrine, particularly in engaging in foreign wars to combat terrorism. Third, America's core values have been changed by terrorism through increase in federal deficit and considerable impact on the country's economy as part of fostering security policies and practices. Therefore, the terrorism has changed the United States by contributing to re-organization of various core values in order to deal with this threat.

Involvement in Foreign Wars

Before the 9/11 terror attacks, the United States had not engaged in any foreign war for a long period of time. Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which is one of the most devastating terror activity on the United States, American has engaged in foreign wars as part of its war on terror initiatives. Actually, less than one month after this attack, the United States send its troops to Afghanistan in initiatives to eliminate al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban government, which was accused of harboring the terrorist group (Green par, 3). Two years after invading Afghanistan, America invaded Iraq even though the invasion was not directly linked to fighting terror. However, America's invasion of Iraq was closely associated with the new initiatives that had been initiated by Bush Administration towards War on Terror.

The aftermath of 9/11 attacks have been characterized by America's deep entanglement in foreign wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. United States war in Afghanistan has developed to become the longest-running battle in the history of the country. Moreover, the end of America's war on Iraq in 2011 left Iraq in an increasingly vulnerable political state as compared to the way it was before the war. Given the threat of ISIS, an Islamic extremist group, on the stability of Iraq, America is considering resuming its military operations in Iraq to deal with the extremely dangerous group.

Generally, terrorism has changed America by contributing to the country's involvement in foreign wars. As a result of terrorism, millions of young American soldiers have been deployed in foreign countries over the past decade. Some of these soldiers have returned home with significant physical and psychological injuries as well as mental disorders like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The increased involvement in foreign wars has contributed to the recruitment of more than 3.1 million Americans into military service in the past 14 years. During this period, over 6,000 U.S. soldiers have lost their lives in the battlefield whereas approximately 44,000 have been wounded. While over 18% of these troops suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or depression upon return from the wars, nearly 20% are reportedly suffering from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

Acceptance of Less Privacy

The most visible impact of terrorism on the United States is making Americans accept less privacy due to enactment of various security policies. The last 10 years have been characterized by an unprecedented assertion of presidential authority through the enactment of several security policies (Reader's Digest Editors par, 1). Americans have seemingly accepted less privacy because of terrorism through electronic surveillance without warrants and utilization of coercive interrogation measures that could have helped prevent 9/11 terror attacks. The most evident acceptance and intrusion of privacy is the use of full-body scanners across airports in the United States. American citizens have expressed their willingness to accept and tolerate such personal impositions in order to prevent terrorism and enhance national security. Immediately after the 9/11 terror attacks, the U.S. Congress enacted the Patriot Act that expanded the powers of federal officials to closely monitor personal information. In this case, federal officials have powers to closely monitor cell phone calls, car travel, and credit card.

In the modern American society, there are nearly 4,000 federal, state, and local organizations that participate in domestic counterterrorism measures. Moreover, U.S. National Security Agency has more than 30,000 professionals spying on 1.7 billion intercepted e-mails and other communications on a daily basis (Reader's Digest Editors par, 2). In addition, the Federal Bureau of Investigations granted important new powers or authority to over 10,000 agents to search databases, monitor household trash, and use stakeout groups to examine specific individuals.

Even though these efforts have played a significant role in enhancing homeland security in the United States, they have also contributed to acceptance of less privacy by many Americans. Essentially, the various security initiatives have generated greater law enforcement success that has helped in thwarting terror attacks and enhancing homeland security. At the same time, these initiatives have resulted in less acceptance of privacy as compared to the period before the 9/11 terrorist attacks. United States citizens and residents have been subjected to increased scrutiny by law enforcement officials as part of measures to enhance the safety of American's and property unlike before.

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