Are the Government in Northern Ireland doing enough to promote green Essay

Are the Government in Northern Ireland doing enough to promote green design and technology to home owner's carrying out domest - Essay Example The authorities that monitor the construction sector in Northern Ireland have published a series of rules referring to the standards applied on buildings, which are constructed or renovated using green design. These issues are analytically discussed below; emphasis is given on the avoidance of the government to provide specific incentives to homeowners for using green design technology. It is proved that the government of Northern Ireland has the willingness to promote the green design and the green building; however, its relevant initiatives often fail to meet the above target because of one of the following reasons: a) they are not completed successfully, or b) they are not made known to the people who are not aware that specific practices need to be introduced in domestic renovation works. Indeed, it has been proved that people in Northern Ireland are not appropriately informed on their country’s initiatives and rules in regard to the green design and the green building. Th e target on which the country’s government should focus is not just the increase of the volume of its legislative work – referring especially to green design and green building – but also on the improvement of its communication with the people. 1. Driving factors behind the government’s strategic position in relation to encouraging green design. The government of Northern Ireland has been actively involved in efforts for promoting sustainability and green design – being influenced rather from the relevant practices of the UK government. As for the characteristics of the government’s position towards the green design and the green building, these can be identified – among other activities and statements, as analyzed in the sections that follow – in the proposals of the members of the government for the update of the Building Regulations – so that ‘the use of renewable energy to become compulsory in all new builds fr om 2008’ (Mongabay 2006). The initiatives of the government of Northern Ireland for the promotion of green design have been emerged – among other reasons - because of the increase of global warming and the need for saving energy in households across the country. This need is highlighted in a report published in 2007; in the specific report it is noted that ‘Green Party Irish government ministers’ (BBC News, 2007) highlighted the need for the establishment of ‘an element of renewable energy such as solar power or biomass heating’ (BBC News, 2007) in homes across Ireland. The above proposal has been one of the various activities developed by the Irish government in regard to the promotion of green design and green technology; it must be noted here though that the relevant projects are often influenced by the British green design – which is, in any case, based on the rules of sustainability. The activities of the government of Northern Ire land in the particular sector, i.e. the promotion of green design and green technology, are presented below. As for the driving factors of these initiatives, these could be described as follows: a) the need for aligning the national policies with the similar policies of other countries worldwide; b) the need for reducing the energy consumed by households across the country; the green design and the green technology can provide a major part (about the 2/3) of the daily energy needs of a household –

Zara Case Study Essay Example for Free

Zara Case Study Essay First of all, Zara is the flagship brand of the Spanish retail group, Inditex SA, owned by the Spanish Amancio Ortega Gaona. Ortega started his career in the fashion design field, developing his own designs, hitting upon the base-formula of his Group: reproducing popular fashions using less expensive materials in order to sell high-demand clothing items at lower prices. From manufacturing, Ortega soon turned to retail and opened his first and most successful retail store ZARA in 1975 in A Coruna, Spain, where the Inditex Group is headquartered. Once the new Ortega’s retail format, started to be well received by the public, Zara, and the Inditex Group in general, expanded and opened new stores, first all around the Spain, and then all around the world: in 1988 Zara opened its first store abroad, in Portugal. Zara is now present in 72 countries, with more than 1500 Zara stores worldwide. Its vertically integrated structure, where design, production, distribution and retailing are integrated, makes Zara a unique and particular example of successful retail company. Zara’s direct competition may be its largest threat, due to their wide range of merchandise categories. However, with its unique and innovative strategy, Zara has a competitive advantage on traditional retailers in the apparel industry. Zara’s principal competitors are: Arcadia Group, The Gap Inc. , Hennes Mauritz (HM), Benetton Group S. p. a. , Vivarte, Gruppo Coin S. p. a. , Kiabi S. A. , La Redoute, Charles Vogele Holding AG, Mango S. A. Zara clothing has two basic product divisions: Men’s and Women’s apparel. Zara’s catalogue includes also children’s and for teen-ager’s clothing (Zara TRF) as well. Zara offers more products and it offers them more often than similar companies: about 12000 designs introduced every year, with a shelf life of about 4 weeks, compared with 2000-4000 items of its competitors. Three are the winning formulae that Zara use to reach these results: Short supply chain lead times : Zara can quickly indentify the prevalent and winning fashion trend of the moment, in order to quickly produce a response in terms of new style within 2-4 weeks. Lower quantities (in each style): reducing the quantities manufactured in each style and changing the styles every week, people do not postpone the purchase of an item, because they know that it would not be available later. More styles: instead of more quantities per style; even if a style sells out quickly, there are new styles already ready to replace the older ones. Zara merchandising strategy eschew every collaboration with big name designers and multimillion-dollar advertising campaigns: Zara focuses instead in choosing highly visible and premium locations for its stores, that are given priority in their interior and exterior design. â€Å"Today, many companies are looking to Zara as the new industry standard for how to run a retail business, which shows that Zara’s business model is becoming the wave of the future†.

The Summa Teologica By Thomas Essay -- essays research papers

The Summa Theologica by Thomas Aquinas  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Born in Italy, Thomas Aquinas was one of the most educated men of his time. Aquinas, whose family were noble, was educated as a monk and later continued his education at the University of Naples followed by the University of Paris where he studied the ancient Greek thought of Aristotle. Educated in both philosophy and theology,Aquinas is thought to be one of the most important philosophers of Catholicism. One ofAquinas's most influential writings is the Summa Theologica. In this document, Aquinas clarifies four questions concerning the Church: Whether it can be demonstrated t Godexist? Whether it is always sinfuhatl to wage war? Whether it is lawful for Clerics and Bishops to fight? And whether it is lawful to fight on holy days? He answers each question thoroughly but indecisively; however, when he answers the second question it seems his conclusion have been manipulated in ways that can benefit the church without making them look double sided with their teachings. The second question is: Whether it is always sinful to wage war? In this question Aquinas states in his objection (1), 'It would seem that it is always sinful to wage war because punishment is not inflicted except for sin. Now those who wage war are threatened by our Lord with punishment; therefore, all wars are unlawful.'; (172) However, he justifies the act of war by giving three necessities. The first he mentions is only an au...

Discuss the view that Tony Lumpkin is nothing more than a comic country bumpkin

Traditionally the pastoral genre celebrates the virtues of simple, unsophisticated life far from the city or court, in which the population is stereotyped as unintelligent and fatuitous. Tony is characterised as jovial and carefree through language and form. He is uninhibited and is interested in ‘fun going forward’ without being diverted by any sense of commitment, ‘mother, I cannot stay’, which mirrors the unpredictability of nature and country. Through characterisation, Goldsmith uses Tony’s character as a symbol for the simple, idyllic country life where drinking, enjoyment and singing are paramount. Although Goldsmith challenges this stereotype of the rural population through the character of Tony throughout She Stoops to Conquer and subsequently illuminates the theme of opinion vs. reality. Goldsmith’s nominalisation of Tony Lumpkin initially presents his character as stereotypic of a simple country dweller. ‘Lumpkin’ could be a subtle indication of Tony’s figure. Lump’ suggests that Tony is a stout man, which reflects his uninhibited lifestyle lead in the country; relaxing and singing songs in the Three Pigeons, ‘toroddle, toroddle, toroll’. This mirrors Third Century idealised pastoral life in which shepherds and shepherdesses enjoyed a life of blissful ease, thus presenting Tony as an unsophisticated character who lacks the refinement of a man of the town ‘br ed a scholar’. Moreover, Lumpkin is similar to the word ‘bumpkin’ which is a derogatory term for a simple rustic, further implying Tony’s lack of grace. Goldsmith enhances this depiction of Tony’s carefree lifestyle through the setting of the alehouse. ‘Several shabby fellows’ are identified in this setting which reflects the lower social class facet of society which Tony associates with, the adjective ‘shabby’ suggests that this is a relatively impoverished group of local country dwellers who, like Tony, are content with drinking ‘punch’ and smoking ‘tobacco’. The song sung in said alehouse by Tony perpetuates the fact that he lives the unprosperous life of a country bumpkin. The words ‘nonsense’ and ‘learning’ are juxtaposed in the lyrics to show Tony is uninterested in education, and furthermore that he is a lazy and unambitious character; which is how country folk are presented to behave in the pastoral genre. Nonetheless, Goldsmith establishes Tony’s character as much more than this, as he is able to deceive the town folk into believing Hardcastle’s home is ‘an inn. ’ Tony’s deception is also rather profound as he diverts Marlow and Hastings from the ‘long, dark, boggy’ road which they intended to travel. The numerous adjectives listed shows Tony as a rather manipulative character with more intelligence than was first shown, which is an anti-pastoral presentation of Tony considering country folk were thought to be kind and welcoming. Through this Goldsmith challenges the stereotypes of the country, as Tony, a supposed country bumpkin is able to mislead the town folk with supposed ‘excellent understanding’. This farce encompasses the themes of appearances and stereotypes into the plot and undermines the simplicity of Tony’s character. Goldsmith parallels Tony with the servants and doric characters like Diggory, which the country hosts. The poor grammar of Diggory, ‘parfectly unpossible’, shows his low levels of intellect; supposedly as a result of rustic life. Goldsmith uses Tony’s language and dialect to show his similarly plain and simple life in the country. Goldsmith incorporates malapropisms into Tony’s speech which shows his limited intellect. He frequently confuses ‘genius’ with ‘genus’, which creates a humorous irony since the very word he is using incorrectly, he has used to describe himself, shown through the personal pronoun ‘my genus. ’ This creates comedy as well as reflecting to the audience Tony’s simplicity. Furthermore, Goldsmith utilises the word ‘ecod’ in Tony’s speech, which was 18th century jargon used to express mild surprise, meaning ‘oh God. ’ However Tony’s speech often encompasses this word even in situations which are not surprising or exciting, this suggests that Tony’s life in the country is lacking vivacity and therefore he must find excitement in the most sullen situations, which seldom occupy the life of a ‘bumpkin’. However, Tony often provides witty remarks which entertain the audience but also contradict the interpretation that Tony is just a ‘bumpkin. When acting as witness for the theft of Mrs Hardcastle’s ‘bobs’, Tony says ‘I’ll say I saw them taken out with my own eyes’, which is comically ironic since he ‘got them’ himself and therefore actually did see them ‘taken out’. The dramatic irony of the situation relays to the audience the c omedy and wit of Tony’s conversation. Contrarily, Mrs Hardcastle remains ignorant to the whole ruse, contrasting Tony’s aptitude for the situation, which presents him as superior and separate from the ignorance of the other country dwellers. Goldsmith embellishes this subtle superior presentation of Tony through the utilisation of stage directions. At the alehouse Tony is seated ‘a little higher than the rest’, which presents him as having relative authority over the other ‘fellows’. Furthermore, his song creates a harmony within the group and unites the men, which Goldsmith shows through the unanimous ‘hurrah’ said by ‘omnes’; Latin for ‘all’. Both devices present Tony as a figure resembling a shepherd, protective of his flock. Despite the pastoral connotations this presentation of Tony shows him to have relative power and authority, separating him from the other doric characters and thus suggesting he is more than a comic country bumpkin. Alternatively, Vicki Janik describes Tony as â€Å"the most ignorant of the country bumpkins†. Through Mrs Hardcastle, Goldsmith reveals that Tony isn’t well educated, ‘I don’t think a boy wants much learning. ’ Tony’s lack of education and structure in life; indulged by his doting mother, has resulted in his ‘consumptive figure’ and his occasional lack of awareness. Goldsmith highlights Tony’s flawed character through Mrs Hardcastle’s deception of ‘concealing (his) age’ so that he may not claim his inheritance. In fact it is revealed Tony has been of age for ‘three months’, the absurdity of the situation ameliorates the comedy as well as augmenting the stupidity of Tony’s character, since he cannot even track his own age; complimenting Janik’s criticism. Moreover, considering that in Georgian England, most country dwellers were uneducated; Tony is clearly an accurate stereotype of a bumpkin. Tony’s lack of education, ‘the ale-house and the stable are the only schools he’ll ever go to’, also reflect Tony’s limited horizons which means he’s confined to his country life without hope of improvement; this is shown through Goldsmith’s use of ‘only’. Tony’s small scope of existence illuminates the simplicity of his life and that of a bumpkin. However, Goldsmith shows that Tony does have some degree of awareness of his situation, as he asks his mother ‘let me have my fortin’, demonstrating that Tony is not contented with his current finance and wishes to pursue his inheritance. This drama is recurring throughout the play which shows Tony’s determination to become financially independent and ‘be made a fool of no longer’ since currently he is only able to go to ‘the alehouse so often’ because he has ‘a key to every drawer’ of his ‘mother’s bureau’. This suggests that Tony is not merely a country bumpkin since he demonstrates a certain greed more commonly associated with the town with their ‘vanity and affectation’, therefore not all the qualities of his character conform to the stereotype of a country bumpkin. Goldsmith uses a cyclical structure to further highlight how Tony is trapped in his unambitious, mundane life. In the final lines of the play, Goldsmith identifies that Tony is ‘his own man again’, the use of the word ‘again’ reflects the lack of development in Tony’s character, nothing has improved in his country life; which could indicate the stability and continuity of the uncorrupted country or alternatively it could illuminate Tony’s lack of ambition for self-improvement to embellish his simple nature. This presentation of Tony as a simple, undeveloped character reaches a climax at the end of the play as Goldsmith contrasts Tony from the country and Marlow from the town. Through stage directions, ‘joining their hands’, Goldsmith shows that Marlow has been able to overcome his ‘trembling’ when talking to ladies of high society, through his romance with Kate, whereas Tony, as afore mentioned, remains the same suggesting he is a country bumpkin unable to develop due to his indulged rural existence. Nonetheless, Goldsmith presents Tony’s character as having a level of moral complexity through his relationship with his cousin, Constance. Tony refers to Constance as cousin Con, the shortened version of her name acts as endearment and the indication to the familial relationship shows how Tony is caring and ‘a good natured creature at bottom’. Furthermore, Tony helps his cousin retrieve her jewels; which are her ‘fortune’, so she may leave with Hastings. Tony quickly agrees to ‘clap a pair of horses to (their) chaise’, in aid. This generosity demonstrated through the plot to retrieve Constance’s jewels implies that Tony’s character may be more complex than originally believed to be. Similarly, Tony clarifies that he ‘want(s) no nearer relationship’ with his cousin and therefore Tony’s acceptance to ‘assist’ Hastings and his proposal to ‘whip (Constance) off to France’ can be interpreted as a selfish, anti-pastoral act to be rid of Constance. The rural population are seen to be welcoming and sympathetic, rather than narcissistic and under-handed which is how Goldsmith characterises Tony through the nature of this plot, which suggests that Tony is in fact the complete polar opposite of a country bumpkin. Despite the comedic trait of Tony’s character being indisputable, seeing as he is usually at the heart of the farce in this play. Throughout She Stoops to Conquer, Goldsmith clearly opposes the stereotypes of the country folk through the character of Tony Lumpkin. Initially, Tony is seemingly rather plain and peaceful; mimetic of the country, but his character develops throughout the play into a more complicated personality, so much more than a country bumpkin.

Why the Military Should Not Be Deployed on U.S.

There is also a high risk hat the troops themselves can get infected and a high possibility of the disease spreading even more. Lastly there is just not enough funding to send troops out onto our own soil. According to the Tim Make from the deathliest. Com American Soldiers preparing for deployment to West Africa are given just four hours of Bola- related training before leaving to combat the epidemic. Four hours of training is simply not enough time to learn about and understand the disease itself. A team of two can train as many as 50 personnel over that four-hour time frame, SEMIARID told The Daily Beast.If a single school teacher can barley each a class about a subject in math over a time period of a couple weeks how do we expect a team of two to fully teach and help a group of 50 troops to grasp the full concept of the risks of Bola and in that matter any other contagious disease. On The Common Sense Show, Dave Doges explains how President Beam's misguided decision to send 3,00 troops to Liberia to combat Bola virus may have put them all at risk for contracting the deadly disease. If the military were to assist with a pandemic outbreak here on CA. S soil, troops and their families would be at risk at contracting the disease.By doing this the military is no longer solving the problem they are just adding to the problem making the total number of infected people greater. In 191 8 the Spanish flu killed an estimated number of 675,000 Americans and about 20 million worldwide. According to the U. S Department of Health, the reason the death toll was so high in America was because of how many American troops contracted the disease while trying to combat it. Because history repeats itself, we should nit send out U. S troops to assist with an outbreak. Sending troops out would be very costly and would put us in more debt.Just sending out 3,00 troops to West Africa would cost the U. S over 750 million dollars, this is according to the Washington Post. The U. S is a lready 18 trillion dollars in debt and by sending troops out this would put us even further in the whole, something we will never be able to come out from. Money for the military is already being with held and spending money to combat something that will always exist is worthless. By spending money to deploy troops, we are taking away the possibility of buying new and up to date equipment needed to protect against both domestic and foreign invasions.U. S troops should not be given the responsibility of dealing with disease. They are not doctors, nor are they scientists and even with proper training and equipment there will always be a possibility of contracting the disease, which means further contamination of the American population. The military's purpose is to solve domestic and foreign issues that can potentially cause a threat to U. S citizens, not to combat disease. If we deploy troops onto our own soil then troops would be putting Americans lives in danger, which is a contrad iction to their soul purpose.

Public rhetoric creates a society in which truth comes a poor second to propagand Essay Example

Public rhetoric creates a society in which truth comes a poor second to propagand Essay Example Public rhetoric creates a society in which truth comes a poor second to propagand Paper Public rhetoric creates a society in which truth comes a poor second to propagand Paper Essay Topic: History Public Speaking Rhetoric has been defined and analysis in different ways, therefore to study the role of rhetoric in society it is important first to define the term itself. Rhetoric according to the dictionary is the Art of effective or persuasive speech or writing1. Farrell defines rhetoric as the collaborative art of addressing and guiding decision and judgement2 and suggests it is a public language3 for successful cultures. Rhetoric therefore means the art of using language to persuade or influence the human subject. It is usually applied to persuasive attempts directed at an audience, often in some formal or institutional setting.4 Rhetoric plays a huge role in influencing public opinion therefore in order to confront the idea that Public rhetoric creates a society in which truth comes a poor second to propaganda it is important first to outline the meaning of the two terms Truth and Propaganda. The dictionary suggests a broad definition of the word truth: Truth- Quality or state of being true5, this definition however, does not give a substantial enough meaning of the word. Truth is something that you believe to be right, a testing of ideas that are believed to be reliable. This is my own definition of truth, which I believe outlines what truth constitutes of. Jowett and ODonnell define propaganda as means to disseminate or promote particular ideas6 the definition goes further in explaining that Propaganda is the deliberate and systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behaviour to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist7. This definition of propaganda focuses on the communicative process and most specifically the purpose of the process, the purpose being to send out an ideology to an audience with a related objective. My own perception of propaganda, in its most neutral sense, is that propaganda is a set of ideas put out politically. This essay will consider the way in which public rhetoric can be used for persuasive purposes. Political speech/es and movie speeches will form the basis of my analysis. Talk is often called a speech event. A speech which urges the audience to do, say, feel, or think something8 A speech event is orientated to achieving goals predicated on the existence of an audience and is described by the linguist Hymes as an occurrence of speech within a larger context.9 Political speeches operate within this context. When a speech event takes place it is important to note that what is said is governed by the intention of the speakers within a given context, (both the immediate situation and the wider social context), as well as by the available discourses in the language and the situation in particular. The discourse used will consist of a particular form and content, taken from a set of available discourses. In Tony Blairs speech (July 17,2003) he addresses the U.S Congress in accepting the Congressional Gold Medal. The speech is given in a formal setting. Blair as a leader has authority and his authority is acknowledged by his followers or sub-ordinates, this assembly of such individuals create the appropriate conditions of speech making, however, Blair is not only addressing these individuals but also the electronic public sphere, so his speech becomes for public consumption. The speech opens with a direct address to Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President (and the) honorable members of Congress. The audiences both locally present and listening to the broadcast are also being addressed in this speech. The prime minister first shows respect for the status of the distinguished individuals, then later cleverly reduces them all to the common level of citizens of the great republic making them all seem equal. We were all reared on battles between great warriors, between great nations, between powerful forces and ideologies that dominated entire continents. Immediate uses of rhetorical devices are evident in this statement. Here we witness, the employment of the inclusive we along with the repetition of the word between to emphasise his points. The use of the personal pronoun we attempts to position the audience, the idea being that this type of address attempts to represent the interests and opinions of Blair and audience as identical. Public speaking attempts to position its audience (Atkinson, 1984) Therefore there is a strong link between language and power, what is being said is related to Blairs power as Prime Minister. Blair affiliates himself with his primary audience the U.S Congress aswell his secondary audience the public. Within the first few lines of the speech we see the uses of antithetic parallelism. The first antithesis is in a notbut structure. by showing them (service men and women) and their families that they did not strive or die in vain, but that through their sacrifice future generations can live in greater peace, prosperity and hope. Here we witness assertion, an example of contrast or juxtaposition and an affiliation with the public expressed with the use of families. All writing and texts make references to the world that we know and Blair too does this in his speech: Through the troubled times since September 11th changed our world, we have been allies and friends September 11 was not an isolated event, but a tragic prologue From this statement we get reference to the accepted existence of certain events. All writing or text depends on pre-existing themes to make its point. (Barker, 1989) Blair later addresses themes about terrorism. The Prime-Minister voices his opinions openly and is interested in colloquial language, sympathetic circularity and the habit of speaking from experience. He presents himself as a reasonably ordinary person and talks about his son. Actually, you know, my middle son was studying 18th century history and the American war of Independence Here we witness, the use of colloquial language you know and yet another form of identification with the public. The lexis of the speech comes from everyday speech, there are no specialists or obscure terms and most sentences are simple structurally, this therefore allows an easier understanding in the audience. He then goes on to talk about belief: In the end it is not our power alone that will defeat this evil. Our ultimate weapon is not our guns, but our beliefs Belief is a firm conviction in the existence or rightness of something, however this differs from position. The belief of a politician and the expression of that belief differentiate greatly. What Blair says is not necessarily what he believes. However, all politicians are aware that they have to act in a particular context bearing in mind the welfare and well being of an audience. All social actors have goals, make moves, take turns, employ tactics and work out strategies (Nofsinger, 1991) He continues: There is a myth that though we love freedom, others dont; that our attachment to freedom is a product of our culture; that freedom, democracy, human rights, the rule of law are American values, or Western values; that afghan women were content under the lash of the Taliban; that Saddam was somehow beloved by his people; that Milosevic was Serbias savior The key word here is freedom. Freedom can be economical, cultural or political, in this sense he talks about Freedom for all, not just for those in a western society. Ours are not western values; they are the universal values of human spirit. And anywhereAnywhere, anytime ordinary people are given the chance to choose, the choice is the same: freedom, not tyranny; democracy, not dictatorship; the rule of law; not the rule of the secret police. Here he presents a series of oppositions and makes use of contrast to put his point across. His points consist of a three part list and include the repetition of anywhere emphasizing the idea that freedom is a universal value and can be present anywhere in the world. He uses further parallelisms to get his point across: The spread of freedom is the best security for the free. It is our last line of defense and our first line of attack. And just as the terrorist seeks to divide humanity in hate, so we have to unify it around an idea. And that idea is liberty. In other words, in oppositional terms, the terrorists attack and divide and the allies (Britain and America) defend and unify. This could be described as what Jowett and ODonnell call White propaganda. White propaganda is when the source is identified correctly and the information in the message tends to be accurateAlthough what listeners hear is reasonably close to the truth, it is presented in the manner that attempts to convince the audience that the sender is the good guy with the best ideas and political ideology.10 Each speaker has a purpose; Blair for example, has the purpose of increasing the morale of the British and American people after or throughout the war on terror. Politicians have a tendency to use the word freedom vastly in the public arena, both in speeches and party election broadcasts. Blairs speech is built around a tired clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½- the importance of freedom, the need for it, how other cherished values depend on it and how it will triumph. This is his way of justifying the war in Iraq. He concludes his talk on freedom with the words of Abraham Lincoln: We must find the strength to fight for this idea and the compassion to make it universal. Abraham Lincoln said Those that deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves and it is this sense of justice that makes moral love a liberty The speech is bombarded with references to freedom and being free. Rhetorical questions, assertions, three part lists and contrast and juxtaposition are present throughout the speech till its end, and these are all common features of public rhetoric. Some of the most famous examples of public rhetoric have been produced by military leaders preparing troops for battle. These speeches, both real and fictitious, usually demonstrate the great motivating power of what Aristotle calls pathos. Pathos (emotional proof) is the feeling the speech draws from the hearers. In the film Braveheart (1995) the scene in which William Wallace addresses the Scottish Army at Stirling provides such a speech. Wallace establishes his credentials and introduces himself. He then goes on to address the idea of freedom: You have come to fight as free men, and free men you are. What would you do without freedom, will you fight? He uses the personal pronoun you to address the whole collective. The basic difference between Blairs speech and Wallaces speech is that Blair talks about making freedom a universal theme as many countries do not have it. Wallace speaks of freedom in a patriotic manner. They may take our lives, but theyll never take our freedom. In this context, the soldiers answer back and have the right to speak-one of the key concepts of freedom. In a political context, only the speaker expresses his beliefs and ideas and the audience is positioned in a way to accept these beliefs and ideas imposed on them. The movie scene in which General Maximus Meridius addresses Caesar Commodus in the film Gladiator (2000) provides another example of Rhetoric in movie speeches. My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, Commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius, father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife, and I will have my vengeance in this life-or the next11 The speech begins with a formal mode of address; he introduces himself and creates an assertion. He then goes on to assert his authority, Commander; General; loyal servant; Father and Husband are all terms or names linked with authority. The second, third and fourth assertion consist of a three part list reiterating his authority, however his fifth, sixth and seventh assertions express an undesired state of affairs. His wife and child have been murdered and he wants his revenge. In this short address a narrative is established, which consists of a storyline used by the storyteller. The themes which emerge most clearly in the course of the narrative concern masculinity, power, heroism and the nature of group leadership. Narrative should not be seen as simply a fictional practice, as human beings report everyday events and encounters in the form of narrative. Central to the study of rhetoric is the audience. Responses to persuasion Conclusion/s In addressing the idea that Public rhetoric creates a society in which truth comes a poor second to propaganda I conclude that public rhetoric has both a positive and negative condition to it in society. In Blairs speech there is a sincere concern for the welfare of the audience. Certain ideas and messages are selected by him and imposed on the audience, this does, therefore mean that the selection of this information is biased as he chooses what to tell the audience and what to keep from them, however Blair does not use rhetoric in a negative, manipulative or dishonest way, he simply uses persuasive techniques to get his point across. In his Nichomachean Ethics, Aristotle, with regard to persuasion indicated that a crafty person could artfully manipulate the instruments of rhetoric for either honest or dishonest terms. Depending upon which end is desired, the use of rhetorical devices is judged accordingly: ifthe aim be good, the cleverness is praiseworthy; but if it be bad, it becomes craft.12 A speaker faced with having to articulate a message on a public platform e.g. Tony Blair with the knowledge that it would gain a wider circulation, would perhaps be more circumspect in his subject matter or address. More Importantly, Blair might frame the message using a rhetorical construction as I have shown. Propaganda is a form of communication that is different from persuasion because it attempts to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist. Blairs message is not that of propaganda. To identify as message as propaganda is to suggest something negative and dishonest, words frequently used as synonyms for propaganda are lies, distortion, deceit, manipulation and brainwashing. Many of these synonyms are suggestive of techniques of message production rather than purpose or process. Blairs purpose is to keep the interests and well being of the public audience at heart, he does not lie or distort information, however he may hide the truth from us in places are he believes it is for the best. No audience, no matter how perverse in its own needs, will put up with hearing that they are being manipulated and used to fulfill anothers selfish needs. Thus the propagandist cannot reveal the true intent of the message. 13 However, as Althusser argues the media are ideological state apparatus; they produce meanings in the audience. The voice of the author in a novel, speech, advertisement or television program guides us through, the text or story; therefore it is not necessarily true as we as readers are not allowed to align ourselves with a particular character, person, and situation. In Blairs speech, what you see on the surface does not necessarily tell you about the truth of the world. There are structures that you cant see for example, the economic status, political status or public relations between classes and races. We are colored by dominant ideology which influences our beliefs and ideas; so on the other hand, manipulation can be seen as an instrument of ideology. In comparison to Blairs speech, the speeches in the examples given, although fictitious, rhetoric is used in a positive retrospect as both characters do not try to manipulate their audiences but try to persuade them.

The Case of the Misplaced Modifier

The Case of the Misplaced Modifier The Case of the Misplaced Modifier The Case of the Misplaced Modifier By Carla Lowe As a freelance editor and proofreader, the misplaced or dangling modifier is a common writing error I see. That sentence should have made you cringe, or at least confused. It introduces an all-too-frequent grammatical problem found in writing: misplaced and dangling modifiers. First, what’s a modifier? A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that â€Å"modifies† (says something about, describes, clarifies, qualifies, limits) another word, phrase, or clause. Modifiers are either adjectival (modifying nouns or pronouns) or adverbial (modifying verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs). The challenge with modifiers lies in knowing where to place them. A misplaced modifier can create confusion and drastically alter the meaning of a sentence because it appears to modify the wrong thing. Misplaced Words Many single-word modifiers are often misplaced; these include only, almost, just, even, merely, hardly, and nearly, for example. Consider how the meaning of the following sentence changes, depending on where you place the word only: Only Susie gave $20 at the fundraiser. (No one else but Susie gave $20.) Susie only gave $20 at the fundraiser. (The only thing Susie did was give $20.) Susie gave only $20 at the fundraiser. (Susie didn’t give any more than $20.) Susie gave $20 at the only fundraiser. (Susie gave $20 at the only available fundraiser.) Susie gave $20 at the fundraiser only. (Susie didn’t give $20 anywhere else.) One trick to help you avoid misplacing these types of modifiers is to place the modifier next to (or near) the word/words it modifies. For the above sentence, if you want only to modify $20, then use the third example. Misplaced Phrases/Clauses Phrases and clauses are also regularly misplaced in writing. Examples: My husband asked me if we might consider having another baby during our friends’ baby shower. (implies that the husband wants to have a baby during the shower) I found a new scratching post for my cat, which was on clearance at the pet store. (implies that the cat was on clearance) To correct these sentences, place the modifying phrase/clause closer to the word/words it modifies: During our friends’ baby shower, my husband asked me if we might consider having another baby. I found a new scratching post, which was on clearance at the pet store, for my cat. Dangling Modifiers A pet peeve of mine, the dangling modifier is usually a phrase or an elliptical clause (a dependent clause in which some words have intentionally been left out), often at the beginning of a sentence, that either doesn’t modify anything specific in the sentence or modifies the wrong word or part of the sentence. Consider my introductory sentence: As a freelance editor and proofreader, the misplaced or dangling modifier is a common writing error I see. Of course, you can probably figure out what I was trying to communicate, but the dangling modifier is distracting and creates ambiguity; it illogically implies that the modifier is actually a freelance editor and proofreader! So how can I fix the sentence? As a freelance editor and proofreader, I notice that many writers struggle with misplaced and dangling modifiers. Now, the introductory phrase (As a freelance editor and proofreader) correctly and logically modifies the pronoun I. Remember the trick to place the modifier as close as possible to whatever it needs to modify, and you’ll avoid the majority of errors associated with modifier placement. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How Many Tenses in English?10 Types of TransitionsComma After Introductory Phrases