Starter (Verbal share): What was disturbing, surprising, or interesting about reading Bin Laden's letter?
IN GROUPS (of 3-4): Rhetorical Analysis of Osama bin Laden's open letter to America.
Whole Class: T-chart
What are the similarities and differences between Osama bin Laden's and George Bush's rhetoric?
Discuss
How does each use Aristotelian appeals? (Arguments? Pathos? Ethos is relative to audience?)
Whose rhetoric is more effective? Why?
How does our own ideology influence each rhetorical transaction?
CONTINUE FOUR CORNERS
The United States military is the best in the world.
It is unpatriotic to oppose a war.
When a foreign people is being governed by a tyrannical leader, the United States should intervene to overthrow that leader.
Citizens should have a say in whether or not their country goes to war.
The benefits of a just war are worth the costs.
America has a special role to play in the world to help spread democracy and keep the peace.
"The Bush Doctrine"
In his book "Decision Points" (Crown Publishers, 2010), President Bush articulates his discrete concept of the Bush Doctrine. According to the President, his doctrine consisted of four "prongs," three of them practical, and one idealistic. They are the following: (In his words)
1. "Make no distinction between terrorists and the nations that harbor them--and hold both to account."
2. "Take the fight to the enemy overseas before they can attack us again here at home."
3. "Confront threats before they fully materialize."
4. "Advance liberty and hope as an alternative to the enemy's ideology of repression and fear."
Key Points:
Unilateralism
With us or with the terrorists
Discuss:
What are the advantages of this viewpoint? What good points does the Bush doctrine have?
What drawbacks are there to this strategy?
Israel/Palestine Conflict Background Info (Thanks, Mr. Green!)
OPTION TO READ AHEAD!
If you would like to take copies of tomorrow's readings to start tonight, you are welcome to do so. I am giving you time in class tomorrow, but if you want to get a jump, yay! (Ahem...looking at you Honors...)
- Read and annotate "Commit for the Long Run" by Robert Kagan and Ronald D. Asmus
- Read and annotate “A Briefing on the History of Military Interventions” by Dr. Zoltan Grossman