Rebecca Tzou

Daniel Hamman
February 24, 2016
Political Science

Summary of Safety nets, and Foreign policy

As of now, the United States has a menagerie of safety nets that provides the
elderly, children, and families in need. Many of these programs are protections of
lifes unavoidable circumstances, like aging, unemployment, disabilities, mental and
physical illness, and poverty. One of the biggest programs is Social security created
in August 1965, signed into law by then president, Franklin D. Roosevelt. It
originally insured all workers under 65, but since then the age cap has been
removes. Latter on the coverage extended to include the elderly, disabled, and
survivors.
From my understanding, Social Security is given those who demonstrate
need. Many people, especially the elderly, often rely on Social Security for 90% of
their retirement. However this system is good, but it has so flaws to it. People who
pay for Social Security are part of the working class, and as the population is
growing older and there are less young people to pay the taxes, there will be a
shortage of income. Baby boomers that have been born in between the years 19461964 have aged significantly, and their retirement burden is handed down to the
next generation. However, because the next generation is smaller than the
preceding generation, the supporting taxpayers have to work harder to compensate
for the Social Security budget. Yet the former generation still want their benefits as
the Hill website shows, We have extended the solvency of Social Security
Disability Insurance and protected millions of seniors from a significant increase in
their Medicare Part B premiums and deductibles next year, House Minority Leader
Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) (Hill) Therein lies the problem, the older generation can
vote out the younger generation to keep their benefits. I dont think this is the way
this country should be run, but until a better program is in place I cannot say
abolish it, though I am against it.
I am also against the USA strategy against terrorism. The USA did not pay
much attention to terrorism before 9/11/2001 because most Americans believed
they were untouchable. Who would dare mess with the superpower of the world?
We had the biggest, the worst, the most amount of advance artillery in the world,
with the biggest naval and air force capabilities. Our ground forces have the best
guns technology can prescribe, and you are telling me, an unknown group snuck
past airport security, so that they jacked three different planes trying to hit the
trade towers and the Pentagon? Our security is pretty bad indeed. I think the idea
that we, as a nation, are impenetrable is a false that was proved on the fateful day.
However there is a solution to the terrorist problem and that is not waging
war abroad against nations that seem to be harboring these terrorists. Waging war
creates some seriously unwanted enemies. Terrorist are not a set group of people,

but a live secret society, which makes them very hard to war against because they
have no permanent residence to say Oh, we live here, come shoot us. In short it
is not advisable to face terrorist in this manner. However, taking Israeli airport
security for example, they take the threat of security seriously and the combat it by
a precise manner. Every passenger on the EL Al airline is interrogated for possible
terrorist activity. They run background checks on their passengers, and they have
an elite force of security personnel that interview every passenger with no
exceptions. These personnel have been trained to read the signs and body
language for clues into who the innocent are and who the bad ones are. As Cnn
asks question of former head of security for El Al, "Stop relying only on
technology," Yeffet told CNN. "Technology can help the qualified, well-trained human
being but cannot replace him." (CNN) He is here speaking on the USAs reliance on
metal detectors and scanners that would check for the bad guys. Yet he makes
the point that the trained human being is the one that is better than the machines.
If Israel, a small company, has such a spotless track record, maybe the US should
model its security polices after its little brother nation.
Ferris , Sarah. Budget deal includes Social Security, Medicare reforms. The Hill.
Accessed February 26, 2016. http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/258165-gop-eyingsocial-security-reforms-in-budget-deal
How the Israelis do airport security. CNN. Accessed February 26, 2016.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/01/11/yeffet.air.security.israel/