Is Afghanistan as Important as MJ?

On a surface level, the War in Afghanistan makes me feel more secure.  If national security can be considered actions that protect a country's best interests, values, and being, then having troops that defend America's (and the world's) freedom is naturally a good thing. 

However, what is interesting to consider about the war effort is its time frame.  The Council on Foreign Relations pegs the "War in Afghanistan" all the way back to 1999.  One would think that news on Afghanistan would be exhausted by now, but in reality, it is finally increasing.  NPR reported that in January-August 2009, Afghanistan received 2% of media coverage, about as much as the death of Michael Jackson.

The media blames clandestine information, potential danger, and cost as limits on why the story was not covered (note: these are the thrills and risks of journalism!).  The real reason for the surged interest in Afghanistan (no pun intended), is Obama's emphasis on the matter.  It is his war (Liz Spayd, Washington Post managing editor, qtd. on NPR).  This makes me question the subjectivity of security.  Krebs and Lobasz certaintly believed that "rhetorical coercion" could limit dialogue:  "While the attacks were real, the insecurity was a cultural production" (6).

So then, the morphing of security makes me feel insecure.  There is a famous cartoon* that depicts a president choosing the color threat via M&Ms.  Obviously, he has a preference.  In the same way, Al-Qaeda is directly related to U.S. foreign policy/the War on Terror because of the 9/11, so it makes sense that Afghanistan is a target.

Still, as discussed in class, terrorism is terrorous because of its unpredictability.  The War in Afghanistan will not stop the other 46 Foregin Terrorist Organizations on the State Department's watch list.  The War may not even deter attacks from al-Qaeda; it may encourage them. 

Maybe this substantive question should be analyzed Devil's Advocate style:  "If the the United States did not have troops deployed in Afghanistan at the present time, would that make you more or less secure?"  On the whole, I might feel more secure if the U.S. allocated its resources more evenly towards various threats.



*or maybe not so famous because I couldn't find it on Google for the life of me... Try this instead (yes, I realize the last few colors are out of order).

References:
http://www.cfr.org/publication/20018/us_war_in_afghanistan.html 
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112030088
Krebs, Lobasz on Fixing the Meaning of 9/11:  Hegemony, Coercion, and the Road to War in Iraq
http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/other/des/123085.htm
May 2010 National Security Strategy for the United States of America