Plato said, “Rhetoric can be used to control the minds of men.” Condoleezza’s use of rhetoric at the 9/11 Commission dispelled any rumors about Bush’s complacency in dealing with recent terrorist incidents. Rice uses stylistics such as diction, content and organization to explain the severity of the attacks on the United States.
Condoleezza used strong words in her address to both highlight the severity and the future of the terrorist attacks. Rice, in her speech, uses strong diction to convey the violence and treacherous nature that terrorist attacks possess. She uses words such “vicious,” “catastrophic,” decapitate,” destroy,” and “break America’s spirit” to describe how she felt during the attacks. Rice’s harsh vocabulary sets the scene for the severity of the attack. Rice not only uses harsh diction but also encourages diction to show that the United States future will be a positive one. Condoleezza Rice speaks optimistically of the United States when she discusses the future. She wants us to look past all the tragedies and see the good that can come from them. Rice uses phrases like “opportunity,” “obligation,” and “together,” to convey a sense that she is united in her efforts to convince the Commission that this country can recover after such an unspeakable catastrophe. When speaking about George Bush, she uses a positive and happy tone. She says, “President Bush’s leadership is guiding the country at this time when it is going through a crisis and undergoing change. He has unified the efforts of the United States to secure its homeland. She wants to show the Commission that Bush is taking action to benefit the United States, and not just sitting around doing nothing. The former secretary of state uses “crisis-and-change” as a way to show that the Bush administration is aware of these serious attacks. She uses phrases like “unified,””secure the American homeland,””protecting America’s cherished liberties,”and “free society,”to persuade Commission members of George Bush, and his administrations, great efforts in moving forward after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Rice uses pathos in her speech to encourage the Commission and to view the Bush administration positively.
Rice also establishes an ethos through mentioning notable individuals who work to prevent future terrorist acts. Rice mentions first that George Tenet and Sandy Berger, members of the NSC (National Security Council) staff, briefed her and George Bush on al-Qaida, counterterrorism, and other issues. Rice says that the Bush administration was very aware of the threat posed by al-Qaida. She mentions the senior national security officials, who approved former President Bush’s plans and strategies. Also, the former chief of staff Andy Card and the former national coordinator for security Dick Clarke played a role in ensuring that Bush administration’s actions towards al-Quida were appropriate. Rice mentions prominent government figures. Rice uses their work and what they do to show the Commission the Bush administration’s commitment to resolving the recent terrorist attacks.
Condoleezza gives a concise summary of recent terrorist events by using logos. She first gives the background on previous terrorist acts against the United States. Rice claims that the terrorist threat against our nation was not born on September 11,2001. She then goes on to list several hijackings, bombings, and other terrorist attacks that have involved both terrorists and the United States. She lists them in order.
“The attacks against American installations in Saudi Arabia and East Africa in 1998, the East Africa [embassy] terrorist bombings in 1996, the USS Cole attack in 2000 …,”(1).
She mentions “the Lusitania sinking in 1915, and the continued German harassment of American ships” (2). Condoleezza began her speech by explaining the history. She did this to help make the speech logical and to prove that the September 11th attacks were not a first for the United States. Rice’s audience can better understand the United States by knowing what they have faced in the past. They will feel more confident about the current attacks.
Rice uses symbols to explain the Bush administration’s understanding about the seriousness of terrorist attacks as well as the measures taken to avoid future tragedies. Rice explains that she was aware of the dangers posed by al-Qaeda because of briefings given during George Bush’s time as president-elect. Rice presents documents that can help the Commission in its work. Rice starts by presenting the National Security Presidential Directive. The document is highly classified, but it has been declassified. These sections outline the responsibilities and duties of Cabinet Secretaries, Department Heads, and the Secretary for Defense. The sections outline specific commands. For example, “the secretary of state [must] collaborate with other countries in order to close all sanctuaries that are given to al Qaida,” and, “the secretaries for the Treasury and State must cooperate with foreign governments so as to seize and/or freeze the assets and holdings owned by al Qaida and their benefactors.” Rice outlines a number of fronts, which include “detect and prevent terrorist attacks and to disrupt them.” She also discusses the FBI and how the FBI and how the FBI and a In her final remarks, the former secretary of state explains the measures taken by Bush’s administration to combat the recent terrorist attack. Rice goes into greater detail to describe the President’s and his team’s mindset, including how they intend to combat al-Qaida. Rice ends her speech with the statement, “In response to September 11, those were the choices America made – the only decisions that could ensure our safety for decades.” By using logos, she can organize her speech and make it flow more smoothly.
Condoleezza is able to demonstrate the hard work and dedication of Bush’s administration by the way she organizes, writes and translates the content of her speech.
Rice uses logos, pathos and ethos to explain to her audience all that is being done to move the United States forward. Rice is able to influence the Commission’s mind with her rhetoric by using a combination of severity and encouragement. She also uses political figures to support her work.
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