But beyond the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard, without healthy industries providing jobs, the quality of life deteriorates to a point where hunger leads to the disintegration of society. It leads to strife on many different levels. National security goes to the very core of how we define who we are as a people, and a free society. It concerns how we view our world responsibilities. All social systems must define a set of values.
Values are an integral part of a nation's infrastructure.
Human rights and respect for the individual are at the core of our Bill of Rights and the aim of democracy around the world. National security is societal strength, encompassing the economy, the health of the industrial base, stable government and diplomacy, education, strong societal and moral codes, the rule of law, health care and environmental sustainability. Understanding all these parts of a complex equation is crucial to understanding national security, and how something such as a healthy auto industry figures into it. The world is a very small place. Keeping it peaceful may depend upon our ability to grasp and articulate these relationships.