Statement by the President on Cuba Policy Changes - Essay Example

Statement by the President on Cuba Policy Changes As we go about our day to day lives, we often hear people saying things with great irony and meaning. Taking it for granted as just being a good, inspiring, and perception altering talk. One of the most recent persuasive “rhetorical” talks that I recently came across was the speech by Pres. Obama lifting the embargo on Cuba. The part of his speech that struck me as the most rhetorical was the following passage: “.we will end an outdated approach that, for decades, has failed to advance our interests, and instead we will begin to normalize relations between our two countries.

(Statement by the President on Cuba Policy Changes). This rhetoric began a speech that not only asked me to re-examine what I know about the history of America and Cuba as allies and foes, but also changed the way that I now view the historical lessons taught to me. This particular speech was highly effective because Pres. Obama did not only use the story of other people to support his claims of the need to change the American policy pertaining to Cuba, but he used historical analysis and evidence to help support his claims.

Evidence that gave credibility to his claims and offered a chance for the American people to make up their own minds regarding the logic or mistakes that lifting the embargo might bring about. By clearly explaining the history of the embargo and its (non) effectiveness as an international policy, we, the listeners, came to better understand the logic and practicality of his reasons for lifting the ban. In the end, Pres. Obama left the stage having convinced a number of listeners and leaving some to ponder the direction that his new Cuban policy might lead the United States into.

Sources“Statement by the President on Cuba Policy Changes”. whitehouse.gov. whitehouse.gov, 17 Dec. 2014. Web. 1 Feb. 2015.