The article titled “Letter to President Clinton On Iraq” was written in 1998 about the situation regarding Saddam Hussein and the American policy toward Iraq. The text has several aims, which can be explained using Kinneavy’s triangle.
First, the authors of the text, which were from an organization called Project For The New American Century, wrote the letter to their implied audience, which was President Clinton. However the intended audience included more than just the president. It was also intended for the American people to inform them of the current situation and form an awareness of the steps that needed to be taken to improve things. One of the author’s aims is persuasive because of the political context of the entire letter. The article talks about “securing the interests of the U.S. and our friends and allies around the world.” It also talks of foreign policy, the UN Security Council, and sanctions, all of which are political terms and issues.
The author also has a referential aim in several ways. First, it is referential exploratory because the letter is proposing a solution to problems (Kinneavy, 302). The authors propose a strategy that “should aim, above all, at the removal of Saddam Hussein’s regime from power.” They call for a strategy that “eliminates the possibility that Iraq will be able to use or threaten to use weapons of mass destruction” and “willingness to undertake military action.” It is also referential scientific because it proves a point using accepted premises (Kinneavy, 302). The author uses facts by discussing the inspections taking place in Iraq and the findings from these inspections. This also makes it referential informative because the text if giving a report on the current situation and the results and findings that are coming out of the inspections in Iraq.
The text also has an expressive social aim because it is talking about an issue that is directly related to the American people and this country. It appeals to the audience’s emotions because it is discussing the threat to our nations security. By making it sound like with out this plan and course of action the United States is not safe, the audience is more likely to be motivated to do something to ensure their safety.
The letter is making an effort to propose a plan that will make this country safe from the threat of Iraq and weapons of mass destruction. It utilizes Kinneavy’s triangle is several ways by using aims that were expressive, referential, and persuasive.
3 comments:
I really like how you found the different aims of the article and I feel that you expressed those purposes thoroughly. Your analysis gave me other angles as to how I re-read the article. Because the article was such a persuasive piece, if you were President Clinton, would you listen to the authors? Are there any flaws in their letter?
I didn't consider that the article could fit into as many as you were able to show that it did. Good use of textual evidence to support the claims made.
Agreeing with Maggie, I do really like how you plainly pointed out what aims you feel were used in the writing of this article. The one this I feel that could be expanded upon is why do you feel this letter was written for a broader audience than just President Clinton. Is it in the text, the organization of the letter, or the just looking at who wrote it, the Project for the New American Century? Other than that you wrote a very compelling blog that got your point across.
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