The Irony Of American History Rhetorical Analysis

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The end of World War 2 signaled competition between two of the most significant world powers, America and the USSR. This rivalry began what is known as the Cold War. The Soviet Union and its allies believed the best way to run a country was through communism, and the government was involved in all properties/businesses. However, America was anti-communist and believed in capitalism, where businesses and land are owned by individuals, which gives more freedom to everyone. America was worried about communism spreading to other countries, so in order to stop communism from spreading all over the world, the idea of Containment was introduced. Containment is the idea that the countries surrounding the Soviet Union must be strong non-communist states. In the book, The Irony of American History, by Reinhold …show more content…
In reality, Vietnam was used as a battleground for a proxy war between the United States and the Soviet Union. After years of fighting with many casualties and monies spent, public opinion fell and the United States decided to withdraw from Vietnam. The irony is that in the end, Vietnam became a communist country despite its best efforts. When George Bush gave a speech after the terrorist attacks on September 20th, 2001, he questioned why the terrorists hate Americans. Niebuhr would say that Bush’s speech was a perfect example of American exceptionalism. If Niebuhr was Bush’s foreign policy advisor, he would point out that not all countries want to be run the same way as the United States. The American way of life is not welcomed by everyone. In 2003, Bush sent troops to invade Iraq thinking they were developing weapons of mass destruction that could be used in an attack against the United States. When no weapons were found, the United States found itself replacing government and nation building in a country that didn't want us