Many of the problems seen in modern times are due to events that many Americans pass off as typical with misfortunes and injustices. The Other Wes Moore perfectly exemplifies these exact afflictions that a multitude of people face in the United States, partially due to ethnicity or cultural background. The instances of poverty, economic injustice, drugs, and family influence in The Other Wes Moore contribute to significant findings in the socioeconomic structure that relate to considerable matters in the present day. An in-depth analysis of the story of both Wes and Moore in the eyes of a student of National Security and Foreign Affairs, and through the perspective of an Intelligence Officer, reveals small factors that both characters faced that resulted in life-altering circumstances. The purpose of this paper is to examine, contrast, and relate the conditions that were faced by both Wes Moores, and how those impacts alter political decisions and ultimately matters of national security. Commonalities between Wes and Moore regarding their growth and development included financial issues, fatherlessness, the use and dealing of controlled substances and the overall involvement of their family in their lives. The concepts concerning the field of national security are heavily influenced by the topics states above. Both Moore families face economic injustice in either Baltimore and the Bronx. For the author, his mother struggles to send him to Riverdale County School, a prestigious private school far away from the poverty he is used to in the Bronx. His mother works multiple jobs just to send her son to a place where he can achieve academic excellence and receive the education he deserves. However, once he attends this school, Moore realizes that in comparison to his fellow students who also attend this school, his family is quite economically disadvantaged. Massive amounts of extreme poverty can
be deemed a threat to domestic and global security for a variety of reasons. For nations that are forced into widespread poverty, civil unrest is often present and may result in the destruction of borders and total anarchy. Education is an important factor in terms of national security as well, in the United States, highly educated citizens can prosper and pull themselves out of an economic hole, similar to the author, and much like what the original values of the American Dream stood for. To Mary, her acceptance letter to John Hopkins was a godsend and, It was a golden ticket to another world, and that it was a pathway to the life she wanted, the life she dreamed about. However, even the highly educated can be led into a world of terrorism. Georgetown University professor, Carol Lancaster describes how [t]he terrorists of Al Qaeda were educated, from well-off families, and mostly from countries that have long ago graduated from the category of the worlds poorest,. Nevertheless, senior security Iraqi officials reported that the majority of ISIS recruits were, mostly young men between the ages of 6 and 25 who are primarily poor, unemployed and lack an education. Based on his background, Wes would have been a prime candidate for recruitment by radicalized groups because they often incentivize means of escaping injustices and gaining power in a group that they are accepted by. The same philosophy applies to gangs are throughout the nation, which increases domestic crime rates. In the future position of an Intelligence Officer with specializations in counterterrorism, it is vital to understand the roots of radicalized groups and the motivations they offer for moderate civilians to join their ranks. It is far less costly to combat these issues, such as widespread poverty, at their source in the United States and throughout the world, rather than invade and conquer, but offer no long-term solutions.