Obama's Syria Speech Analysis

In 2011, Syrians were participating in anti-government protests, which led Bashar-al-Assad, the president of Syria, to use physical force as a way to stop protestors. According to reports, the Syrian government used sarin gas to attack their citizens on August 21, 2013, resulting in the deaths of 1,423 people (Beauchamp). President Obama responded by saying that if the Syrian government used chemical weapons on its people, it would cross his "red line." On August 31, 2013,  President Barack Obama delivered a speech regarding this attack, specifically addressing the Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons resulting in the deaths of their own people. Hence, this statement was both aimed at all Americans, as well as a means of persuading Congress to support military action against the Syrian regime as they crossed Obama’s “red line.” Throughout the speech, Obama used both ethos and pathos to justify his proposal of military action, shaping the situation as a time to stand for the American values of freedom and safety, as well as to protect the people in Syria that are affected by the attacks. It is evident that Obama succeeds in conveying his message as he offers context to the issue and justifies his actions. 

In the beginning of his speech, Obama begins using pathos by describing an attack occurring in Syria.Pathos is one of the artistic proofs defined by Aristotle. Pathos refers to when a speaker uses emotions/gets the audience to feel a certain emotion in order to convince them to do something. Obama uses pathos when he vividly describes, “... hospitals overflowing with victims; terrible images of the dead. All told, well over 1,000 people were murdered. Several hundred of them were children -- young girls and boys gassed to death by their own government”( Para.2). Obama uses this imagery to convey an understanding of the plight of the Syrians impacted by these attacks. He portrays it as being horrifying and tragic. In addition, he refers to the lives of children to connect with the audiences, perhaps including those with children of their own, in an attempt to set a case for saving Syrian children. In his description of the deaths of innocent people, he attempts to evoke fear and sadness for the people being attacked. The speech then continues with a question: “Here's my question for every member of Congress and every member of the global community: What message will we send if a dictator can gas hundreds of children to death in plain sight and pay no price?” (Obama, para.13). Once again, Obama uses pathos by asking a question to the congress members he is trying to persuade.Obama also challenges the audience to think of themselves in the position of the American government and what their image as a nation would look like if they didn't take action. He wants the audience to feel empathetic for the people in Syria so that they will support his decision. 

A second time that Obama used pathos was in the middle of the speech. Obama notes, “We cannot raise our children in a world where we will not follow through on the things we say, the accords we sign, the values that define us”(Para.15). Using this language, Obama evokes feelings of emulation and concern. He wants his audience to recognize that by taking action, we are setting an example for the future generation, our children. The audience is being provoked to feel concerned about the lessons children could learn from these events, as people's emotions tend to be more vulnerable when children are involved. In addition, he emphasizes that we will not be upholding the American values that he implies, which are safety and freedom of the people, if no action is taken. I think that Obama is successful in using pathos as the only way the audience can understand why Obama feels that it is important that we take action, is by putting them in the shoes of the victims. He is demonstrating that the situation is so grave, our government must intervene and save innocent lives. 

Obama then follows using ethos, by describing his position in the U.S government and the power of our government in order to build trust with his audience. Ethos is another artistic proof defined by Aristotle. Ethos refers to when the speaker uses credibility , knowledge, and/or experience to persuade their audience. Using ethos, Obama states, “But having made my decision as Commander-in-Chief based on what I am convinced is our national security interests, I'm also mindful that I'm the President of the world's oldest constitutional democracy”(Obama, para.7). This is an example of Obama using ethos by placing the audience in the context of his position in government. His objective is to demonstrate that, as commander in chief, he possesses all of the qualifications necessary to make this decision. Obama then continues by expressing, “I've long believed that our power is rooted not just in our military might, but in our example as a government of the people, by the people, and for the people”(Para.7). Here again, Obama is using ethos by not only evoking trust for Obama himself, but also trust for the American military and government as a whole. He mentions that we have a powerful military to gain trust from the audience as he says “ military might”. He also points out that we are a government “by the people” indicating that our government and the people working in it were created by the citizens. He then continues stating that our government is a government "for the people," which is to say that they work and serve in our interests, with the people in mind. Thus, the audience should trust him as the government works for the people's benefit. Furthermore, he expresses that by taking military action, we are exemplifying our government as a government for the people, that we have our citizens in mind and care about the people. Therefore, we should take military action to carry on this example. Obama is successful in implementing ethos because, not only does he give credit to himself as a president, but also to the entire government as well. By doing so, he effectively builds up the confidence of the audience in his decision. 

In conclusion, this is how Obama shapes the situation in Syria as a time to stand for American values and protect others in need using Aristotle's artistic proofs of ethos and pathos.  In providing the context and justification for his plan to take military action against the Syrian regime, he emphasizes what Americans value most, such as national security and the desire to serve as a good example to not only our children but to the entire world as well. 

Bibliography

Beauchamp, Zack. “The War in Syria, Explained.” Vox, Vox, 8 Apr. 2017, https://www.vox.com/2017/4/8/15218782/syria-trump-bomb-assad-explainer. 

Obama, Barack. “Statement by the President on Syria.” 31 Aug. 2013,  The White House, 

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/08/31/statement-president-syria.