When you first heard the name "Homeland Security" what was your reaction to it?

Question

What images or ideas, if any, did it bring to mind?

that_guy_over_there - :o)

Answer 1

Lamplighter, your're in rare form tonight.

Are you going to publish a book of your questions?

Anyway, the first time I heard the phrase "Homeland Security," I thought the usage of the term spookily recalled the German word for "fatherland."

It is an odd, very Anglo-Saxon conjunction to use in place of the term, "National." I suppose it is used to differentiate "national" interests from defense of our own soil.

But its Nazi evocation sounded bad in 2001 and sounds a lot worse now.

As far as security is concerned, I have never felt less safe than I do now.

Answer 2

Nervous dread.

AS IF we needed yet ANOTHER government agency; especially a redundant one when we already have things like the CIA and other covert black operations related to preserving national security.

Obviously, after 9-11, Bush had to do some face-saving, so I'm not surprised or anything.

But that whole color chart alert thing was a virtual wellspring of humor for many political comedians and writers.

Oh, and not to mention the whole "duct tape" issue.

Answer 3

No images, but I think it's carefully phrased to make people think that the government is working as hard and as diligently as it can to keep us safe. I can't speak to whether or not that's true. There is no way to prove that the lack of attacks against this country since 9/11 has anything to do with anything our government has done, as opposed to being attributable to the fact that al Qaeda just hasn't finished PLANNING its next attack. It's an unprovable problem, so argument about it is ridiculous.

Anyway, I think "Homeland Security" is more about emotional security than physical security, particularly since the kind of enemy that prompted it to be created is not an enemy that engages in combat - it engages in random, destructive attacks.

Answer 4

Not another department within the government? Always thought that the Department of Defense was responsible for protecting the nation. A Republican President and a Republican controlled congress, the people who are supposed to be in favor of smaller government, managed to make government bigger and more sluggish.

Rooster: They called it Das Vaterland, or The Fatherland.

Answer 5

I actually thought they were going to protect Americans. They would start by getting crime off the streets, illegal criminals out of the country, stop drug dealers from entering the country, not to mention tracking down terrorists in this country.
I really must live in a different world. Who knew it would just be another way to funnel more money through government and rip off tax payers?

Answer 6

I said, "Oh brother, not another agency just to give good friends a cushy job and say it's an important agency that'll do absolutely everything in it's power to protect the ppl of this country in times of crisis, yeah right, and the 2000 election was legit."

Answer 7

I thought about the Soviets and the "homeland"...sort of like the Mother Russia thing

Answer 8

I thought it was lame. It reminded me of a burglar alarm company in upstate New York or something like that.

It struck me as a way of policitizing a serious issue for personal gain, and I still think that.

It's a totally useless and unnecessary waste of money. We should have just slapped our in-place defense forces silly and told them to wake up.

Answer 9

Oh I remember this. I said,"We had Homeland Security. " " It was called The National Guard." Then I decided the name Homeland Security was a cozy name for The American Gestapo.

Answer 10

If this is "Homeland" where is my "Summer Cottage" in what country? And what's wrong with calling this "The United States of America?" At least they didn't call it "Der Fatherland," although I find that more appropriate.