The Effects of Cold War Speech in the Post-Cold War World: Identification of the Enemy in the War on Terror

Abstract

This work is a discursive analysis exploring the effects of US presidential Cold War speech on the identification of the "Enemy." It examines the usage of metaphors in key speeches from Truman, Eisenhower, Reagan, and G.H.W. Bush in order to determine the composition and evolution of the identity of the Cold War "Enemy." This identity is then compared and contrasted to that created by the usage of metaphors concerning the War on Terror by G.W. Bush. The theory of discursive analysis used in this work stems from beginnings in philosophy several decades old. Over time, the theory of discursive analysis was honed towards many different schools and areas of study. The specific branch which this work springs from holds that language shapes political and physical reality. Coming out of this theory, this work aims to explore whether or not exposure to Cold War rhetoric had an impact over time between different administrations as well as between different conflicts. The method of analysis is an adaptation of previous methods of metaphorical analysis. Eight general conceptual metaphors are chosen as a guiding structure throughout all of the speeches. Corresponding metaphorical expressions are then gathered according to the conceptual metaphor being analyzed. The frequency of metaphorical expressions, and the...