Man Of The People: The True Persuader

Barrack Obama is a well-known candidate for the presidency as representative of the Democratic party of the United States. His acceptance speech for presidency is persuasive and monotonous. He constantly implies how grateful he is for being elected, somehow humble and gives the appearance of compassion. This then becomes part of pathos, the rhetorical division used to persuade. Obama is in his speech always promising of what he will do. This is somehow cliché but still, used by him to prove that promises are to be remembered. Besides, he exposes his opponent not only to convince, but in a repetitive manner. Therefore, it is evident how Obama expresses himself by logos, pathos, and ethos.

ETHOS
 “You know, unlike John McCain, I will stop giving tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas, and I will start giving them to companies that create good jobs right here in America. “
 “I stood up and opposed this war, knowing that it would distract us from the real threats that we face.”
 “When John McCain said we could just muddle through in Afghanistan, I argued for more resources and more troops to finish the fight against the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11, and made clear that we must take out Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants if we have them in our sights.”
 “America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this. “
 “Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but, really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than 90 percent of the time?”
 “Now, I don't believe that Senator McCain doesn't care what's going on in the lives of Americans; I just think he doesn't know.”
 “You know, John McCain likes to say that he'll follow bin Laden to the gates of Hell, but he won't even follow him to the cave where he lives.”
 “And when one of his chief advisers, the man who wrote his economic plan, was talking about the anxieties that Americans are feeling, he said that we were just suffering from a mental recession and that we've become, and I quote, "a nation of whiners." “These are not whiners. They work hard, and they give back, and they keep going without complaint. These are the Americans I know.”

PATHOS
 “It is that promise that's always set this country apart, that through hard work and sacrifice each of us can pursue our individual dreams, but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams, as well. That's why I stand here tonight. Because for 232 years, at each moment when that promise was in jeopardy, ordinary men and women -- students and soldiers, farmers and teachers, nurses and janitors -- found the courage to keep it alive.”
 “So -- so let me -- let me spell out exactly what that change would mean if I am president.”
 “I'll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars.”
 “You know, Michelle and I are only here tonight because we were given a chance at an education. And I will not settle for an America where some kids don't have that chance.”
 “Tonight, tonight, I say to the people of America, to Democrats and Republicans and independents across this great land: Enough. This moment...This moment, this moment, this election is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive.”
 “And when I hear a woman talk about the difficulties of starting her own business or making her way in the world, I think about my grandmother, who worked her way up from the secretarial pool to middle management, despite years of being passed over for promotions because she was a woman.”

LOGOS
 “More of you have lost your homes and even more are watching your home values plummet. More of you have cars you can't afford to drive, credit cards, bills you can't afford to pay, and tuition that's beyond your reach.”
 “ These challenges are not all of government's making. But the failure to respond is a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W. Bush.”
 “I'll eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow. I will -- listen now -- I will cut taxes -- cut taxes -- for 95 percent of all working families, because, in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle class.”
 “…that sits on its hands while a major American city drowns before our eyes.”
 “But I will also go through the federal budget line by line, eliminating programs that no longer work and making the ones we do need work better and cost less, because we cannot meet 21st-century challenges with a 20th-century bureaucracy.”
 “The truth is, on issue after issue that would make a difference in your lives -- on health care, and education, and the economy -- Senator McCain has been anything but independent.”
 “Ours -- ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves: protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools, and new roads, and science, and technology.”
 “Our government should work for us, not against us. It should help us, not hurt us. It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who's willing to work.”

After hearing his speech, and as well analyzing it, I realized Obama cares for what he is doing. He is not any other candidate who wants to persuade and get fame. He really believes in change. His promises…well they are promises, and all he can do, is try to keep them. I realized that he is a man of the people. Yes, wondering what is best for other’s benefit, not for himself. Then to get this image, this caretaking image, he has to convince, mostly using pathos. Obama as a politician is able to read people’s emotions and play with them. To get that sympathy, as if we the one’s hearing him, knew him perfectly. This simulated reliance, which he then gains by means of ethos. Barrack Obama is candidate who trusts and is trusted.

License To Love

I have always looked forward to having my own children. Being a mother, for sure is a great experience. That first look to your child, the special bonding reached, inexplicable, a feeling only a mother can tell. It is like love at first sight, some may think it isn’t real, but how can you explain this? It is a unique bond. This connection is not biological, it is one that is developed. It begins by that first look, and then it is created throughout the years, day by day. An example of an artificial bond is the one experienced by Saul and David. For them it was as if something was missing in their lives. They were in need to find the peace within them, mostly Saul, who had been abandoned by LORD. As follows, “And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.” ( Samuel 1, 16:21), it is logical and majestic their straight affinity. Then particularly an adoption, they don’t know each other, Saul needs someone to withstand and rely on, and David looks for more, and when they meet… BAM! Love! A miraculous, unique, and systematic union.

“They Were Fallen By The Sword”

The king of Israel, Saul, after going into war with the Amalekites, has lost his son, but above all, his beloved crown, and ultimately his life. His dear friend, David, mourned for his death, I might say, his companion of a journey beyond all reigns. What was to be lost, was gone without a trail. The worse of all was that Saul believed his life was less than his crown, and he gave it up for the further penalty of a victorious failure. Living without a crown meant dishonor, destitution, a feeling that not any king could overtake, he had by himself to accept his own punishment. By loosing a war, Saul had lost his prestige, which was something he couldn’t stand. This then was threatening, therefore meant that his only way out was his own death. Apparently, we think alike in terms of the dignity we have left, because when being enemies, the Amalekite then was forced to a crime he thought was naïve, only to serve the petitions of a king which was misled by lack of power. Then, in Saul’s words, “Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me.” (Samuel 2, 1:9), his misfortune is seen.

A common misfortune, that is simply not planned, not expected, not destined, not controlled, known as suffering a terminal disease. The adverse person definitely has a troubling choice. To live or not to live? Their live is in their hands, no choice but the one they take, no further notice. Euthanasia is what I’m talking about. Yes, that unique path to overcome, the final lesson to some, the final challenge to solve. There is something so unjust about getting into this “step” of life, is it karma? Is it by random choice? Does God influence? For me it is just not right…WHY? Saul had his own Euthanasia, one that only he could understand. It is a matter of wanting, of believing, fateful choices that by themselves stand alone, this means they are the only ones left to living. It is always said that everything happens for a reason…how can this statement apply if a fulfilling life ends without exceptions? The only way personally to say what would you do if you were in such situation, is being there, living each moment of it. The mistakes and overtakes, maybe at last a happy ending. We are given a trial that without a doubt is obvious, but still not exposed. When the Amalekite man says, “…because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen…” (Samuel 2, 1:10), he takes a decision so obvious for him, but so blinded for Saul, that all we do is open his eyes, mislead that broken path. At the end misfortune regrets its own destiny.

Adjust The Power

God is God for being the greatest of all, the almighty, the transcendental force of knowledge. Knowledge, the main difference between the LORD and mankind, well, is how knowledge itself is able to distribute the judgment among the community that stands by itself. But is this community the one in a constant conflict between their believes and the wisdom above all? YES. Of course, God and its seekers revolve around one idea, which explains thoroughly the behavior when people judge God.

For example, in the movie Bruce Almighty we can say is an adaptation of the way God is shown in Exodus, the way he as a ruler is able to manage the situations involving power, when people overrule him. This is a constant friction between us humans and him, as the maximum exponent of authority over us. Our relationship with the LORD is a balance of weight, when he feels greater we encourage the power (suppose to be our duty in the first place for us the followers of religion), and when we feel greater God’s job is to remove that feeling. It is a vicious circle.

“Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing where in they dealt proudly he was above them.” (Exodus18:11), here is implied how God is magnified by his followers. God is an interpretation, we are not even sure if he is real, we only stand there in cause of our faith. This is probably why in modern times all we have is each person’s opinion about this image that overcomes any other. One well known representation of God is then in Bruce Almighty. God is seen as one disguised between the people. He figures (as part as his job), to help one of his own, since the only way to help the whole is going little by little. Bruce then is given God’s power, which obviously having God’s powers is being greater, but a difference about this certain movie is how at the end, is not this way, if God is really there this means, his powers are diminished, or sometimes overrated.

Who's the boss?

How do we create a hero? Everybody has their own role model, or hero, or simply a world wide superman. For example we constantly relate our hero to the person we are closest to, or know the most, usually parents which become our idols. We probably admire famous characters because their life is exposed to the entire world, we think we know them and imitate them. So if our life would be displayed it would be there for anyone to take as their own guide, what I’m saying is that anybody can be a hero. How would you then identify a hero? Your biggest admiration, the person you can look up to, a future prospect and an influence for any decision. When you admire you give power to that one person, but is this power always granted?

The power taken by God is always granted, our faith equals his power. But the misuse of power is the main issue of a true hero. We can identify this in the constant encounters of power versus power, I mean, between God and Pharaoh. This situation unleashed one of the first disagreements between a nation and its leader, between Hebrews and the Pharaoh. Actually, Hebrew were repressed by the power of his ruler, they served him, for his own benefit. Corruption? I think so, it’s just a way to manipulate his control over what is already done. The pharaoh was seeking what was right for him, not what was right for his nation (which is not what he was supposed to do). This is the pure example of power. Exactly what the image of God reflects. Then this constant divergence shows how humans want more than what god destined them to have, yes…ambition, which in the first place is the cause of corruption.

Moses is the first true hero expressed in the bible. He is the savior of the Israelites in their constant conflicts with the Pharaoh and God. We can say that Moses is God’s representative to the people, he interferes to help his nation against the oppression of the Pharaoh while God intervenes. Then the relationship ends up being: God recurrently argues with Moses, while Moses helps the people who are limited by the Pharaoh. But is commitment the key to this relationship?

Up the Mountain Moses

We need to see to believe, is a constant reminder of what we do every day. The sight is tricky, and the mind plays with our believes, is an unusual thing in the human nature. But why­? Is how we are made. This takes me to the story I will tell, a story of proves and faith. “I AM THAT I AM”, five words used by LORD to convince Moses of being his messenger, five words that helped Moses to recover the faith of a lost nation. Egypt had been forgotten, misplaced by their conviction, one they left behind when mentioned GOD. Their Pharaoh had been a repressor, one who seeks to get all to his benefit from his people. When Moses went up that mountain he was as any other, the only difference is that he reached for help. Being God and seeing such desperate times he gave his hand, commanded his follower to help. All Moses could think was that the oppressed would again respond with disbelieve, in his words they would say, “What is his name? what shall I say unto them?” (Exodus 3:13), and all he would had was what he saw. It is funny how ironic this is being faith a believe to see interpretation about life, no prove to what is guided by god, here expressed as see to believe, more scientific.

Anyway, Moses saw that they wouldn’t believe him until they saw all he had, God’s response was simply “I AM THAT I AM”, which may imply how God is a mystery and that is just what he is. On the other hand the visual prove he provides is the cane turned into a serpent. The nation doesn’t have a choice but to believe after the miracles Moses gave them. How can the bible turn religion scientific and switch back to straight faith? An inexplicable answer about moderate contradiction. What I understand is that the old testament is the historical part according to religion, and the new testament faith and acknowledgements.

An Injust Lord

It is always important to know the facts before the actions. The story shown in Genesis 12 proves my point. Abram was blessed by Lord after blessing others, he received back everything he gave, and deserved a woman in his life. Lord said to search his wife in Egypt, after blessing this land, therefore a foreign land to him. The blessing then was brought to him, a wife for life. To be able to survive in this unfamiliar country, he disguised himself and his new braid as siblings. She was Egyptian, and he was Hebrew, being from two different nations or cultures was mostly prohibited. Unfortunately the Pharaoh took Abram’s wife, upon knowing he was her sister. Lord had said, “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3), all in protection of Abram who was just going were his religion demanded him. Then Lord had to punish the Pharaoh, but for an action the Pharaoh wasn’t aware of knowing. The pharaoh proves his innocence by asking Abram why he had received such plagues. Abram is able to trust that nothing is to happen to him, and he tells the truth. Knowing this assured Abram the blessing from Lord. In my opinion an injustice story…How come lying comes to be rewarded, and innocence punished?

Recline of the Divine

White skies, green lines
Under mountains were we recline,
Separated and mutually fond,
The last touch kept undone.

More than aware not to fall,
Felt the rejoice before it broke,
The divine and the one soul
Committed in stroke,
Over leaf, over sun
Leaping away, ready to run.

Resting over earth,
Drift as in the air
Much like a rebirth,
Although carried with despair
Notice it's ignored,
The miracle explored.

Mark the Meter

The vile/ cushions/ above/ the air
Weeping/ the death/ of the sun,
The streets/ resting/ full of /despair
Shooting/ his tears/ with a gun,
Hit by/ bullets/, crying/ in pain
Walking/ alone/ beneath/ the rain

Genesis

Honesty vs. Hipocrites

“Those who know not how to dissimulate, know not how to rule.” (Tacitus, pg.6)

Hypocrisy is often reached by ourselves in our social groups, as well as European rulers of the middle ages. The disputes expose this hypocrisy between the Scottish king James Stuart and his enemies. When I talk about disputes, I should pause there, since arguments led to changes. Arguments affected not only the king but the aristocrats, the lack of natural allies proves that. This is the main difference between the Scotland crown and the rest European crowns. Changes then were developed by disagreements and their interests. Hypocrisy then became their main interest as said, “To survive in this net of hostility, James had been forced to compromise and dissemble, to become cunning and to lie.” (pg. 6). In other words James was forced to wear another personality for him as a king to be able to move on. This was reflected in the weakness of the crown, which also was fed upon aristocrats disparities (social, political, religious, and economical). The country gave weight on its government and the government then turned to its people, who made the crown rely on its only opportunity, faith.

The king’s task became being God’s lieutenant, the same task that popes had, but with different interests. Now, the king had to deal with both the crown interests and the nobles’ issues. James reveals two faces, one for himself and another to the rest. This is plain hypocrisy, as the one compared to ourselves. Honestly, we live in a hypocrite society, one in which what we say is different from what we think. We even are hypocrite without thinking, we criticize and lie without knowing, it becomes one of those unconscious actions. Hypocrisy destroys, is part of what we know as social suicide. We by providing different faces forget honesty, an unconceivable value, one only remembered when needed.

Spell and Check

Corrected:
In dealing with students on the high-school level - that is, the second, third, and fourth year of high school - we must bear in mind that to some degree they are at a difficult psychological stage, generally called adolescence. Students at this level are likely to be confused mentally, to be subject to involuntary distractions and romantic dreaminess. They are basically timid or self-conscious, they lack frankness and are usually very sensitive but hate to admit it. They are motivated either by great ambition, probably out of all proportion to their capabilities, or by extreme laziness caused by the fear of not succeeding or attaining their objectives. Fundamentally they want to be kept busy but they refuse to admit it. They are frequently the victims of earlier poor training, and this makes every effort doubly hard. They are usually willing to work, but they hate to work without obtaining the results they think they should obtain. Their critical faculties are beginning to develop and they are critical of their instructors and of the materials they are given to learn. They are beginning to feel the pressure of time; and although they seldom say so, they really want to be consulted and given an opportunity to direct their own affairs, but they need considerable guidance.

Score: 201/215

Incorrect Words: physiological psycological phsychological bare

Use of Hints: psychological (13 times!)