https://sebastianruiz0404.wixsite.com/website/military-and-geopolitical-analysis

I structured my E-Portfolio in this way because it contributed so powerfully to the navigational element of the page: just a simple scroll up or down and a click at the top to go to the various pages. It also provided a classic, timeless look that fit the narrative that I was trying to develop which portrayed the image of an eternal stoicism and seriousness within developed military members.

I chose my paradigm shift essay and my policy proposal essay because they were a contributing piece to the overall theme I was building which illustrated myself as a developing student and military member with astute knowledge of national security in both the foreign policy implementation context and the and the policy development context.

The imagery provided a sense of personality by demonstrating tools of national security enforcement and a personal touch of myself as young individual.

Next, the “About Me” page gives some background as to how I got where I am as well as an implicit reference to my ambitions.

All of these previous elements continue to flow into the classic professional look which adds to the proficiently knowledgeable national security professional element.

Lastly, the blogs portrayed how I would week in and week out touch upon different areas of global affairs, from particular weapons systems to analysis of individual foreign leaders and lastly, to scenarios of economic implications of national security.

            “Free speech zones” are areas that universities specifically set aside as the only areas on campus that students and faculty can speak, protest, or gather signatures for a cause they believe in. In order to use these patches of the university, a person must request a permit or submit a request form three business days before the demonstration. These zones have faced an immense amount of backlash and court cases have been seen in the public eye recently. One case resulted in Georgia Gwinnett College abandoning their free speech zone policies and stating that any person could practice free speech anywhere on campus without a permit. Another case occurred at Arkansas State University, and organizations like Peace & Love and Turning Point USA were struck down and were not allowed to speak because they did not act within the confines of the rules of the “free expression areas”; this authoritarian behavior was enforced using university policy and local law enforcement. These kinds of acts are in question as to if they are in line with the free speech principles of American life and culture, and that perhaps is an issue for an academic institution which is meant to continue the growth of American culture and foster the dispersal of ideas to enhance the minds of our youth. 

            An approach to solve this problem in particular is to amplify the court-cases and calls for removal of these sorts of policies. The correct desired end under the circumstances would be to abolish these so called “free expression zones”, as free speech is a gift and a privilege bestowed upon society to facilitate growth all around. 

This I believe: rational thought is the key to many of the successes in life and in the world. Human rationality is the catalyst conscious element that has led me and humanity to where it is now. Rationality and rational thinking cause each and every one of us to see through the fog and the haze that is often brought upon by excessive amounts of human emotion and feeling to then think logically and objectively about our lives. Through the good and the bad in life, our rational self is always there to think through the next goal, milestone or step – a method of living that is incapsulated within the stoic philosophy, which was started by the philosophers of Ancient Greece. It pushes all of us to process information, and then develop the best plan of action possible. This is all represented best within my story of using the rational mind to achieve an outstanding accomplishment. It all began in the latter half of my senior year of high school, where I could see a long road of success in front of me; I just had to figure out how to navigate that road. Then, an opportunity arose, one which required the most astute of movements, planning and decisions. The opportunity was a new scholarship that narrowed down the available selection pool, which made it much more probable to win, and what ensued was a series of events happening over the course of several weeks that would decide my future career, tied right together with my future successes. I engaged in exactly what I have described: the rational, logical mind. With this being a what-I-felt largely social examination, that is a test trying to evaluate an overall individual for signs of potential success in high pressure environments, I amplified my application’s strengths and paradigm shifted my weaknesses to become strengths; for example, myself being obsessed became possessing a tremendous drive and a strong focus. I represented the best side of myself personally by conveying my leadership abilities, my ability to handle situations under pressure, and my loyalty to those who are loyal. This strategic manner of socially proving myself to well-educated individuals and people of character eventually led me to winning the prestigious military scholarship, a feat that has led me to firmly believe that success in many formats is usually brought about by the rational mind. While human emotion and feeling is necessary towards having a long, happy life as well as for many other successes in life, it is rational thinking that leads to success in most facets. The development of technology, personal professional advancement, ingenuity, innovation, and societal growth are all byproducts of logical pontification. All in all, rational thinking has put me in my contemporary position, it has produced the modern world, and in my estimation, it will continue to enhance the world we live in.

For this new Spring Semester, I am thinking of the topics I should cover in both my Passion Blogs and my Civil Issue blogs. For my Civil Issue blog, I may want to cover racial injustice in the criminal justice system; on the other hand, I may want to cover the current rise of economic inequality in the United States and how this correlates to the current state of national economic dialogue; both are especially important topics that connect to many of the problems we are facing in the nation today. As for my passion blog, I am going to discuss my passion for Air Force planes, materials and personnel, and then subsequently explain how we have utilized these amazing tools against American adversaries in the past. This correlates to a very fervent personal passion of mine given my heavy involvement in AFROTC and my future career in the Air Force. I may also choose talk about the financial markets both at home and abroad and how that news is intertwined with everything going on in the world, as business, investments and world developments are also a passion of mine.

Overall, I think my blogging last semester went very well and I look forward to continuing that pattern. In terms of making my blogs higher quality, I think I could have improved how I designed my blogs, but content-wise, they were excellent with minute problems.

The role of the United States Special Operations Forces from its various military branches throughout the last 2 decades has been immense, especially when their role in Africa and the Middle East is analyzed in depth. They have been heavy players in gathering intelligence vital to many grander missions, and also to capturing and eliminating targets that many consider to be amongst the evilest people on the planet.

According to the Pulitzer Center, US Special Operations Forces were deployed in 22 African countries in 2019, and according to The Intercept, 62 percent of all elite forces serving abroad were in the Middle East in 2019 as well (Inside the World Of US Special Operations in Africa). These pieces of data illustrate the sheer gratitude of numbers where these immensely trained warriors are present, and these number enable to have the tremendous impact they have had thus far. This is just testament to how significant these operators are to our nation’s and ally’s defense.

Their essential role can also be observed in many of the operations they took part in that either eventually or immediately led to the completion of grand objectives. For example, in 2020, Army special operations brought to justice Al-Baghdadi, which was considered to be the number one terrorist in the world being the head of ISIS at the time (Al-Baghdadi eliminated by US Special Operations Forces). They eliminated him in Syria in what was a very dangerous yet ultimately incredibly successful mission with no American casualties. Throughout the rest of the Middle East and Africa, special operations forces have conducted many similar missions to take out other leaders, organizers, and members of other terrorist networks, further establishing the significance of these extraordinary people in filling very large shoes in these regions of the world.

Works Cited

News, BBC. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: IS leader ‘dead after US raid’ in Syria. 28 October 2019. Website. 11 December 2021.

Turse, Nick. More U.S. Commandos are Fighting Invisible Wars in the MIddle East. September 25 2019. Website. 11 December 2021.

Turse, Nick, Sam Mednick and Amanda Sperber. Exclusive: Inside the Secret World of US Commandos in Africa. 11 August 2020. Website. 11 December 2021.

Kim Jong-Un and the North Korean regime present one of the most grave and deadly threats on the face of the earth today. Their fervent attitude of ensuring authoritarian rule and maintaining a strong hold over their economically deprived nation has plunged the country into ruin, as their people are forced to live in abject poverty.

It is this phenomenon that illustrates just how dangerous the North Korean government truly is. The fact that they are willing to have the people living in atrocious conditions all towards the aim of maintaining power is indicative of the dangerous acts they are willing to undertake in order to continue their reign. At the front of all of this, of course, is Kim Jong-Un, a sadistic dictator with access to weapons of mass destruction.

This is what makes the country such an existential threat; the country has the ability to cause enormous amounts of damage all under the complete control of perhaps the most estranged world leader in the world. The combination of these elements presents a real threat to all the countries of the world, and in particular, to the democracies of the world which the North Korean regime opposes.

According to the Arms Control Association, as of January of 2020, North Korea has approximately 30 to 40 nuclear warheads (North Korea and their Nuclear Arsenal). In addition, according to the BBC, the North Koreans have missiles that could potentially put all of the continental United States within striking distance of a nuclear warhead (Nuclear Program of the North Korean Government). Thus, it is clear that regardless of the fact that North Korea is one of the poorest countries in the world with a crippled economy and virtually no human rights, the North Korean government is still developing military technologies and capabilities to potentially wage wars on countries much more militarily superior; this further testifies to the fact that the North Korean regime are a deranged coalition with their ideologies being brought down from their even more deranged leader.

Works Cited

Check, Reality. North Korea: What we know about its missile and nuclear programme. 4 October 2021. Website. 11 December 2021.

Sang-Hun, Choe. North Korea’s Arsenal Has Grown Rapidly. Here’s What’s in It. 18 October 2021. Website. 11 December 2021.

The effect of American public opinion on Foreign Policy has grown tremendously throughout the past 85 years. It really all began on the precipice of the second world war, where the entrance of the United States into the war was in question. As the war in Europe and Asia marched on, the American public began more and more to push for the United States to enter the fray and fight. After the attacks on Pearl Harbor, it was clear what the American people wanted, as it is what had to be done (How did Public Opinion About Entering World War II Change Between 1939 and 1941? | Americans and the Holocaust (ushmm.org)).

This would not be an indicator of the effect public opinion would have on foreign policy in the years to come, especially when it came to major campaigns. There are many instances of unpopular wars that were despised by the American public at large.

The most notable of these unpopular wars, during the twentieth century specifically, are both the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The impact the prevailing sentiment amongst the American citizenry had on these wars was immense; it made formulating adequate policy for American statesman and formulating adequate military plans for senior military leaders very difficult, as they had to do all of this with the American public pressing on their necks.

Another example of these sorts of phenomena are the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, although the effect the public had had in these instances is quite distinct. Here, the citizenry despises these wars, as they did the others mentioned prior, but that didn’t stop the wars from going on regardless, and it also didn’t affect the actual execution of the wars, as shown by the immense amounts of funds poured into these campaigns.

An effect on Afghanistan can be seen recently, however, as the American public’s desire for the war to not go on any longer forced an unorganized and poorly executed pull-out that hurt and killed many innocent lives.

All in all, throughout history and in contemporary times, there are many examples of public opinion having varying effects on foreign policy; that is why it is important the American public be informed and educated as to what is happening both at home and abroad; their thoughts matter.

Vietnam War: Humanitarian Assistance

Works Cited

Musuem, United States Holocaust Memorial. How did Public Opinion About Entering World War II Change Between 1939 and 1941? n.d. Website. 7 November 2021.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has managed to consolidate his power throughout the last twenty-two years in very cunning ways that have gone against many laws and constitutional provisions. These laws and provisions were enacted for the exact purpose of denying a dictator access to stay in power for long periods of time, but Putin, as an individual who governs through coercion, has managed to circumvent these previous attempts of sustaining democracy.

Putin began his career in government by rising through the ranks of the KGB, the premier intelligence agency of Russia. He retired from that agency but continued on in government as an advisor to various Russian politicians. Then, in 1999, then Russian President Boris Yeltsin names him Prime Minister, and then that same year, Yeltsin names Putin his successor as President. Of course, this all seems to be a conspired phenomenon, and the exact details are yet to be uncovered.

Putin remains President until 2008 when the Russian constitution says he can no longer continue, and from there he concocts a scheme to remain in power; after the election of President Yeltsin, Yeltsin makes Putin Prime Minister, a cunning strategy that ensured that all but ensured Putin’s continued reign. In 2012, Putin once again ran for and won the Russian Presidency, completely disregarding and going against the Russian constitution (How Vladimir Putin Rose to Power (businessinsider.com)).

Now, in 2021, Putin remains seated in his position, and this very year, Putin passed a law that could keep him in power until 2036 (Vladimir Putin passes law that may keep him in office until 2036 | Vladimir Putin | The Guardian). This is indicative of the sly and authoritarian character of Vladimir Putin.

These are strategies that can only be defeated with more guileful measures; the measures being taken to mitigate the overall rise of Russia must employ those sorts of tactics in an even further effective manner.

Works Cited

Engel, Pamela. How Vladimir Putin became one of the most feared leaders in the world. 17 February 2017. Website. 29 October 2021.

The Guardian. Vladimir Putin passes law that may keep him in office until 2036. 5 April 2021. Website. 29 October 2021.

The modern equivalent of the terrible acts of Nazi Germany is occurring currently on the other side of the globe in China (Information on the CCP and their genocidal acts against the Uighurs). It is a sad fact that in this technologically advanced age, atrocities like the one I am describing now still occur; that fact is testament that evil can exist under any circumstances, and that is why the good forces in this world must always be at alert to respond in kind to the evil.

The genocide is occurring against a majority-Muslim population that lives in a western region of China called the Uighurs. The evidence as to the actions that are being undertaken there have been derived using drone footage, leaked government documents and other forms of proof as well (Evidence of crimes against humanity in the Chinese purge of the Uighurs).

The number of Uighurs who have been sent to the horrible re-education camps is near the 1 million total, including women and children; in addition, there is evidence to show that the Chinese government has been using the Uighurs to forcefully manufacture products as well as engaged in immoral population control with forced sterilization of the Uighur women, as shown in the infamous Karakax files (Information on the CCP and their genocidal acts against the Uighurs).

Now, the proof of such abominable acts has been hard to obtain, and it is a necessary component of the puzzle in trying to halt the genocide from occurring. That is why it is essential that all citizens everywhere raise attention to this crisis of immense historical propulsion in order to hold the CCP accountable and save lives; in addition, it is imperative that citizens everywhere also urge their governments and other international organizations to intervene, as the Uighurs and their later generations need us.

Works Cited

Austin, Michael. China’s Uighur Genocide: Here’s Everything You Need To Know About the CCP’s Human Rights Abuses. 22 July 2020. Website. 22 October 2021.

Shepp, Jonah. What Is China Doing to the Uighurs in Xinjiang? 15 September 2021. Website. 22 October 2021.

While war is still a prevalent phenomenon in this modern world, the battlefield, much like it has all throughout history, is evolving to incorporate a new domain. The world has seen this type of evolution before, whether it be when the world went from spears to guns or when the world added the air as a fighting area in the 20^th century.

Now, in these modern times, the world has added the cyberwarfare arena, which with every day that passes becomes more and more prominent and effective in damaging nations. Cyberwarfare can attack the United States specifically in several distinct ways; for example, it can target nation’s abilities to respond to threats they face in domains outside of cyberwarfare, harm national security infrastructure and negatively impact our treasured democratic elections by being an avenue for foreign influence on U.S. domestic politics.

The nations who are most adversarial to the United States in the global arena are the key players in this emerging yet already solidly established cyber battlefield. The Chinese, Russians and Iranians in particular have all had a hand in trying to gain a strategic advantage over the U.S. utilizing the cyberwarfare tool in their arsenal; this truly illustrates the severity of the exponentially growing problem, as the enemies who the U.S. might yet still face in a conflict that costs human lives, are using this new weapon to play an international game of one upmanship.

The federal government has responded in kind to this threat, as the budget for the fiscal year of 2021 allocates $8.7 billion to “cybersecurity programs across the country”. In addition, it is proposed in the budget for the fiscal year 2022 that those funds increase even more to $9.8 billion (White House Allocation of Funds to Cybersecurity).

Furthermore, the federal government centralized the authority and polished the organization of the cybersecurity community with the creation of a new position called the Office of the National Cyber Director which will assist in streamlining the policy making of cybersecurity.

Moreover, the White House passed an executive order in May dedicated purely to improving the state of affairs as it relates to cyberwarfare in its entirety (White House Executive Order on Cybersecurity).

In closing, it can be observed that the cyber arena is a battlefield that is growing even more powerful as the days pass, but there are appropriate steps being taken to mitigate the threats the nation faces.

Works Cited

Actions, Presidential. Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity. 12 May 2021. Website. 16 October 2021.

Mitchell, Billy. White House allocates $9.8B to cybersecurity in 2022 budget request. 28 May 2021. Website. 16 October 2021.