Englisch - Probeklausur

1.Which dangers does Hillary Clinton list as consequences oft the Iraq War?
Hillary Clinton lists in her speech “Speech on Iraq” at March 17th, 2008 many consequences of the Iraq War referring to military, costs and responsibility and more.
4,000 brave men and women died and in addition to that, only one of the army’s brigades is certified to be ready. Moreover the economic is at stake because by the costs of replacing equipment and providing medical care for troops and survivor-families could take over $1 trillion. Also each passing month the troops stay give the Iraq government more time to avoid the decisions on how to split the oil money and how to share political power. Finally the reputation of the position of power and the ability to solve seemingly impossible tasks are in danger. If it is no action now, it will more difficult to confront these challenges.


2.Analyse the speech regarding the rhetorical devices and other means of persuasion.
Hillary Clinton uses typical rhetorical devices in her speech on Iraq to win voters and hence the election. One of the rhetorical devices is the personal pronoun ‘our’ or ‘we’ to create a group feeling like line 3 provides: “[...] the responsibility of our men and women [...].” and line 11-12: “Our armed forces are stretched to near the breaking point with many of our troops on their second, third, or fourth tours of duty. Our economic security is at stake.”
Also in line 23: “[...] responsibility for their own future and to ensure that we don’t bear that responsibility indefinitely.” can be seen that Hillary Clinton uses many personal pronouns and draws a clear line between the responsibility of America and of Iraq with the personal pronoun ‘our’ and ‘their own’. “The only way to spur the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own future and to ensure that we don`t bear that responsibility indefinitely.”
In addition to that many repetitions appearing which can be seen from line 9 to 15: “The lives of our brave men and women are at stake. [...] The strength of our military is at stake. [...] Our economic security is at stake. [...] Finally, our leadership in the world and our ability to front global challenges, present and future, is at stake.” The repetitions have the effect of awaking feelings of the humans (Americans).
Hillary Clinton uses this effect to show that she only wants the safety of American with its population. Moreover she often includes the danger that the staying troops in Iraq will bring, to clear the Americans that they must act like she tell us in line 9 to 17 but also in line 19: “Each passing month we stay in Iraq gives the Iraqi government more time to avoid the hard decisions on how to split the oil money and how to share political power.”.
Also the text has a light approach of patriotism. In line 3 Senator Clinton says ‘the responsibility of our men and women in uniform’. She awakens the pride and responsibility of the Americans and tells them that the reputation of the American strength is in danger like can be seen in line 14-17: “Finally, our leadership in the world and our ability to front global challenges, present and future, is at stake. The more the world regards us with suspicion rather than admiration, the more difficult it is to confront these challenges.”
In addition she makes another reference with the statement (line 3): “The mistakes in Iraq are not the responsibility of our men and women in uniform but of their Commander –in-Chief.”. The allusion could affect the American President George Bush which started the Iraq-War ‘without allowing the weapons inspectors to finish their work or waiting diplomacy to run in course’.

The only special about the speech is that Senator Clinton doesn’t want to send the troops home because of the terrorism, but only because of material things like costs, oil and reputation.