Rhetrickery in Politics

1. Rhetrickery in Politics Advanced Rhetorical Writing Matt Barton

2. Politics & Reality • It’s easy to see how political rhetoric (P-Rhet) makes and destroys realities. • Greedy, self-serving political leaders can create negative realities. • Open-minded, global-thinking leaders can create Star Trek realities.

3. Why not talk about P-Rhet? • Some people find the subject boring—they think it’s common sense that politics is strictly “B.S.” and that all politicians are cheats and liars. • Rhetoricians studying P-Rhet are inevitably biased. • Politics is so complex that even honest politicians must constantly pander to special interests.

4. So what? • It’s important to study P-Rhet because these problems will never go away, so we must be prepared to deal with them productively. • We need deep rhetorical education to help us deal with political rhetoric.

5. Morality Issue • What are the differences between justifiable P-Rhet and the bad stuff? • Is success the only legitimate criteria? • “Even the most sincere politician faces daily choices among conflicting ‘goods,’ choices that require sacrificing or betraying one good on behalf of another.”

6. Two Modern Revolutions • Mass media have created an “inescapable and multiplicity of audiences” for political rhetoric. • It’s no longer viable for a politician to cater to a particular audience during a “media event.” • WMD’s now mean that wars may no longer promise victory to either side.

7. Litmus Test • “Only if [politicians] have listened to the international audience, thinking hard about both the local welfare and the welfare of the world, can their words be judged as not only successful but totally justifiable.”

8. World Audience • “Every important bit of P-Rhet is intentionally or unintentionally addressed to a worldwide audience.” • Our future depends on politicians who won’t talk about “crusades against evil” adversaries.

9. Refusing to Listen • Opponents of even the noblest cause can find examples of rhetrickery defending it. • Partisans won’t believe anything the opposition has to say. • Mistrust leads to absurd exaggerations and groundless accusations. • Suspicion about deception increases dramatically during wartime, especially when journalists aren’t free to report openly.

10. Crappy Rhetoric • Protestors tend to “demonize” the enemy, thus “guaranteeing that no dialogue will ensue.”

11. Casuistry • The balancing of virtues to a particular case. • Sometimes it’s okay to lie, cheat, or steal. You must look at the circumstances.

12. The Solution • We must judge P-Rhet fairly by really listening to the opposition and putting ourselves into their shoes. • We must practice P-Rhet fairly by inviting serious LR from our opponents.