Reference no: EM13941

Write down the essay on Empire Review.

In the past ten yeas, the United States has emerged as a clear hegemon in the international sphere. With the rise of the War of Terror, the United States, as many have noted, has begun to speak of itself consciously and overtly as an Empire. Geographers have noted this change, not so much as a new era of international geopolitics, but as a new rhetoric of empire. Specifically, "empire" during much of the 20th century, signaled only those regimes that were deemed "rogue", "oppressive" and set on world domination - think here of Ronald Reagan's admonishment of the Soviet Union as an "Evil Empire," or even of the American Left's attempts to name the United States as a empire itself. The changing approach to the term "empire" signals the importance of the way we talk about imperialism, and how the rhetoric of empire works to hide many of the actual circumstances of imperialism. In this assignment you will provide a review essay of one significant speech from the list below, paying attention to the territorial, economic and cultural dynamics of imperialism illustrated by the rhetoric of the speech.

Specifically, your essay will do three things: (a) It will describe the historical context for the speech, which includes an analysis of the imperial tendencies of the state (both territorial and economic) in question (ie. of the United States for J.F.K; the U.K. for Thatcher, etc). (b) It will illustrate these concerns as expressed by the rhetoric of the speech. Demonstrate specifically what is to be read into this speech: Does the rhetoric hide important details? Does it euphemize aspects of the imperial record? Does it foreshadow important events? (c) It will illustrate how the rhetoric of the speech draws upon specific cultural beliefs and values to support the actions of the empire - topics like freedom, equality, self-determination, etc.

Referencing Style = APA Referencing Style