Tuesday, 10 December 2013
George Bush
Find the speech here.
1) What is the intention with this speech?
2) Try to describe the structure of the speech.
- When doing this try to describe how he uses rhetorical devices - especially anaphora and antithesis in order to establish who the enemy is, and why it was vital to enter Iraq.
3) Comment on how he finishes the speech - does it work?
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George H. W. Bush - Address to the nation on the Invasion of Iraq.
ReplyDeleteThis speech is supposed to make the audience feel like it´s the duty of USA and United Nations to go into Iraq and restore peace. -which is what they would like the audience to believe they are doing.
In this speech George Bush (G.B.) starts of by telling us that a military attack has begun few hours ago, and next he tells us why. Saddam Hussein (S.H.) has started a cruel war against Kuwait, and in the following we are told that diplomatic activity from many world leaders towards achieving a peaceful solution has not helped. Last we are told that 28 forces have exhausted all reasonable efforts to gain peace -so now they will use force. This first part of the speech sums up the message, now we know what it´s about, and afterwards the details will be elaborated.
First we are told what the plan is, and how it´s done. We are told that the mission is to destroy S.H.´s artillery, tanks and chemical weapon facility’s. This is done to protect any possible target. Then we are told that the mission is to remove S.H.´s forces to restore peace and hope for compliance under the UN resolutions and peaceful cooperation. Then a question is asked -Why are we doing this, is this okay? The answer we are brought is that S.H. systematically raped, pillaged, and plundered at tiny nation, no threat to his own … among those maimed and murdered, innocent children. First of G.B. Tells us how it´s going to be done, and then he reasons with us by telling us of the crimes that has been committed towards the innocent, thus it´s okay for us to go in there. Afterwards he tells us that while the world was praying for peace, S.H. was preparing for war. Here we see how G.B. Uses anaphora -While the world waited, S.H. did so and so. This is used several times to underline that the rest of the world did nothing but wait, hope and pray for peace, while S.H. only wanted war.
G.B. want´s to clarify that UN and the US really hoped that this could be solved in a peaceful manner, and a wish that the threat if invasion would be enough to make S.H. leave Kuwait. So here we are presented with the good guys and the bad guys. I refer to the good guys as us -the people of UN and US, and the bad guys as them -the people following S.H. G.B. Paints a picture where we have acted in all the right ways, with diplomatic approach and in accordance with the fundamental principles of high moral and ethics. G.B. Defends theses actions of war and makes them look like actions of peace...
Next we are told about the safety-arrangements that are being made, so that the men and women who leaves for this mission can be as safe as possible. We are also told that we have made progress in ending conflict and war, that we have done this before so therefore you need not worry -we know what we are doing, just send us your brave young men and women to fight for us, we will take good care of them. This is to make the families of the troop-members find serenity in this situation. All the way through the speech we are persuaded and comforted to believe that this is a good and safe idea/mission.
ReplyDeleteThen we are assured that this mission is not about conquering Iraq. Again we are told that to relax in the knowledge that we are doing no wrong. This is backed up with the sentence “no nation will be permitted to brutally assault its neighbour”, so we are only going in there to help these guys to be free.
At the end of the speech the troopers and the member of the armies are glorified. They are the Nation´s finest, magnificently trained, highly motivated. They speak of the war in at better way than any President or PM ever could. This glorification is used to make them feel special and appreciated so that they will stay loyal to the cause, US and UN.
Lastly God is mentioned. May he bless the families of the troopers and everyone involved, on our side that is.
This speech is all about defending the decision to interfere in the situation in Kuwait. I have depicted the essentials of the speech to show how this is done, and how it is structured to defend these decisions. This is a great speech! I am personally against war, but the speech works cause it makes it seem like we are doing the right thing. I am frightened by this speech cause it really shows that words are power. With the right composition of words and opinions presented you can change what people think. Terrifying!
Very detalied summary and analysis of the speech - good job.
DeleteHe is most certainly eminent at painting a portrait of the enemy, which is in many ways why the speech works so well. The use of antithesis in war speeches are vital as this is how you portray the good and the bad guys , and thus it gets easier to relate to what he is saying. No one ever thought that what America did - starting a war against Sadam Hussein - was wrong as the motive is clear. Sadam did go in, brutally attacking his neighbour, however, that was hardly the reason for America´s interference (just mentioning oil here). When portraying Kuwait, Iraq and USA the way he does as respectively the little lamb, the wolf and the rescuer of the day, it is very easy as you very correctly write to believe in Bush and that what the Americans are doing is the right thing to do. This obviously using pathos, but he also makes great use of ethos and the sponsorship effect in the end?
Anyone who can describe how?
He uses the name of his lord in the end of this speech. He talks about praying for the soldiers and their families and asks their god to bless his country. Religion is very important to the average American and they are easily persuaded by persons who talks about the will of their god. They tend to walk right in to any trap if they are lured by their religion and this is how Bush fooled the general Christian population to believe a war against Iraq were a great idea. He also implies, trough the words of the persons he mentions, that America could be next and that this freedom loving people could lose their own freedom. He manipulates them using fear and religion. The same thing the dictators he wants to fight does. Think about that!
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