Era Might Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 I'm watching the president speaking about the anniversary of Katrina and he's his usual boring self. Whatever happened to rhetoric? Even just going back to the 60s politicians could still give a real speech. It's not about party or ideology, rhetoric has disappeared...I don't mean demagoguery or populist rabble rousing, but real speeches that create an atmosphere of actually saying something important. I don't know if it's the nature of media today or what, news is 24/7 now and the 4th wall is broken, but speeches today are like corporate board meetings. I'm not calling for a rejuvenation of propaganda but the days of rhetoric as an art are gone... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigJon16 Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 If PM is anything like I remember, rhetoric hasn't been a member here since like 2007... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winchester Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 It doesn't take much to convince people of the positions they already hold. Look at the opposition to the Iran deal. It's virtually fact-free. Iran scary. Iran not Merica. Iran dress funny. Iran not fellate Israel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 New media, perhaps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dUSt Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 (edited) It's not that rhetoric can't be achieved, it's that the population has gotten more dumber. Edited August 27, 2015 by dUSt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriela Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 I'm watching the president speaking about the anniversary of Katrina and he's his usual boring self. Whatever happened to rhetoric? Even just going back to the 60s politicians could still give a real speech. It's not about party or ideology, rhetoric has disappeared...I don't mean demagoguery or populist rabble rousing, but real speeches that create an atmosphere of actually saying something important. I don't know if it's the nature of media today or what, news is 24/7 now and the 4th wall is broken, but speeches today are like corporate board meetings. I'm not calling for a rejuvenation of propaganda but the days of rhetoric as an art are gone... I think it's hard to make moving speeches when you're trying your guts out not to say anything that might turn people off of voting for your party. To be inspiring, you have to have principles and believe in things. We don't agree on anything anymore, so what can you say without offending someone? Nothing. So that's what they say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Makarioi Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Yes, Everyone has become so darn PC and they're afraid to say anything without offending someone. Oh please. We need to put our big boy/girl pantaloons on and get over it. I think you have to know how to communicate, not just talk for the sake of talking.... Or ummming your audience to death searching for words because you didn't have a Teleprompter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seven77 Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Rhetoric is an art. I think that the culture at large has lost a sense of beauty and art. I think that as dUSt has pointed out, the population in general has gotten dumber and no longer has the power for critical thinking, necessary for understanding and appreciating what is true, good, and beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriela Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Yes, Everyone has become so darn PC and they're afraid to say anything without offending someone. Oh please. We need to put our big boy/girl pantaloons on and get over it. I think you have to know how to communicate, not just talk for the sake of talking.... Or ummming your audience to death searching for words because you didn't have a Teleprompter. Is this what you're referring to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Makarioi Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 Uh, Yep, uh, that's it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Socrates Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 Rhetoric is an art. I think that the culture at large has lost a sense of beauty and art. I think that as dUSt has pointed out, the population in general has gotten dumber and no longer has the power for critical thinking, necessary for understanding and appreciating what is true, good, and beautiful. This. It's part of a long decline in civilization and literacy. For instance, it used to be that everyone was familiar with the Bible (KJV if you're Protestant, Douay-Rheims if Catholic), and all educated persons were familiar with the works of Shakespeare, Milton, Cicero, etc. Now most people just watch mindless tv and read idiotic "memes" on facebook. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kia ora Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 Not long ago, it was only a tiny percentage of the elite who could even read. Nowadays in a first world country, almost everyone is literate and they're literate in different things. There are still those who are very familiar with the Bible or the Qur'an etc, it's just that they're not the only ones around anymore who can read and with a monopoly on education. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norseman82 Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 Or ummming your audience to death searching for words because you didn't have a Teleprompter. And "boom goes the dynamite!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W45DRy7M1no Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Socrates Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 Not long ago, it was only a tiny percentage of the elite who could even read. Nowadays in a first world country, almost everyone is literate and they're literate in different things. There are still those who are very familiar with the Bible or the Qur'an etc, it's just that they're not the only ones around anymore who can read and with a monopoly on education. I meant "literacy" more in the broader sense of being tied to a rich literary and cultural tradition, rather than simply "knowing how to read." "Literacy" actually wasn't quite the word I was looking for, but I couldn't find the right word. And it wasn't really all that long ago when most people in our country (even unbelievers) knew the Bible and such as part of our shared cultural heritage. We've lost a lot of that now. And even people who couldn't read for the most part heard the Bible read aloud on a regular basis, and maybe even memorized many of its passages. There was a much richer shared oral tradition. And perhaps many fewer people could read and write in the days of Shakespeare, but could anyone today come close to his literary achievement or richness of language? Now, even many educated people talk largely in grunted obscenities. So it's not surprising that the art of rhetoric is largely lost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 And perhaps many fewer people could read and write in the days of Shakespeare, but could anyone today come close to his literary achievement or richness of language? Now, even many educated people talk largely in grunted obscenities. I think, arguably, someone like Quentin Tarantino is our generation's Shakespeare, if you look at what Shakespeare was writing, who he was writing for, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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