Questions
During the 1950s, Area 51 was a secretive government site, perceived as a representation of Cold War era tension in the USA. Do you think the creation of secretive sites, such as Area 51, were justified? Why or why not? If you were in charge of the CIA during the Cold War period, what methods would you use to ensure domestic security
Secretive Government Site
The creation of secretive sites such as Area 51 during the 1950s was justified. The 1950s represents the period when the U.S. had just emerged from the Second World War (Holpuch, 2013). Further, this period saw the emergence of the Cold War. The Cold War was marked by rising political tension between countries in the Western Bloc (U.S. and its allies) and those in the Eastern Bloc (the Soviet Union and its allies). With the emerging threat of new weapons of mass destruction, there was a strong need for the U.S. to take active measures to enhance the security of the nation plus allied states. Secretive sites such as Area 51 provided the U.S. an opportunity to fortify its defense systems especially with regard to the then growing threats of possible air attacks by enemy states (Holpuch, 2013). Area 51 sites enabled the government to run crucial security tests for the security of the nation. Without these tests, there was no way of knowing how to mitigate or avert possible future attacks from enemy states.
Related: The Japanese Internment
As the head of the CIA during the Cold War period, it would be critical to strengthen domestic security. One possible method of strengthening the domestic security would be improving military intelligence. This would involve conducting surveillance in enemy states and spying. Surveillance would help in gathering critical data concerning the enemy states, for instance, the military technology in use in such countries. Spying would help in revealing government secrets such as planned military strikes or espionage missions. This would keep the government informed about the threat of incursion by foreign states. Lastly, it would be critical to improve border security. This would help in reducing the porousness of the nation’s borders.
References
Holpuch, A. (2013, Tue. 9). Area 51 hosted tests for ‘secretly acquired’ Soviet fighter jets. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/29/declassified- area-51-soviet-aircraft-cold-war
Related: Describe how and why Prohibition became policy in the USA.
