518 CHApTEr 22 | a ConSerVatiVe tenor | period nine 1980 to the present putting it all together^519519
In proposing American intervention abroad, Bush’s language reflects a clear po-
sition and an understanding of implications, as noted by the emphasized words.
An aggressive foreign policy reflects a certainty that mirrors the speaker’s confi-
dence and comforts an audience that is fearful of outsiders.
Responding to the Arab Spring’s protests against dictatorships in the Middle
East, President Barack Obama made these remarks (Doc. 22.17):In the face of these challenges, too many leaders in the region tried to
direct their people’s grievances elsewhere. The West was blamed as the
source of all ills, a half century after the end of colonialism. Antagonism
toward Israel became the only acceptable outlet for political expression.
Divisions of tribe, ethnicity and religious sect were manipulated as a
means of holding on to power, or taking it away from somebody else.
But the events of the past six months show us that strategies of
repression and strategies of diversion will not work anymore. Satellite
television and the Internet provide a window into the wider world—a
world of astonishing progress in places like India, Indonesia and Brazil.
Cell phones and social networks allow young people to connect and
organize like never before. And so a new generation has emerged. And
their voices tell us that change cannot be denied.Obama’s use of the passive voice (highlighted above) omits agency—or blame—
for past grievances with the Middle East. The closest that Obama comes to attack-
ing the Arab countries is identifying “antagonism toward Israel,” largely to show
his support for Israel rather than to denounce the Arab countries. The second half
of Obama’s excerpt features more direct agency (with active verbs), highlighting
the more liberal agenda of outreach, shared progress and growth, and greater
willingness to see America in a global context.
In either case, the speech has multiple audiences—both America and foreign
countries. The words of these policy statements reveal both the present reality
(the window) and the desired action (or mirror).
Consider the following prompt:Choose three documents from this chapter that characterize the United
States’ changing role in the world between 1975 and 2013. In what ways
do these documents represent broader shifts in the country and the rest
of the world?steP 1 Understand the prompt, and identify the key words
steP 2 Generate a working thesis
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