“From expanding opportunity to protecting our country, we've made good progress. Yet we have unfinished business before us, and the American people expect us, In the work ahead, we must be guided by the philosophy that made our nation great. As Americans, we believe in the power of individuals to determine their destiny and shape the course of history. We believe that the most reliable guide for our country is the collective wisdom of ordinary citizens. To get it done”
President George W. Bush State of the Union Address January 28, 2008.
This is the kind of language that Orwell hates in political speeches. It isn’t really clear what they are going to do about the unfinished business. In the paragraph before or the one after, there isn’t any inclination of them doing something about the protection of our country.
It leaves the audience on the edges of their seats. He identifies a problem, and then we are left in the balance not knowing any solution.
So in a sense yes we do expect but how are we supposed to achieve it without further explanation from the speaker. Its like you are given a writing assignment and you are only told that it has to be in 12pt. font and double-spaced.
All is said it that it is up to us to decide what we want to accomplish with things like national security, how is that up to us? I just really feel like it leaves us hanging on waiting for an answer, or a solution. After all, isn’t that the point of this entire speech?
The main point is finish you statements and don’t leave the audience left out, and say it is on us to fix it and not on you as the government who put us there in the first place.
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