The Facade of Security

The United States having troops deployed in Afghanistan does not necessarily make me more secure, but I do believe that it is supposed to make me think and feel like I am secure.

Deploying troops in Afghanistan after the September 11th attacks was a way for the United States to target the terrorists that carried out the attacks and eliminate the threat they posed. It was also a way for the United States to show they were actually doing something about these attacks on the American people and securing the safety of the nation. It was a way to persuade the American public that the nation is secure because the government has deployed military force into the territory of the enemy. Having troops deployed may have the effect of reassuring Americans and making them feel like they are secure.

War, however, does cause conflict (obviously) and creates opposition at home and abroad which can make citizens, in reality and regardless of how they feel, not secure, but rather vulnerable to attack.