CJS 6125 DF1 Comments. Week 1 Comments Comments to Ricard Rodarte

Comment on these two post as if you were me with a 100 words each, DO NOT COMPARE THE POSTS, and put 3 references for each post, and please separate the references with the post it was made for.
Richard Rodarte
Week 1 Discussion
1. I consider the top 3 national security threats to be the increased threats of cyberterrorism, critical infrastructure, and drone/remote warfare. Technology is becoming more prevalent throughout the world's military forces, and cyberterrorism, if properly developed as a weapon, can leave the U.S. crippled and deafened. Hard targets that would have normally been an issue for a terrorist to sneak a IED into can be done remotely via a drone, information is more readily available, threats are harder to identify. Cyberterrorism can be an existential threat, if it is used to target our critical infrastructure, wreaking havoc on financials, on information, etc.
2. The range of national power has changed. Though many still subscribe to the myth of invincibility, believing the U.S. boasts the strongest military force in the world and no one would dare attack us because of our manpower, reserves, and nuclear arsenal, the period of American dominance or "American hegemony", is over (Snow, 2016, p. 3). The American economy has very little presence internationally, making our dominance in markets and trade pacts insignificant compared to contemporary rivals such as China. Our military should not be the force of choice. One of the largest examples were both the Korean War, and the Cold War, as the "Korean experience demonstrated that a demobilized United States could not compete with a heavily armed Soviet opponent" (Snow, 2016, p. 66).
3. A current vital US interest is the dire need to improve our presence internationally, especially through free market principles and fair and reciprocal trade, according to the NSS. One way the military could effectively solve that matter is by eliminating transnational threat organizations (ISIS, ISIL, Hamas, Al Qaeda), and prevent fragile allied states from becoming destabilized regions of anarchy posed against the West.
Bradley Sutton
Week 1 Discussion
1. At this time, I do not believe that any threat to the United States is existential, though I certainly believe that some could be costly in several ways. I consider China’s attempt at altering and positioning along sea and ground strategic lines of communication in Asia, Africa, and Europe as potentially damaging to U.S. trade interests, and Russia’s aggression in the land and cyber domains against our European allies and U.S. networks is certainly a huge issue. Lastly, I consider the rising sea levels a huge concern with regards to glaring needs to modify infrastructure along the Eastern seaboard.

2. The power of our military is an effective asset in negotiations, but I think our diplomatic standing at levying economic sanctions is effective as well. I agreed with Mr. Snow that U.S. efforts in Vietnam might have been better served with other efforts, though to be fair I’m making a judgment with over 40 years of hindsight. Perhaps Sino-American relations could have been accelerated by several years with greater diplomatic efforts or sanctions, or even with clandestine semi-military and intelligence operations.

3. Despite current headlines, I do not think the situation in Syria is over and consider the institution of a peaceful, law-abiding regime in control of the only oil-producing nation on the Mediterranean as vital to U.S. interests. At the present time, and in the future as I believe we haven’t heard the last of Al-Qaeda in the Levant, a military campaign, even if it is only through the use of drones and other technology, as needed. We have not have effective diplomacy there; attempts haven’t been effective since the Arab Spring.