Speaker

The speaker of the “War on Terror” address to the US Congress is George W. Bush, who was serving his first year in office as US President.

George W. Bush is a Republican politician, coming from a family of politicians. His father George H. W. Bush served as US president between 1989 and 1993. This is relevant for the speech because “the war against Iraq a decade ago” (ll. 184-185) mentioned by the speaker took place during his father’s presidential term.

Some parts of the speech are also connected to Bush’s membership of the Republican Party in the US. The Republican Party is one of the main political parties in the US. Its policies and orientation favor conservatism, free-market capitalism, and strong national defense.

Consequently, when Bush talks about the power of the American economy, he illustrates a typical Republican view with regards to capitalism: “I ask your continued participation and confidence in the American economy. Terrorists attacked a symbol of American prosperity; they did not touch its source.” (ll. 274-276)

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