Obama Adresses ISIL

Obama began his address to the nation when he directly stated that the United States will “degrade and ultimately destroy the terrorist group known as ISIL”. He left no question as to whether America is capable of truly eliminating the terrorist group, because he then went on to bolster the country’s military capabilities that in turn provide security for the nation.The president dictated that because the nation’s military has succeeded in providing peace in the past, it is therefore capable of eradicating ISIL and ensuring a continued sense of safety for The United States of America.

Obama’s promise to destroy ISIL and to therefore protect America’s well being was delivered in a determined and reassuring manner. When he first addressed the threat of ISIL and similar terrorist organizations, he contended that The United States “must remain vigilant when these threats emerge”. His phrase, that the country “must remain vigilant”, implies that The United States has consistently been aware of and has actively disbanded sects of terrorist organizations in the past. America’s prior success in eliminating terrorism is why Obama stated that America must “remain” that way, meaning that his administration’s proactive response to ISIL is effective and is currently necessary for the continued prosperity of the nation.

The most effective part of President Obama’s message was his appeal to diminish ISIL as a unified nation. While he declared that he himself has the authority to authorize the destruction of ISIL, he concluded that  “we are strongest as a nation when the president and Congress work together”. Through this statement, the President advocated the support of congressmen to solidify his plan of intervention. He implied that through the backing of bipartisanship, The United States would be more capable in defeating ISIL as a united and organized front.

Truth Four is most apparent in analyzing Obama’s address to the nation on ISIL. That “Nothing is new: Everything that happens in the past will happen again” applies to the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East and America’s consistent intervention. American involvement in Iraq previously began (most recently) under president Bush during the Iraq war. While it is eleven years later, The United States still intervenes in foreign affairs, Iraq just being one example, when the subject of national security is concerned.

President Obama's 9/10 Speech

On the evening of Wednesday September 10th, 2014 President Obama addressed the America public in regards to the threat that the extremist Islamic group (ISIS) posed. The President announced that the United States and its allies will lead a coalition against them in order to ultimately degrade and destroy ISL.

Obama delivered his speech with determination, confidence and authority while maintaining a stern face, a consistently serious tone, and using only the most necessary hand gestures. All throughout his speech he strives to reassure the nation that he has everything under control and while "there are risks involved," he is convinced that the United States is prepared to deal with this situation as a driving force.

In my opinion, the most effective part of his speech was when he outlined each of the steps of his plan. Not only does this prove that he has thought this through thoroughly, it also demonstrates the transparency in his plans. He clearly wants to keep the public 'in the loop' and updated on what he plans to do because this is a very delicate situation and most definitely a bold move.

The media truth that stood out to me the most was #1: the media are essential components of our lives, because the President relied on the media to deliver his message, the media helped create anticipation before he delivered the message, the public commented on the speech using social media outlets during the delivery of the speech and after the speech as well. Not only that, but the media allows the public to watch the speech after it was delivered as well as obtain the transcript.

Obama Reveals His Plans to "Degrade and Destroy" ISIS

Just shy of the 13th anniversary of the devastating attack on the World Trade Center, President Barack Obama gave a televised speech regarding the new enemy emerging from the Middle East— ISIS, or as the Commander-in-Chief calls it, ISIL. The terrorist group has shouted their message loud and clear — it will continue to ravage through the Middle East and beyond, igniting more chaos and death. With the horrifying deaths of two American journalists, James Foley and Steven Sotloff, the U.S. has decided that enough is enough and will meet the foe with full force. But how?

   Before revealing the plan on how to annihilate ISIS, Obama walked towards the stand calmly, with no hesitation and no sign of worry over the live announcement. Obama approached the speech as if he were walking over a frozen lake-- cautiously and avoiding any sore spots — highly aware at the number of people who strongly oppose his decision. His first words were “my fellow Americans, friends and allies”, ensuring a sense of unity immediately, strengthening the ties of speaker and audience. His goal was to provide a sense of conformity between himself and the viewers, trying to lower the wall and have the people trust him. He used clear and precise words to connect to any kind of person who was watching— not allowing any opportunity for misunderstanding or confusion. 

  One of the key points Obama stressed, was that the U.S. wasn’t the only one attempting to destroy ISIS. “This is not our fight alone” he emphasized, claiming that the newly created Iraqi government will work alongside the American military. As a country that has aided those in need ever since World War I, many Americans often feel burdened with the ‘responsibility’ of including themselves into other nation’s crisis’. Obama seemed to sense these thoughts, taking a pause and saying that with “endless blessings bestow an enduring burden.” He expressed the numerous ways that the U.S. has lead and triumphed, the ways that the presence of America have helped other countries improve.

  As the speech was coming to a close, the most effective part of the message was revealed: the reason for sending hundreds of men and women to battle ISIS. Obama alluded to our forefathers, to the construction of the U.S., to what our influence means in the world. “We stand for freedom, for justice, for dignity,” he claimed, reminding Americans that their mission was to always present these three traits and fight for them— no matter what the cost. When he was coming to a close, he ended with the sentimental “may God bless our troops and may God bless the United States of America” quote, tugging on the heartstrings of the viewers and leaving them a sense of patriotism.

  The Media Truths revealed throughout the speech are: 'nothing's new, everything that happened in the past will happen again', as well as 'the media is an essential component in our lives.’ Although it is not the same terrorist group that is posing the threat, it is the same scenario— beheading Americans, taking control of the Middle East and brewing chaos and horror throughout the land. The enemy hasn’t been vanquished, and might never will be, but the U.S. is doing what it has always done: facing the enemy and attempting to destroy it. The second truth is relevant to the speech because without the media, the speech wouldn’t have had such a big impact on the American public. Watching it on television, live streaming it from the computer, or reading the speech on the New York Times— the media informed the public about each detail and each remark made by President Obama, giving them the opportunity to make their own conclusion about his speech.

President Obama's Speech on ISIS

On Wednesday night, President Obama delivered a speech on his four-part strategy in order to “degrade and destroy” ISIS. He starts off by talking about what America has already done to fight the terrorists who threaten our country, but there are still threats. He then talks about ISIS and who/what they are: a terrorist organization. President Obama outlines his four-part strategy: airstrikes in Iraq (and Syria), increased support to forces fighting on the ground, draw on substantial counterterrorism capabilities to prevent ISIS attacks, and provide humanitarian assistance to innocent civilians. Along with this, President Obama also says that there will be a “broad coalition” of partners: allies from all over the world will help America take down ISIS. He also warns that this military action against ISIS will take time and will have risks, but he assures Americans that it will be different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

During his speech, President Obama stood his ground; he was determined, resolute and sure that this was the best strategy for America. The words and phrasing and body language he used, especially when he said “if you threaten America, you will find no safe haven,” all contribute to this. He also knew that many Americans would be concerned so he constantly reassured the public that this would be different, that this would work.

For me, the most effective part of his speech was when President Obama started talking about why America is so exceptional and why we are in the best position to “seize the future” and “mobilize the world against terrorists.” He recounted the many things that America is doing right, from rallying the world against Russian aggression to helping contain and cure Ebola. It helps rally the pubic around our country; it makes us feel good about ourselves; it makes us feel like we are the best people for this job to eradicate terrorism.  

The most prevalent media truth would be Truth One: the media are essential components of our lives. Without a doubt, hundreds of thousands of people watched President Obama deliver his speech on Wednesday night, not only Americans, but also people from all over the world. People probably watched it on television, or heard it on the radio, or maybe they are reading about it right now. Because this subject is so important to a lot of people around the world, they will use any sort of media to find out what America’s strategy will be against ISIS. 

President Obama addresses ISIL

Obama’s message on Wednesday night addressed what the United States’ objective is as far as how to proceed with ICIL: “we will degrade, and ultimately destroy ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counter-terrorism strategy.”

Obama states many clear methods on how this will all occur: Primarily, the US plans to conduct airstrikes and eliminate terrorists that currently pose any kind of threat to the country. Obama emphasized that anyone who threatens America “will find no safe haven.” Obama also stated that the US will increase the amount of service members in Iraq and help educate and train Iraqi and Kurdish forces. The US will eventually help Iraq renew their freedom over ISIL control. Along with these goals, Obama also plans to perform several acts of counterterrorism: strengthen defense systems, educate our forces and further prevent ISIL attacks. Obama also aspires to continue to assist innocent civilians who have become affected by the terrors of ISIL.

President Obama delivered this menage with determination and confidence. His tone throughout the speech made it seem that there is no alternative to this plan. He describes the true barbarism of ISIL by addressing acts of rape, murder and violent bloodshed. He discusses the danger ISIL poses to innocent civilians and promises that “America will lead a broad coalition to roll back this terrorist threat.”

The most effective part of Obama’s speech is his sense of patriotism. Granted, Obama address very gruesome instances of murder and bloodshed, however he instills a sense of domestic security toward the end of his speech that cause Americans to gain his trust. Obama states his plan to eliminate ISIL, then he ensures that we will “do whatever it takes to defend this nation.”

In this speech, media truth #4: “nothing is new” is very prevalent. ISIL is a terrorist group like any other. We have seen so many races, religions and innocent civilians targeted in events such as the Holocaust, 9/11 and multiple genocides. As terrible as it is, terrorism is nothing new. We have seen this before, and unfortunately, we will continue to see terroristic acts throughout the rest of our lives.

President Obama's ISIL Speech

In President Obama’s speech he shares his plan for America to lead a “broad coalition” to get rid of the terrorist threat. He stated that his objective is to “degrade and destroy ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counter terrorist strategy.” He reiterates that his plan includes strategic air strikes and does not include ground combat.

President Obama delivers his speech with confidence that this plan will protect our nation from the terrorist threat of ISIL. He also uses his hands motions to show his strength as a leader. These hand motions show his confidence in the plan he is proposing. He pulls at one’s national pride when he states, “If you threaten America you will find no safe haven.”

The most effective part of his speech is at the end when he recalls some of America’s setbacks but more importantly how we have bounced back as a strong nation. He mentions how are nation was able to come together to get past the tragedy of 9/11 and move past our economic setbacks to illustrate the strength of our country. Also, he explains how our country is thriving in technology, manufacturing, energy studies, and job creation.

The media truth that sticks out the most in President Obama’s speech is truth one, which is that media are essential components of our lives. Without media the public would not be able to watch the President deliver his speech. Actually watching the speech gives a special perspective because one can see the manner in which he delivers the speech instead of only the word of his speech. Also, the speech is easily available to the public because it was recorded live on most news channels and for people who could not watch it at nine tonight could also find a video of the speech online. It is important that the President takes full advantages of using media to communicate with the public.

Connor Bell- President Obama's Adress Regarding ISIL

“We will degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL through a comprehensive terrorism strategy.” This was said by a very serious President Barrack Obama, who from the start was patriotic, stern, and firm in deliverance of his address on how to deal with the terrorist group ISIL. Whether it was calling out ISIL’s name meaning “The Islamic State,” because “Islam does not teach ruthless genocide of it’s own men, women, and children,” or reminding us that ISIL’s growing threat hits close to home by remembering the executions of the two American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, Obama made sincere direct eye contact with the camera throughout his whole speech. Obama looked especially stern when he included that some Americans in the Middle East have actually joined the ISIL side in this fight, and can possibly bring the hardened war skills and hatred mentality back into the United States to cause harm to our nation. But in the midst of addressing these threats, the president assured all of us that ISIL will be dealt with by “strength and resolve;” but this will not be a traditional military strategy with ground forces and air forces. American forces are in Syria, but they are only there for bomb runs and instructing local soldiers, not fighting on the ground on the front lines with the local soldiers. This plan sounded well thought out and Obama named many sources in his cabinet and military generals who could attest to the success of this strategy, with over 150 successful bombings in 1 month. But what the President said best in his entire speech I believe was these lines, “If you threaten America, you will find no safe haven.” This was Obama’s most effective message, because it got me fired up to be an American and just made me feel so patriotic. This quote also brings me to the one media truth that I found in Obama’s address, “everything that happened in the past will happen again.” Because hundreds of terrorist groups have threatened, planned to attack and attacked America and it’s citizens, this cycle has shown to repeat itself on numerous occasions in recent years. However, America is always ready to hunt down these people and organizations and punish them to the full extent of American law. That is what we do best because we are America; we stand for freedom, justice, and dignity of all peoples, and its is our job to help people achieve those rights in every single country.