Capital Punishment

Kroll's narrative about the execution of his friend was much more effective than Mencken's article advocating for the death penalty. Mencken opted for the "logos" approach to persuasion, but he failed to provide convincing logic. Furthermore, he began his piece by alienating a great deal of his audience. His argument centered around the idea of catharsis which is hardly enough justification for execution, but he seems convinced that everyone will agree that his point is right. Kroll, on the other hand, chose to convince his audience subtly with strong "pathos". By creating a vivid narrative of the execution of his friend Robert Harris, he makes the reader sympathetic of his situation. He describes the excruciating death of Harris, and that puts the reader in a tough position to disagree with him. At the end, he slips in a small paragraph about his feeling for the death penalty, but for the most part he avoids directly stating his point. By executing his persuasive technique well, Kroll creates a much more effective piece than Mencken.

"16 Military Wives" // The Decemberists

• The subject matter is about military wives, celebrity minds, academy chairs, and cannibal kings.
• The theme of the song seems to be about how the American people are "cannibals" of a sort in the way that we try to consume the lives of others. We just mindlessly listen to how American soldiers have died and the newest developments in some pointless celebrities mixed-up life. The song points out how try to exploit those who are actually living life. The newscaster who says "la-di-da" is just a representation of how when soldiers die we are never bothered because that is just the plan and that is entertainment.

"Race for the Prize" // The Flaming Lips

The themes of "Race for the Prize" by The Flaming Lips is that determination to win can make one obsessive and make one lose sight of reality. The scientists in the song are racing for a cure that is "so dangerous". Multiple times, the danger of the task is mentioned, and Coyne mentions that they will "sacrifice their lives". The chorus mentions that they are determined to win "if it kills them", but at the end, it changes to "it will kill them". This shows that the scientists' drive to succeed is too is too great for them to realize that "they're just humans with wives and children". The sound of the music backed this up by sounding dreamy and melancholy especially in the chorus. The Flaming Lips effectively communicate their idea with both the lyrics and music.

Fallacies in Famous Speeches

Patrick Henry's Speech

1. "Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance, by lying supinely on our backs, and hugging the delusion phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot?"
2. This quote is an example of the logical fallacy of slippery slope. In this question, Henry assumes that inaction in the matter of Britain will lead to bondage and slavery to the British. This assumption shows slippery slope in that it effectively jumps to bold conclusions about the ramifications of not fighting back.
3. Many famous and effective speeches can commit fallacy because fallacy can be powerful when used correctly. If the fallacy is successful in achieving a certain emotional reaction from the audience, it can be used effectively in any speech. Fallacy isn't a bad thing by default; it may be false logic, but it can be a powerful device for persuasion.

Duck and Cover

• The overt message is to "duck and cover" when the atomic bomb detonates.
• I didn't notice any sort of covert message in the video. It seemed purely informational.
• It was simply a persuasive message because there were no hidden messages that weren't told to the viewer up front. This video was merely meant to serve as an education device for kids so that they might know what to do in the case of an atomic bomb detonation. The video might be misleading by suggesting that ducking and covering will always save one's life, but I don't think that makes it propaganda.

Destination Earth

• The overt message is that petroleum a great wonder of modern technology. It is also that capitalism and a free market economy is the best way for a country to run.
• The covert message is that one should support the petroleum industry and buy all petroleum products. The covert message was also that communism was bad for Americans.
• This is definitely propaganda because it shamelessly praises the resource of petroleum but never explicitly tells the viewer to buy petroleum. It also presents the message in a very underhanded way by dressing it up as a cute little cartoon. The methods it uses to get across its points are transfer, glittering generalities, and bandwagon.

WWII Propaganda

• The overt message is to "eat less bread".
• The covert message is that every patriotic American should help out the war effort and help to ration bread. It implies that those who don't eat less bread are keeping their fellow Americans from victory.
• Propaganda involves an implicit message that isn't completely obvious at first glance. This poster does this by convincing the viewers that one who helps one's country and rations bread will be happier and healthy in doing so, when this is not the reality of the matter.

"Clampdown" // The Clash

• This song is about the lies and propaganda of the government and the urgency to rebel and refuse to submit to this power. The lyrics mention that anger can be power and to fight the authority and persuasion of this "clampdown".
• Musically, the song is very energetic and upbeat which supports the idea that this is a call for rebellion and defiance of the oppressive government or mainstream culture.
• The song relates to propaganda and deception when it mentions "twisted words" and how this persuasion leads to conformity into the "clampdown".

Propaganda, Persuasion & Deception

The quotes I like are 531, 548, 602, and 622.
Quote 531 is:

The persuasiveness of a low-credibility communicator can be enhanced when he argues against his own best interest, or when he is identified after, rather than before, presentation of his appeal. 

-Marvin Karlins and Herbert I. Abelson

I agree with this statement because I have noticed such a phenomenon in my own experience. I sometimes find myself believing the one who argues against his own best interest because it adds a lot of credibility. When one does this, he is arguing for a side that would not benefit him, so the point he is making must be important. Such an appeal to credibility is a strong use of the ethos side of persuasion. For instance, if there were a very wealthy politician arguing against tax cuts for the rich, I would be more inclined to believe him because he is not benefiting from the outcome of the decision.