10 examples of political rhetoric Essay

1. â€Å"Medicare is the binding commitment of a caring society.† In President Bush’s State of the Union Address, he describes what medicare is to the public. I honestly cannot make any sense of this statement. It sounds like he is trying to make Medicare into something it is not. It appears that Mr. Bush is just trying to sound intelligent in my opinion. 2. â€Å"Axis of evil† This is the term by which President Bush refers to North Korea, Iraq, and Iran; he uses this term so people will associate these countries with â€Å"evil†. He is giving enemies a name that makes them look worse to the public. 3. â€Å"Weapons of mass destruction† President Bush uses this term to make the atomic/nuclear weapons that Iraq supposedly possesses seem more intimidating to the public. He is literally trying to scare people with this rhetoric. After people hear and believe this phrase, any action that Bush chooses to carry out on Iraq will seem justifiable. 4. â€Å"Evil doers† Rather than naming the specific people or group he is speaking of (such as Osama bin-Laden or members of the Al-Qaeda network), Bush refers to them as â€Å"evil doers†, which is a very emotionally charged phrase, used to ensure that the public share his sentiments toward the â€Å"evil doers†. 5. â€Å"Shuttle contingency† Before NASA was positive that the shuttle Columbia had exploded, the situation was referred to as a â€Å"contingency† (a possible emergency). 6. â€Å"Inner-city areas† 99% of the time the phrase â€Å"inner-city area† is used; it is referring to an African-American or Hispanic neighborhood. They use this term because it’s more â€Å"politically correct†. 7. â€Å"Equal Opportunity† This term is used usually when one minority is, in reality, getting preferential treatment in order to make things â€Å"equal†. 8. â€Å"War on Terror† This phrase is used to imply that the U.S.A. is targeting possible or actual terrorists and more than ready for war with them. 9. â€Å"War on Drugs† This phrase is used to imply stricter drug policies on people and places by longer prison sentences, mandatory minimums, and many other tougher penalties for drug offenders. 10. â€Å"Third World Nation† When someone refers to a â€Å"third world nation†, they are referring to a rather poor, â€Å"underdeveloped† nation.