Menken vs. Kroll

After reading both articles written by Menken and Kroll, I would say Kroll was more effective because his appropriate use of pathos and appeals outweighed that of Menken's primarily logos-based argument. Throughout his entire piece, Kroll portrayed his friend, a cold-blooded killer, as tortured by the process of being executed, which really evoked a feeling of guilt from the audience. His portrayal of the victims' families as cruel and unforgiving also made the reader sympathize with the executed; nevertheless, Kroll's fallacies do present a good case to the reader. Specifically, the quote, "The two other stays-including one signed by ten judges-were based on the pending suit challenging the constitutionality of cyanide gas as a method of execution." really was appropriate and was a great use of appeal to authority when he mentioned the 10 judges who the reader would respect. In contrast, Menken's piece did not change my views on the issue as did Kroll's because of his logos appeals did not really make any sense to me because of his faulty logic that was apparent.

"Sixteen Military Wives" by the Decemberists (2004)

The song, "Sixteen Military Wives," discusses the unfairness of American life by contrasting the deaths of soldiers to the "dramatic" lives of celebrities. Underneath the lyrics, the band is trying to communicate that Americans do not value the "real" heroes of the world while instead valuing celebrities who rarely contribute anything positive to society. The author's message is revealed through the quote,"Fifteen celebrity minds...will they find a solution in time," because he/she argues directly that we, as Americans, look to celebrities to find the solutions for our problems as a result of our hunger for them and their complicated lives. He also reinforces that the American people decide who the heroes are when he says, "If  America says it's so, It's so!" even if the choices do not deserve the honor. Comparison of the public to cannibals also reveals his point that Americans thirst for gossip or drama when in reality they should be supporting those who need it like the military wives who just lost their husbands who were the true heroes.

"Race for the Prize" by the Flaming Lips (1999)

Though their intentions may have been good, the lives of the two scientists in the song really define the overall theme that life can pass one by when one is concerned with a lofty goal. The writer depicts the scientists as preoccupied when he says,"Two scientists were racing for the good of all mankind...So determined. Locked in a heated battle...Theirs is to win if it kills them." The two are so determined to reach their goal that they forget the rest of their life in the process. The author is trying to convey that while a high goal can be a beneficial aide, life is not worth missing in the meantime. His anecdote serves as a symbol of what can happen if his message is not followed. The narrative should be a model for all who doubt his message by believing that ambition is more important than everyday life.

Fallacies in Famous Speeches

"They tell us, sir, that we are weak--unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. but when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house?" -Patrick Henry

This quote uses the fallacy of argumentum ad baculum because it evokes a sense of fear in each member of the audience when he suggests that British troops will be stationed in every home. This fact would obviously scare and startle the colonists because none would want to share their home with a British soldier. Henry also suggests that the citizens will be totally unarmed, which would frighten the colonists into buying Henry's cause. The combination of the two would horrify the colonists enough to want to be away from Britain if this is the only alternative to staying part of the Empire.

Though mostly inaccurate with their portrayal of facts, fallacies can serve as excellent ways to make a speech something to remember. The stark portrayal of facts that are invalid are more easy to remember than some statistics and the different appeals target different parts of the person, so someone that does not respond to one tactic may respond to another, thus making everyone agree with the author's point and making the speech memorable.

"Duck and Cover"

• Overt message: To inform students about the dangers of an atomic bomb and how to react accordingly with the "duck and cover" position.
• Covert message: The government is trying to convince the populace that the atomic bomb isn't nearly as powerful as is true by showing people in the video that arise unharmed from the attack when in reality they would have been vaporized. The purpose of this is to portray the government as powerful as not to cause mass panic among the population.
• This clip is a symbol of propaganda because there are no clear arguments or ideas, just the same phrase and rhetoric being repeated.

Destination Earth

• Overt message: Oil is an integral part of American life that provides all citizens with products needed for everyday life, but can only work well with competition.
• Covert message: The real purpose of the cartoon is to contradict communist doctrine and beliefs. The main character consistently attacks state-owned enterprise and promotes capitalism. He also portrays the leader of the martian nation as selfish and evil. Americans are shown as happy in their capitalist society with competition in contrast to the unhappy population back home on Mars. Another thing I noted was the uniform of the communists vs. the individualism of the Americans.
• This cartoon is obviously propaganda because of its use of glittering generality, transfer, and bandwagon methods. Each contributes to the general underlying message attacking communism.

Propaganda (WWII 1941-1945)

• The overt message is advising the population to eat less bread as to conserve the resources for troops and the war effort.
• The covert message is to convince the population to support the war effort through different means like buying war bonds with the money they would save from buying less bread. They accomplish their goal by making the consumer feel important and patriotic which is conveyed through the idea that without the consumer the war could not be won.
• The disparity between the two messages makes this specific advertisement propaganda by reinforcing the larger message of sacrifice for the nation through specific campaigns that distract the consumer.

"Clampdown"- the Clash (1979)

• This song discusses the domination of corporations over the general population and how people have been duped into believing that free will and independent government still exist. The quote, "I'm not working for the Clampdown," embodies the author's message that many are forced into a defined "normalcy."
• The music is harsh with loud drums and an electric guitar that are almost demanding someone to confront the people that subjugate the population.
• This song relates directly to propaganda because the "normal" society and its leaders indoctrinate the protelariat through advertisements and the media, which conforms the viewers to their point of view.

Propaganda, Persuasion, Rhetoric, and Argument

Quotes chosen: 390, 396, 401, & 405

"Much of what journalists do that is ethically suspect is not illegal – it does not violate a specific statute. For example, there is no statute against lying. There is no statute against entrapment by a journalist. There is no statute against the ambush interview."

TOM GOLDSTEIN, The News At Any Cost, 1985.

Goldstein confirms his belief in the first sentence by noting that journalists do many things to entertain and captivate their audience no matter the cost. He proceeds to mention that even though there are laws against slander and libel, those laws do not include acting ethically in one's job. From spreading false rumors to embarrassing someone on national television, the job to entertain stops at nothing, so when I saw this quote for the first time I thought of one particular newscaster: Nancy Grace. This woman consistently brings emotion into her debates and rants against particular people, people who she deems as "criminals". Specifically, the case of Casey Anthony has received national attention, so Grace used this attention to boost her own ratings and the popularity of her show. Throughout the trial, she demonized the defendant by comparing her to the devil, yet never used proper support for her arguments. It is clear that with journalists like Grace the media will not stop spreading their propaganda for their own ratings. What happened to the truth?