Homeland Security Ethics and Laws Issues Law Essay

HOMELAND SECURITY ETHICS AND LAW ISSUES
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NSA: National Security Vs. Individual Rights by Amitai Etzioni
An Introduction
Mass surveillance has been a contentious issue in America. The public has been increasingly concerned about the legality of the mass surveillance program. Most people cite that these programs are inherently wrong because they violate the right to privacy which is a fundamental human right engrained in the constitution. The government has come to defend its programs citing that these programs are necessary CITATION Cam18 \l 1033 (Kerry, 2018). It is a complex issue which operates in an environment with an ever-growing and likely unsustainable data collection. Some people like CITATION Etz15 \l 1033 (Etzioni, 2015) are attempting to discuss the two opposing sides in a bid to find a middle ground.
Summary of the article
It is an in-depth analysis of issues that surround the two National Security Agency programs: the bulk phone records collection program and PRISM. In part 1, he discusses a liberal communitarian approach that emphasizes that security and individual rights do not have to be mutually exclusive. In part two, the author discusses some of the basic challenges and responses that have dominated the debates on mass surveillance. These are the compelling points that each faction peg their ideas of why these programs are either necessary or show why they should be discontinued. Part three discuses the issue of phone surveillance of Americans and the contentious issues surrounding the program. Part four is focused on the PRISM Program and its hotly debated issues. Part five tries to offer solutions and way forward as to how these programs can exist in a manner that doe not violate the rights of individuals. And finally, the last section highlights the contentious issue that the data collected by these programs can be used by a tyrant to subdue democracy. He concludes by showing that there is a way these programs which are designed for the good of Americans can be used for the good and still operate in an environment which does not violate the rights of the people.
Analysis
Firstly, Etzioni shows that there are justifiable reasons why these programs should be carried out. He argues that terrorism is not like any other crime, and in some cases the perpetrator cannot be brought to book. I.e. The hijackers of the 9/11 planes all perished in the attack and cannot be prosecuted. Therefore, the only option is to prevent attacks from happening. Thus, by the very nature of the war on terrorism, traditional security operations and legal frameworks are ineffective hence it warrants new approaches that may necessitate a certain level...