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This episode in the Big Picture series features the departure of American troops from the Far East as a major change in U.S. Cold War strategy. In the post-war years, American instructors helped train Japanese police reserves. Featuring footage provided by the National Archives and Records Administration, this documentary details how the U.S. guided a new Japanese military organization to undertake national defense responsibilities. By helping Japan...
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The National Security Agency collects data on billions of phone calls and Internet communications every day. Are these surveillance programs legal? And are they justified? How does a nation balance liberty and safety? Should Americans sacrifice privacy for security-and if so, how much?
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Political gridlock in Washington triggered across-the-board spending cuts, known as the sequester, in March 2013. As a result, the Pentagon had to eliminate $41 billion from its budget. In 2011, the United States spent $711 billion dollars on defense-more than the next 13 countries combined. Could the sequester be a rare opportunity to streamline the defense budget and overhaul the armed forces, or might it damage military readiness and the nation's...
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The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects freedom of the press, but how do we reconcile the conflict between national security and government accountability? Do we err on the side of secrecy or transparency? From the Pentagon Papers to WikiLeaks, how do we balance the government's need to keep some information classified and the public's right to know what the government is doing? Does freedom of the press extend to state secrets?
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Should the United States, with its enormous military might, act as a global sheriff, policing the world's trouble spots? The proposition team argues that a policeman is necessary in an otherwise anarchic international system, and nobody besides the U.S. is capable. The opposition team argues that, necessary or not, the U.S. is in relative decline and has neither the power nor the legitimacy to play a world police role.
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Is Edward Snowden a whistleblower or a criminal? In 2013, Snowden, a former CIA analyst with access to classified information, illegally downloaded an estimated 1.7 million files and released thousands of them to the public. These documents revealed extensive spying by the National Security Agency and ignited a broad debate over national security and people's right to privacy. Were Snowden's actions justified?
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This debate took place in 2008, as America debated whether to ban waterboarding and other "enhanced interrogation techniques" the CIA used against suspected members of Al Qaeda. In this debate as in the wider public debate, participants debate whether coercive interrogation works, whether it violates American values, and how to define torture.
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Americans have long debated how to balance protecting individual liberties while assuring public safety. This debate intensified after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, which prompted passage of the USA Patriot Act and other laws. These measures were designed to protect Americans from terrorism, but they also allowed increased government scrutiny of individual activities. Is it better to have more domestic surveillance than risk another...
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Barack Obama came to office promising a change in tone from the foreign policy of George W. Bush, and greater engagement with adversaries. In this 2010 debate, panelists consider the early manifestations of that policy, and the likely results. Supporters say Obama moved toward prudence and realism, and that his personal global appeal has value to America. Opponents say he demonstrates weakness against adversaries like Iran and Russia, making allies...