Churchill: Speaker of the Century

"Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat"
Winston Churchill

When Winston Churchill addressed the Parliament as the newly elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, a speech of such eloquence was one that surely got the wheels going for Mr. Churchill's eight year term as Prime Minister. Analyzing this speech through the SOAPS-T method, one understands why this speech and Churchill's similar speeches were so powerful and inspirational for the British people. Starting with subject, Churchill focuses on the upcoming battle against Nazi Germany, and the necessary government unity and support that such a fight would require. The occasion is May 1940, in the House of Commons of Parliament of the United Kingdom. The audience is a room full of elected officials, the forefront of representative democracy in England, with many supporters and many skeptics of the speaker before them. The purpose of the speaker is to inform, to inspire, to unite, and to instill passion among the government of England. The speaker is a newly elected Prime Minister, faced with the obstacles of not only forming a new government but creating one that will effectively defeat Germany. Winston Churchill's tone is confident and assuring, but most importantly it is progressive. Lines like "A War Cabinet has been formed...representing the unity of the nation" and "victory, victory at all costs" all make Churchill sound confident, assuring, and progressive. His tone, along with his automatic ethos and diction convey a message so strong and riveting that even practiced politicians felt like doing something.

Mubarak Released into House Arrest

"Mubarak To Be Placed Under House Arrest After Release

By: Matt Bradley and Tamer El-Ghobashi

Source: Wall Street Journal

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324165204579026572361918800.html?mod=WSJ_0_0_WZ_0_0336_RIGHTTopCarousel_1

Former Egyptian President (dictator) Muhammad Hosni El Sayed Mubarak was released from jail, because the courts found no legal evidence to keep him. However, he will be kept under house arrest due to the scheduled trial date for other charges soon to come. After eighteen days of protest, Hosni Mubarak stepped down on February 11, 2011. It was on April 13, 2011 that Mubarak and his two sons were ordered to stay in the country and face multiple charges, ranging from premeditated murder to abuse of power. The trial ran from May 2011 to January 2012. In June, 2012 Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison, being found guilty of not putting a stop to killing innocent protesters. Due to many personal financial and political assets, the system of Egyptian courts, and his top-notch legal team he appealed his case in January 2013. On August 21, the judge handling his case ruled that the petition presented by the defense team was upheld, and Mr. Mubarak was to be released from jail but kept in custody. He is awaiting a retrial, in order to overturn the previous conviction of guilty. Mubarak's defense strategy in the original trial was claiming his resignation was no official so he was immune; Mubarak claimed he was still President of Egypt.

This article describes a delicate situation. This former symbol of undemocratic power and corruption and abuse of power (yes, that was a polsyndeton) has been released from jail after serving only months of a life sentence. Egyptian citizens who are already protesting or supporting ousted President Mohamed Morsi all agree that Mubarak is evil. He symbolizes all that is wrong with the governing of a people once so advanced that instigated the first technological and industrial revolution. Mubarak's release from jail, legal or not, was followed by more protests in Tahiri Square and throughout Cairo. 

The commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5HLsvwLPpQ

This commercial is an ad used for the DSTV television company and provider. It starts off with two traditional Indian families meeting to marry off their children in an arranged marriage. After the bride to be disapproves, she uses her remote control to switch between different grooms, anywhere from a Indian Elvis to a cool biker, demonstrating how important and good choice is, specifically in the channels you watch. Using SOAPS-T to analyze this advertisement helps in dissecting it and understanding it more clearly. The subject is the kind of man this girl wants to spend her life with,. The occasion however is the meeting of the the bride and groom to be. The audience is anyone flipping through the channels, but considering DSTV is an African based company and caters to mostly African nations, then English-speaking Africans are the target audience. The purpose of this ad is to get more people to switch to DSTV as their entertainment provider. The speaker is unclear to me, but I guess it is DSTV satellite company. The tone of this ad is very relaxed, traditional, and funny. The ethical appeal in this commercial is the traditional clothing and the important of choice. The logical appeal ceases to exist, except for when it shows an example of choice ( the grooms). The emotional appeal is again the choice, making people feel that if they support choice they support this provider. This advertisement is not effective because it does not give any incentive for a commoner to switch his plan, except for the large array of choices there is no positive factor that would come into play. Financial and cost differences, quality assurance, and good customer service are all points the company could have used to make them more appealing.

1984- genius in 266 pages

George Orwell wrote 1984 in the middle of the twentieth century. It is about a society (today dubbed an Orwellian society) in which the government has utmost and total control over its citizens. Big Brother uses his influence through propaganda and force to get what he wants, every time. This world in which the protagonist, Winston Smith lives in, is constantly at war, and even the slightest hint of rebellion is shut down. The Ministry of Truth, the Ministry of Love, the Ministry of Plenty, and the Ministry of Peace all work together to make up the government of Oceania. There is a telescreen everywhere, allowing the government to keep an eye on its people. This book is great because it reminds of how our everyday advancements in technology, the constant dumbing down of the everyday citizen, and the policies along with the legislation passed by government is shaping our society more and more to that of 1984. This book is also very well written, and the ending is one of the best endings imaginable. It just shows how the elite's agenda can influence the globe in such a large way. Anyone who wants a book that they cannot put down and would like to see a glimpse of our world fifty to two hundred years down the road should check this book out. And always remember, BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU!