The Greek philosopher Plato once said, "Rhetoric is the art of governing the minds of men." Similarly, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice uses the rhetoric of the September 11, 2001 Commission to dispel any rumors regarding the Bush administration's complacency over recent terrorist attacks. Using stylistic choices such as diction, organization, and content, Rice explains the harsh attacks that have been directed at the United States and the efforts to prevent them from happening again. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on the topic "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get an original essay In her speech, Condoleezza Rice uses strong diction not only to highlight the severity of the terrorist attacks, but also to bring hope to the Commission as they move forward. Speaking about the attacks that occurred before 9/11, Rice states that “these and other atrocities were part of a sustained and systematic campaign to spread devastation and chaos and to kill innocent Americans.” The former Secretary of State uses pathos by using harsh terms such as "devastation," chaos" and "murder of innocent Americans," showing the violent and insidious nature of terrorist attacks. He also uses words such as "vicious," "catastrophic," behead,” “destroy,” and “break the spirit of America” to describe her thoughts and feelings during the bombings. Rice's harsh diction sets the tone for how damaging the attacks were. It also demonstrates to the Commission that the he Bush administration understands the gravity of the terrorist attacks and reassures that there is no sense of complacency regarding this great American tragedy. Dr. Rice not only uses harsh diction, but also uses encouraging diction in the second half of her speech to show how the future of the United States will be more positive. Speaking about the future of the United States, Rice explains: “Now we have the opportunity and the obligation to move forward together.” Compared to her previous statements, Condoleezza Rice speaks of the United States optimistically. He wants to shift gears from all the terrible things that have happened and talk about the positivity that can be achieved through these tragedies. Phrases like “opportunity,” “obligation,” and “together” provide a sense of unity as Rice convinces the Commission that it is possible for the country to recover from this unspeakable tragedy. He also uses favorable, happy diction when talking about George Bush. He states: “President Bush is leading the country through this time of crisis and change. He has unified and streamlined our efforts to protect the American homeland… he has done so in a manner consistent with protecting America's cherished civil liberties and preserving our character as a free and open society.” Rice speaks highly of Bush to show that he is responsible for helping the country move forward after the September 11 attacks. He wants the Commission to see that Bush is responding to the situation in a way that benefits the United States, rather than sitting back and doing nothing. The former Secretary of State first uses the expression "crisis and change" to reiterate the Bush administration's awareness of these serious attacks. He also uses favorable phrases such as “unified,” “secure the American homeland,” “protect America's cherished civil liberties,” and “free and open society,” to persuade George Bush's Commission and his administration's extensive efforts to move forward from the terrorist attacks of September 11th through pathos. Rice's use of pathos throughout her speech, using harsh and uplifting diction, is incredibly persuasive asleads the Commission to think positively about the Bush administration and its efforts to properly respond to the terrorist attacks of 11 September. Along with diction, Rice establishes ethics through referring to important people who are working to prevent future terrorist attacks. Rice first mentions that she and George Bush were briefed by George Tenet, former Director of Central Intelligence and member of Sandy Berger's NSC [National Security Council] staff about al-Qaida and counterterrorism. Discussing the Bush administration's attitude toward al-Qaeda, Rice states that "President Bush understood the threat and understood its importance." It also mentions senior national security officials who approved the former president's new plans and strategies. Additionally, former chief of staff Andy Card and former national security coordinator Dick Clarke took part in making sure the Bush administration took appropriate action against al-Quida. The people mentioned in Rice's speech are prominent figures, well known in government circles. Rice uses them and the work they are doing to demonstrate to the Commission that the Bush administration is working to resolve the problems of recent terrorist attacks. Finally, Condoleezza Rice organizes her speech with logos to provide concise information about recent terrorist attacks. First, it provides context for previous terrorist attacks against the United States. Rice states that “the terrorist threat to our nation did not emerge on September 11, 2001.” He then goes on to list a series of hijackings and attacks involving the United States and terrorists. He names them all in order: “The attack on the Marine barracks in Lebanon in 1983; the hijacking of the Achille Lauro in 1985; the rise of al-Qaeda and the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993; the attacks on American installations in Saudi Arabia in 1995 and 1996; the 1998 East African [embassy] bombings; the attack on the USS Cole in 2000…” (1). He also mentions “the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915 and the continued German persecution of American ships” (2). Condoleezza Rice begins with the history of these attacks not only to give logic to her speech, but also to demonstrate that what happened on September 11, 2001 is not something new for the United States. Citing previous attacks gives Rice's audience a better understanding of what the United States has faced before, providing reassurance that recent attacks will be handled as they have been before. Rice then uses the logos to outline the Bush administration's understanding of the severity of terrorist attacks and the actions taken to prevent future tragedies from occurring. Discussing the briefings during George Bush's time as president-elect, Rice states that: “Because of these briefings and because we had seen the rise of al-Qaeda for many years, we understood that the network posed a serious threat to the United States. " The former Secretary of State also states that “our goal was to ensure continuity of operations while we developed new policies,” indicating that George Bush and his administration were already ready to respond and prepare for terrorist attacks before Bush even became president Rice also presents the Commission with documents to help them carry out their work. First it begins with the Presidential Directive on National Security, a highly classified document that was presented with declassified parts. These parts outline the responsibilities of the secretaries cabinet, department heads and the Secretary.