Critique of a Political Speech of Barack Obama Essay

Critique of a Political Speech of Barack Obama - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the election of Barack Obama to the Presidency of the United States stands as a greatly significant and meaningful moment for contemporary America.   His inaugural speech given on January 21st 2009 reads as a missive to all Americans and contains within it the classically American mà ©lange of Christian-style preaching and the Enlightenment era ideas so important to the country’s heritage: life, liberty, and equality. With respect to the course, the researcher believes that Obama’s speech touches upon, among other things, key elements of Americana which appertain to its heritage, its self-imagery, and its Universalist claims of equality and liberty for all.   In doing so, Obama employs pathos, ethos, and logos interchangeably so as to endow his words with the power that they have. It is debatable which of the three forms of rhetorical appeal are most effective to begin a speech.   Each, depending on circumstance, c an serve to capture the attention of the audience.   Obama opts for a blend of pathos and ethos.   He opens with â€Å"My fellow citizens:   I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you've bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. The pathos of self-imposed modesty and ‘trust’ easily transitions to the ethos of ‘ancestors.’ ‘Ancestors’ begins an appeal to the ethos of the American Republic and its ideals. He manages the transition well as he then refers to an America which †¦has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we, the people, have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears and true to our founding documents. / So it has been; so it must be with this generation of Americans. (Obama 2009) This blending of pathos and ethos is quite effective. Without yet having to employ the limited tool of logos, Obama is able to allude to an historical nation and the sentiments of its people. Logic and consistency might demand that one point out that in fact America has not always held true to its ‘founding documents,’ the existence of slavery for many years, the mistreatment of the Native American, and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War Two being but some notable examples to the contrary. But this is rhetoric, not reality. The brief sojourn into ethos is then temporarily abandoned for a return to pathos. What other recent event, scored into the memory of every American, has the ability to evoke an emotional response without fail: September 11, 2001 of course. The other sources of emotional upheaval at the moment (in 2009 and now) is the ongoing global economic crisis and to a lesser extent, environmental degradation and healthcare. Obama makes use of all three. Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some†¦.Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many -- and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet. (Obama 2009) It is interesting that a man who is facing a crisis as serious as that faced by FDR generations prior, appeals to the sense of unease and fear that many hold. Apparently, we have more to fear ‘than fear itself.’ International terrorism, failing economy, and an inefficient healthcare system are things to worry about. This is pure and unbridled pathos. But in the end, Obama’s talent for speaking remains unblemished as he, after making appeals to fear-based concerns, reassures his audience, in true Rooseveltian fashion, that â€Å"we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord†

Narrative Structure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Narrative Structure - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that  the City of God film was produced by Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund in 2002. Its storyline was adopted from the 1997 novel City of God by Braulio Mantovani. The storyline is based in Rio de Janeiro’s Cidade de Deus suburb in which organized crime in the 1960’s is on the rise. The crimes involve drug dealing cartels and a small boy (Rocket) who dreams of being a photographer as he strives to keep the city’s rot away. Rocket narrates the unfolding events in Cidade de Deus from his point of view which is that of a poor black youth. He is seeking for means of surviving in the harsh and violent life of Cidade de Deus. Although rocket seeks to be on the right side if the law, he does not agree to live a low, sulky and insatiable life.As the study highlights the setting of Rio de Janeiro is typical of the settings applied in most crime films in which the atmosphere is usually dark, clustered, and shows signs of madness associated w ith crime. Gangs run the city at night while gun fights and murder are nothing new in the Brazilian city. The causes of crime are usually economic inability, and that too is shown in Cidade de Deus; the typical houses are set in an urban setting in long rows. The houses are poorly constructed and the streets are dotted with youth who look desperate and idle. Generally, the introduction of the film hints poverty and crime, and these two elements work perfectly in creating a setting for thriving crime and violence.

The Voluntary Service of Citizens in the Armed Forces Essay

The Voluntary Service of Citizens in the Armed Forces - Essay Example Many nations, including the United States, although reliant on voluntary service still do reserve the right to impose a draft. The debate on whether a draft should, at some time, be reinstated is often a discussion drawn between positive (â€Å"what is†) and normative (â€Å"what ought to be†) considerations: the distinction between whether it is economically feasible, objectively necessary, or ultimately practical and whether it is morally justifiable, philosophically contradictory (for a country committed to freedom like the United States), or politically oppressive. To make the argument for or against the draft, a discussant must address both aspects of the issue. Put in this context, the practice of conscription is at once positively and normatively unjustifiable: not only does it create an inferior fighting force, making it ineffective at accomplishing its goals, but it is a severe violation of the individual’s freedom that a government exists to protect. On the normative side, the military draft (or conscription) is a defining feature of totalitarian regimes, having been imposed by and large in the totalitarian countries and their dictators throughout history. Napoleon and Bismarck serve as two examples of despots willing to sacrifice individuals for the state. Having been instituted by these aggressive leaders and countries, the military draft carries with it aggressive force. By â€Å"aggressive force†, one means the force applied to countries other than one’s own, and not in self-defense. It is doubtful, after all, that in the event of a large-scale invasion of a country, that the country will have to force its citizens to fight to save their own lives unless of course it is ruled by a dictatorial regime unworthy of its citizens’ defense. One cannot consistently hold that individuals have rights to self-determination and individual liberties and yet that the state has the right to make them null and void.  

Speech for Formal Ambassadors Meeting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Speech for Formal Ambassadors Meeting - Essay Example I feel extremely honoured. It comes with excitement to state concisely for the fact that this meeting is on its second year, a step in growth. Indeed, I am very confident to mention that the new initiative of TIF in each of the country members of our Federation will strengthen the impact and the value of its work. We honour this day through various activities with the objective of promoting education around these diseases in the 117 member associations in 56 countries. ‘Economic recession: Observe – Join Forces – Safeguard Health’ is the theme this year. Officials and member associations are encouraged to focus on it with actions and activities as per the individual needs and priorities. There is a need to support policy decisions that negate inequalities of health, with specific concentration on countries affected with financial and economic crisis globally throbbing. Financial crisis has had wide reaching economic, social and political impacts with the quality of health care grossly affected with some of its most far reaching and devastating consequences. This theme highlights such. The health sector has been affected by some, if not many, potentially irreversible consequences by the hard times of austerity that has had an impact across countries. The worsening of inequalities engulfing all areas of an individuals’ life be it professional, social, educational aspects perhaps the individual’s health most importantly in vulnerable population groups such as those with chronic disorders are touched and scratched with the global economic crisis as stated by the World Health Organization. The commitment for good quality services, various health authorities and the long life support of nations are needed by patients. Massive threats to the stability of the social systems and public health care and to the general access to healthcare services come in handy with the global economic crisis. Specific measures, various

Discuss the implications for managers that work with different Essay

Discuss the implications for managers that work with different national cultures - Essay Example There are both negative and positive repercussions on the management and managers brought out in the course of interacting with different national cultures, which end up causing changes in the corporate management functions and control. Companies need to hire employees from the local regions; meaning management could find face several challenges in their managerial roles, due to barriers arising from differences in national cultures, which come with their distinguished values that the managers or the organization struggles to identify with. Development of Effectual Cross Cultural Communication Skills As businesses are set up across the globe, and the companies intend to capture the market attention, managers have to be equipped enough to overcome the communication barrier that exists when they are taken into different regions, the cultures and languages of which are different from their local settings or previous organization environment. It is definitely very difficult for manger to work with colleagues who speak a different language, since the communication is interfered with. Miscommunication happens to be a common problem that human resource managers deal with while working with teams from different national cultures. ... At times, managers may be in foreign nations or could be working with team members who have been allocated to the managers or organizations local settings. Some ways which managers can facilitate effective cross cultural communication entail practicing active listening, reading out the signs or symbols and watching out for cultural assumptions, accessing brief teachings or using language guides, understanding language of space, time and context (HCareers n. p.). Of late, dealing with such challenges has enabled management to use technology in order to facilitate standard communication; this could include groupware and websites for sharing of information and to improve communication (Jones and George n. p.). The implications for managers that work with different national cultures include: 1. Creativity and innovation Working in different national cultures provides opportunities for managers to think critically, first of all on how the organization’s operations and objectives co uld be accomplished, and how to motivate employees’ performance in the different cultures. The existing components and architecture of the organization may not always work best at all situations and cultures. Similarly, even the products produced by a company in a certain region may not perform well in different markets, due to different cultures the organization’s branches may be operating in. Sometimes managers prefer to have a specific brand for their products across the globe, but this only proves to be successful if the market perceives a good image of the brand and its quality of products. Therefore, managers need to assess the culture they operate in, study the consumption behavior, preference, and limitations to success of the existing products or

E-journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

E-journal - Essay Example I learnt that the instruction also should create safe and eye catching environment as this will allow for positive attitudes from children and result in productive learning. Well-planned and interactive lessons result in more student engagement; therefore â€Å"engagement in a quality music programs helps students†¦ develops both fine and gross motor skills† (Russell-Bowie, 2012, p.46). Thus, the range of different activities and using a variety of resources will allow children to stay engaged and develop. I also learned that the way the teacher communicates with students is very important due to the fact that if a teacher communicates in an effective way and provides clear instructions the lesson will be able to run smoothly. Therefore, the lecture was very useful for me as it allowed me to gain management ideas, which I can implement in my classroom. Through the tutorial that was prepared, I learnt much about the music. During the music tutorial we worked in a group and chose instruments to represent sound in a story or poem. It allowed me to understand the different moods instruments can create. Our group had the poem ‘Will we ever see?’ by Georgia Heard and I was able to learn the different sounds music can make and the mood they create. I find this activity to be very interesting in the classroom as it allows the children to understand the sound of different instruments, working as a group. Therefore, the tutorial demonstrated to the class the different sound effects from instruments. Application of the rhythm sticks made it clear how to read the rhythm cards as we were taping the sticks to the beat and this allowed our group to understand how to play eight rhythm beats. This will be a great idea to implement in the classroom as through the rhythm children can understand meaning of duration. Working in big groups and small groups allowed us to gain a deeper understanding on how to engage a whole class using instruments, flash

Speech for Formal Ambassadors Meeting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Speech for Formal Ambassadors Meeting - Essay Example I feel extremely honoured. It comes with excitement to state concisely for the fact that this meeting is on its second year, a step in growth. Indeed, I am very confident to mention that the new initiative of TIF in each of the country members of our Federation will strengthen the impact and the value of its work. We honour this day through various activities with the objective of promoting education around these diseases in the 117 member associations in 56 countries. ‘Economic recession: Observe – Join Forces – Safeguard Health’ is the theme this year. Officials and member associations are encouraged to focus on it with actions and activities as per the individual needs and priorities. There is a need to support policy decisions that negate inequalities of health, with specific concentration on countries affected with financial and economic crisis globally throbbing. Financial crisis has had wide reaching economic, social and political impacts with the quality of health care grossly affected with some of its most far reaching and devastating consequences. This theme highlights such. The health sector has been affected by some, if not many, potentially irreversible consequences by the hard times of austerity that has had an impact across countries. The worsening of inequalities engulfing all areas of an individuals’ life be it professional, social, educational aspects perhaps the individual’s health most importantly in vulnerable population groups such as those with chronic disorders are touched and scratched with the global economic crisis as stated by the World Health Organization. The commitment for good quality services, various health authorities and the long life support of nations are needed by patients. Massive threats to the stability of the social systems and public health care and to the general access to healthcare services come in handy with the global economic crisis. Specific measures, various