Presidential rhetoric, metaphor, and the emergence of the democracy promotion industry
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[1] Georgia State University
Georgia State University
Estados Unidos
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- Localización: Southern communication journal, ISSN 1041-794X, Vol. 78, nº 3, 2013, págs. 233-255
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
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Resumen
When Ronald Reagan announced his desire for a Federal program dedicated to promoting democracy abroad, no one expected that program would grow into a $100 billion industry. This essay argues that the use of light/dark, sea, and disease metaphors animated the production of the democracy promotion industry, metaphors that built upon preexisting cultural enthymemes related to insecurity, American exceptionalism, and the U.S. role in navigating the dangers of the international. This case study suggests that presidents turn to metaphor because they recognize the power of metaphor, the ability of metaphor to connect public policy to common conceptions of America, and the difficulty opponents have in countering metaphorical depictions.
