Genre Analysis: Dreams of A Peacetime U.S. Presidency

The NPR story that I listened to was Dreams of A Peacetime U.S. Presidency. The story was asking the question, is it possible for a U.S. President to not be involved in military operations. Guy Raz is the host who talks to Micah Zenko of the Council on Foreign Relations. Zenko is a modern war expect. The article discusses the topic that even if the Iraq war if over, the war in Afghanistan “will soon follow”. The story is convincing because it uses important people to back up the evidence. Using a modern war expect is a good source of information. Zenko believes that President Obama will never be a peacetime president and that Warren G Harding was the last peacetime president. The use of Warren G Harding as the last peacetime president is interesting. His statement says that the last peacetime president was in the 1920s. The fact that Zenko believes that the last peacetime president was nearly 100 years ago is interesting. Zenko believes that American people have gotten used to the fact that America participates in war. The article introduces the topic of Americans not minding military operations when Raz introduces Zenko. Zenko said, “It’s been a pretty steady assumption that the U.S. will use military force abroad.”  
      The genre of this piece was to explain what the loss of a peacetime president meant. The conversation was pretty informal and was not language that was used was easy for listeners to comprehend. Evidence is used with good quotes and interviews. The host chose this type of evidence because in an audio essay, it is important to use interviews and quotes. The topic if very well organized. The topic is brought up and the sides are both talked about. The story finishes with the consequences of what everything means. The citation styles and the design are not seen in an audio essay. 

Raz introduces the Chairmen of the chief joint of staff Martin Dempsey. Raz talks about Dempsey’s theory that “We are now living in the most dangerous time” Dempsey says that America is in more danger now than ever before since he was born (1952). Raz suggest that if this is true, it makes it more acceptable to participate in military operations. Zenko does not believe that we are in a more dangerous time than the Vietnam war or the Cuban Missile Crises. Zenko agrees with the statement that America should have a strong military but asks if America taking such a big stance in countries like Iraq or Afghanistan lowers the threats at all?

Guy Raz talks about the topic that because being the American President instead of President of Turkey puts more pressure to take part in military operations.

Raz and Zenko then discuss the consequences of not having a peacetime president. The assumption that people believe that war is an acceptable substitution for foreign policy. The media enabling war, as the many movies involving navy seals. Zenko also talks about the change of perception with targeted killings. Before 9/11, Zenko believes that Americans opposed all targeting killings. 

Zenko says, “If you would have told people on September 12, 2001 that the U.S. would have conducted 400 targeted killings outside of a battlefield settings, killing something like 3,000 plus people they would have never believed you. And there seems to be no public debate on whether this is a good or bad thing”. 

This story uses very good quotes and good evidence. It uses smart people that know what they are talking about but does not provide a lot of facts. An audio essay must have people to back up the claims and have facts. The audio essays must have interviews with other people and interesting quotes. The use of Martin Dempsey’s quote was a good quote to use. Audio essays must have quotes that rely back to the topic. Dempsey’s quote worked because it dealt with the military operations but quotes about the President’s win in Florida would not have fit. This was a very good story but I thought more facts and stats were needed instead of just opinions.

I want to do something that deals with sports as my topic. What the ASU football or basketball team mean to the community and how they effect the school. I am not sure if I want to do this but it is an idea...