War and Peace Issues

Yesterday in class we spoke about current and enduring public issues. One issue that caught my attention, among the many we discussed, was whether the United States should remain prepared for a major world war. This question involves many aspects. For example, nuclear weapons, threatening communist countries and being attacked on our own soil. My answer to the question is yes, I do feel the U.S should remain prepared for a major world war or for any type of terrorist attack in that case. I believe being prepared is a logical answer. As a country who is constantly being scrutinized by others and resented by many, we cannot afford to let our guard down when other countries have not. This goes hand in hand with nuclear weapons. Though no one wants to kill billions of people, many countries have deadly nuclear weapons in there possession. My guess for the reasoning behind this is because each country wants to show other countries that they are not inferior and can develop these deadly weapons just as easily as any other powerful country can.
Furthermore, this country prides itself on rarely being attacked on its own soil, with the exceptions of some attacks.This being true, other countries have always seen America with a reputation for being a strong and powerful nation, one that is rarely ever defeated. However, since the most recent homeland attacks ( Sept.11,2001) this opinion has probably changed for many of those countries, who once thought otherwise. My point being, if we are not prepared for the worst and other countries feel as though we are weaker then we've ever been, we risk being attacked by many others, wishing to break down our security and destroy America. We also have to worry about communist enemy countries like China, or enemies in general,who will take advantage of us during our lowest time.
Providing safety and security for this countries people should be a top priority. I feel not being prepared for a major world war, is simply irresponsible, especially during these times. The United States must do what it needs to do to secure its own nation.