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Articles on Rhetoric

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Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower in New York on May 30, 2024, after being found guilty on 34 felony counts. Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

Trump’s rhetoric after his felony conviction is designed to distract, stoke fear and ease the way for an anti-democratic strongman

Donald Trump’s reaction to his conviction provides a textbook case of demagoguery – which erodes democratic institutions and can prime an audience for violence. His followers went right along.
Former president Donald Trump greets the crowd at a campaign rally Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, in Claremont, N.H. (AP Photo/Reba Saldanha)

The media must stop enabling Trump’s attention-seeking use of fascist rhetoric

Instead of giving Trump’s fascist rhetoric a wider audience, news organizations must simply point out he’s attempting to dehumanize his fellow citizens, create a path to violence and destroy democracy.
As footage from the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol is displayed in the background, former president Donald Trump stands while a song, Justice for All, is played during a campaign rally in Waco, Texas, in March 2023. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Donald Trump’s victim rhetoric will boost his popularity following latest indictment

Donald Trump’s legal woes will nourish and strengthen his rhetorical style, and his followers will continue to be persuaded by how he makes them feel, not by reason, facts or critical thought.
Police tape on a door following a stabbing at the University of Waterloo on June 28,. Waterloo Regional Police said three victims were stabbed inside the university’s Hagey Hall, and the suspected attacker was arrested. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nick Iwanyshyn

The stabbing attack at the University of Waterloo underscores the dangers of polarizing rhetoric about gender

The stabbings at the University of Waterloo remind us that violence for daring to stand in a classroom and speak is still ever-present.
‘Rhetoric’ has a bad rap – but some of the original rhetoricians’ techniques can actually help foster productive conversations. smartboy10/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images

‘Rhetoric’ doesn’t need to be such an ugly word – it has a lot to teach echo-chambered America

Ancient Greek philosophers despised the Sophists’ rhetoric because it searched for relative truth, not absolutes. But learning how to do that thoughtfully can help constructive debates.
Supporters of former President Donald Trump rally in Bedminster, N.J., on Aug. 14, 2022. Kyle Mazza/Andalou Agency via Getty Images

GOP ‘message laundering’ turns violent, extremist reactions to search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago into acceptable political talking points

Threats to law enforcement have risen in the aftermath of the FBI raid on former President Trump’s Florida estate. Does ‘message laundering’ by top GOP figures have something to do with it?
An image of a mock gallows on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, is shown as the House select committee holds hearings in June 2022 into the attack. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Why the Jan. 6 hearings should be making corporations nervous

It’s easy to consider the erosion of democratic norms in the U.S. as purely political, but it poses serious risks to the country’s economic order. Is democracy in the gallows?
In hackathons, people come together to build more extensive and cohesive datasets. (Shutterstock)

Hackathons should be renamed to avoid negative connotations

“Hackathons” can imply breaching security and privacy. To more accurately reflect their creative and constructive intent, they can be referred to instead as “datathons” or “code fests.”

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