[...] The discourse he (re)started, continued or resumed on “shaped public discussion and debate surrounding terrorism worldwide”. '9/11' has become a term everybody understands “in its conventional sense, as a realm of creative expression” as Daniel J. Sherman and Terry Nardin point out in their book Terror, Culture, Politics: Rethinking 9/11. Also Shana Kushner and Amy Gershkoff say that '9/11' has become an “ideograph in the sense that the historical event represents an attack on the beliefs, values, attitudes and “way of life” within the United States”. Not only in the English language '9/11' has become a “dictum” but in many others, too. In this term paper I want to take a closer look on the speech President Bush delivered on September 20, 2001 as State of the Union Address to a joint session of Congress. In my analysis I will go through the speech step by step in order to figure out the main points Bush is making. From there I want to continue with its effects and influence on the discourse about 'war on terror'. I am mainly referring to Norman Fairclough and his interpretations in Language and Globalization and also to Kevin
Coe et al. and their study No Shades of Gray. With the help of these publications I want to emphasize the impact and the aftermath of Bush's discourse as well in media as in society.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Analysis of the speech
3. War on terror – a closer look
4. The method of Binary Discourse
5. Discourse and Media
6. Conclusion
Target and Research Scope
This paper examines how the discourse on the "war on terror" shifted significantly following the events of 9/11, focusing specifically on President George W. Bush’s State of the Union Address delivered on September 20, 2001, to analyze the strategic use of rhetorical binaries.
- Analysis of George W. Bush’s rhetorical strategies post-9/11.
- Examination of binary oppositions such as "good vs. evil" and "freedom vs. fear."
- Investigation of how the media adopted and propagated presidential discourse.
- Evaluation of discourse analysis as a tool for understanding political communication.
- Assessment of the long-term discursive foundation for U.S. policy goals.
Excerpt from the Book
The method of Binary Discourse
Fairclough says that “the world is implicitly divided into good and evil” and speaks of binary division. Also Coe et al. broach the issue on binaries elaborately in their book No Shades of Gray. They say that “binary constructions are ideally suited for a U.S. Political culture dominated by mass media”. The definition they give for binary is “the placement of one thought or thing in terms of its opposite”. They also mention that “Western language and thought often represent the world as dichotomized, absolutes consisting of antithetical terms and ideas, with no alternative ground” and that “such constructions gain great political importance when employed within a strategic discourse that contains three attributes seemingly present in the Bush administration’s post-September 11 communications”.
Fairclough says “it is taken for granted that America is on the side of the good” and that there is “no space for those who oppose US policies in political rather than violent ways”. He alludes that the polarization between good and evil has a dangerous moment, because “there are no third (or fourth) categories”. Fairclough concludes “that the recent wars have actually strengthened [terrorism]”.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: This chapter provides the context for the post-9/11 discourse and outlines the paper's intention to analyze President Bush’s speech using Norman Fairclough’s and Kevin Coe et al.’s theoretical frameworks.
Analysis of the speech: The chapter presents a step-by-step rhetorical analysis of President Bush’s address to Congress, highlighting his use of anaphora, dichotomy, and leading questions to establish a sense of national unity.
War on terror – a closer look: This section defines the term "terror" using academic sources and discusses how the "war on terror" discourse constructs a new historical era and legitimizes specific policy responses.
The method of Binary Discourse: This chapter explores the theory of binary constructions, focusing on how dividing the world into absolute opposites serves strategic political purposes and narrows the scope for alternative interpretations.
Discourse and Media: This section examines how the media, particularly newspaper editorials, reinforced the president’s binary language, thereby helping to establish his rhetoric as the dominant public narrative.
Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes that 9/11 fundamentally altered global discourse, noting that while binary rhetoric successfully mobilized public support, it also limited critical political debate.
Keywords
Discourse Analysis, War on Terror, 9/11, George W. Bush, Binary Discourse, Good vs. Evil, Rhetoric, Terrorism, Media Influence, Political Communication, Ideology, Language and Globalization, State of the Union, National Unity, Public Opinion.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this academic paper?
The paper investigates how the discourse surrounding the "war on terror" was formed and transformed by the Bush administration following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
What are the primary thematic fields addressed in the analysis?
The core themes include the use of binary oppositions, the role of media in reinforcing political messaging, and the rhetorical construction of national identity and enemy figures.
What is the main research question or goal?
The goal is to analyze the rhetorical structure of President Bush's September 20, 2001, speech to Congress and understand how this language influenced global discourse and public perception.
Which scientific methodology is applied here?
The author uses discourse analysis, specifically referencing the frameworks of Norman Fairclough regarding language and globalization and the studies by Kevin Coe et al. on binary discourse.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body breaks down the speech rhetorically, defines "terror" within a political context, explains the function of binary divisions, and documents the media's role in repeating presidential terminology.
Which keywords best describe this research?
Key terms include Discourse Analysis, 9/11, Binary Discourse, War on Terror, Rhetoric, and Media Influence.
How does the author define the "establishment phase" of discourse?
It refers to the period where a speaker, such as President Bush, substantially increases the usage of specific binaries (like "good" and "evil") to make them a standard part of the political lexicon.
What does the paper conclude about the effectiveness of binary rhetoric?
The author concludes that while binary rhetoric was highly effective at unifying the American public against a perceived common foe, it also dangerously eliminated nuance and marginalized dissenting political voices.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Antje Holtmann (Autor:in), 2010, War on Terror - How Discourse changed after 9/11, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/211626
