Muhammad Al Miqhayil 1

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An Example of Political Rhetoric:

Barack Obama’s “People of the World, Look at Berlin”

Obama spricht kein Deutsch.

That presidential candidate Barack Obama does not utter a single word in

German or at least attempts to in his address to the Germans in Germany sounds

suspect.1,2 It cannot possibly have been a rhetorical oversight. Many presidents (John

Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton) before him had been to Berlin and all of

them had peppered their orations with German phrases in an attempt to bridge the gap

and create a special connection between them and their listeners.3,4,5 So why did

Obama choose not to follow the example of his compatriots?6

The language barrier between him and his audience could have made Obama a

bigger outsider than he already was, and this could have had affected the ethos and

pathos of the speech.7 Of course, being the master orator that he is, Obama needed

only to rely on his charisma and let his words do the talking to make the speech a

success anyway.8 He chose to connect with the Berliners through the content of the

speech, by admitting to quagmires and addressing and promising change to aspects of

American foreign policy unpopular with the listeners. He also uses a famous quote –

something the Berliners would be able to identify. When Obama says in paragraph 11,
1
Alliteration – the repetition of initial or medial consonants in two or more adjacent words.
2
For definitions of the rhetorical devices, please see:
Robert A. Harris, ‘A Handbook of Rhetorical Devices’, Virtual Salt. Janurary 26, 2010.
<http://virtualsalt.com/rhetoric6.htm#Alliteration> accessed 14 March 2011.
3
This is a blatant lie. Thus far, five American presidents have spoken in Berlin: JFK, Reagan, Clinton,
George W. Bush, and Obama. Only Clinton had any official knowledge of the German language, and
aside of Obama, Bush also did not use any German words or phrases in his speech, back in 2001. Here,
I invoke Cicero, where he suggests in one of his books that a good speaker should exaggerate and
amplify the truth, and only speak the truth when it suits his purpose.
4
Metaphor - an implied comparison between two things of unlike nature that yet have something in
common.
5
Parenthesis - brackets
6
Erotema – a rhetorical question
7
Assonance - repetition of similar vowel sounds, preceded and followed by different consonants, in
stressed syllables of adjacent words.
8
Metaphor
 2 PS4220 RHETORIC AND POLITICS

“People of the world – look at Berlin!” he is quoting Mayor Ernst Reuter’s iconic

‘People of this World’ speech made in 1948. In the end, the speech was a rhetorical

and political success. But I contend that this success is two tiered. On the surface, it

achieved the objective of bringing Obamania to Europe, but more importantly –

through the process of textual deconstruction – I propose that Obama planned his

speech in the manner he did because his intended target audience was the millions of

Americans watching back home, and not the scores of Berliners who had packed the

Tiergarten on the 24th of July 2008.9 We have to remember that Obama was still a

candidate for United States president – and not yet an elected president. 10 We also

have to remember that his opponent, Sen. John McCain had earlier criticized him for

his lack of foreign policy credentials, and this tour to the Middle East and Europe was

a reaction at proving otherwise.11 As such, the main objective of the speech was to

gain votes during the forthcoming elections.

This essay argues that Obama’s speech is from start to finish, one big allegory.

Woven between the lines are comments that slam the outgoing Bush administration.

The speech, the location, its effect on the 200 000 people turned out at the Tiergarten,

and the visual image that media coverage sends to the people back home is intended

to sway voters to Obamania. All these are visited through a theoretical dissection of

the speech. In the first section, I discuss the contextual background and intent.

Following, the discussion turns to the means of persuasion adopted by Obama, and

how he invokes an intended response from the audience. I analyze the text to show the

use of rhetorical devices. My focus is on Obama’s generous use of anaphora. Here, I

9
Parallelism – a recurrent syntactical similarity. Several parts of a sentence or several sentences are
expressed similarly to show that the ideas in the parts or sentences are equal in importance. Parallelism
also adds balance and rhythm and, most importantly, clarity to the sentence.
10
Epistrophe - the counterpart to anaphora, because the repetition of the same word or words comes at
the end of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences.
11
Anaphora - the repetition of the same word or words at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses,
or sentences, commonly in conjunction with climax and with parallelism.
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show how we can determine themes through words that appear most frequently in the

speech. And finally, by comparing this speech with several other Obama speeches, I

point back to my initial hypothesis that the intended audiences were not present

physically on that day.

Obama denied entry into the history books.12

Rarely do we find another place that has ‘as much symbolic power for

presidential speechmaking’ as Berlin.13 Over the years, its streets have endured much

sorrow, but it has also experienced human nature at its best. Today, Berlin lives to tell

tales of freedom and hope. It has attracted many famous speeches of our time, and all

the messages have been the same: peace, freedom, and friendship. So it should not

come as a surprise that Obama chose the Brandenberg Gate – the most historical site

in Berlin and the location that hosted John Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton

for his address during his flagship tour to the other side of the Atlantic. Perhaps

Obama was looking to invoke popular sentiments from the past, to give him an added

legitimacy. Or perhaps he was going for a metaphor, that Berlin, and specifically the

Brandenberg Gate symbolized the coming together of the east and west. Regardless,

he was denied access to this monument as tradition dictated its use for elected

presidents only, and allowing a presidential candidate access to the location would

symbolize German support for the candidate, possibly interfering in the elections. 14 In

the end, the backdrop chosen was the Siegessaule or ‘Victory Column’ at the Großer

Stern in Tiergarten Park. But that too came with its own controversy, because the

12
Metaphor
13
Christian Nathler, ‘Obama to Perform Speech at Berlin Victory Column: Democratic Presidential
Candidate Changes Brandenburg Gate Venue’ July 21, 2008.
<http://www.suite101.com/content/obama-to-perform-speech-at-berlin-victory-column-a61190>
accessed 15 March 2011.
14
Conduplicatio - resembles anadiplosis in the repetition of a preceding word, but it repeats a key
word (not just the last word) from a preceding phrase, clause, or sentence, at the beginning of the next.
 4 PS4220 RHETORIC AND POLITICS

monument was meant to commemorate the dead from the Napoleonic wars, and was

moved to its current location by Aldof Hitler.15

When Aristotle discusses topoi, he talks about how (in Topics 163b28–32)

‘the mere mention of the places instantly makes someone recall things, and these will

make us more apt at deductions through looking to these defined premises in order of

enumeration.’16 While not mentioned explicitly, I interpret the topoi as possibly also

relating to the physical location of the speech itself. An apt location, with the right

historical qualities, can serve as a mnemonic device to invoke a certain kind of

response from the audience. Obama’s intent to use the Brandenberg Gate and in fact,

even the Siegessaule, I argue, provide his speech with an epideictic quality. As I will

explain later, epideictic oratory is characteristic of public ceremonies, or event

commemorating war heroes. It praises and blames people and events in the past.17

‘Speeches and arguments are of different types and presented in varied

settings.’18 Aristotle believed a speech could take form of one of three divisions

depending on their purpose. Obama’s address at Berlin fits well with the definition of

a deliberative oratory, because it ‘concerned the use of resources and the solution to

problems facing’ the world in general. Deliberative rhetoric involves the weighing of

evidence for and against a policy or course of action and is typically oriented towards

the future.19 On many occasions, Obama alludes to this quality, especially when he

hopes for more transatlantic cooperation. He appeals for help of the German people to

15
‘Obama to Speak on Trans-Atlantic Ties at Berlin's Victory Column’ July 20, 2008.
<http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3492785,00.html> accessed 14 March 2011.
16
Christof Rapp, ‘Aristotle's Rhetoric’, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2010
Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2010/entries/aristotle-
rhetoric/> accessed 14 March 2011
17
James A. Herrick, The History and Theory of Rhetoric: An Introduction, 3rd ed. Boston: Pearson
Education. (2005) p.85
18
ibid. p.84
19
ibid. p.85
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resolve the issues of terrorism (paragraph 28), and he appeals for the help of

Europeans in general to combat the proliferation of nuclear weapons around the world

(paragraph 30).

In his textbook, James Herrick mentions that another guiding principle of

deliberative oratory is the concept of eudaimonia – the focus on human well-being,

happiness, or fulfillment.20 Obama solicits this concept when he talks about the

impacts his country has had on the environment, and when he calls for everyone to

reduce their carbon emissions “to give our children back their future” (paragraph 33).

Obama’s speech covers much ground and topics, and its purpose develop an

epideictic quality in certain areas. The first obvious marker that he intended his

speech to be epideictic, I have already argued lies in his choice of background/setting

for the speech itself. In terms of speech content, epideictic is obvious when Obama

talks about the Cold War era, the Berlin Wall and the blockade. He exalts the never-

give-up attitude of the Berliners and praises the resolve of the Allies to keep alight the

flame of freedom in Berlin throughout the hundred or so days. (paragraphs 9-10). And

when he reiterates with anaphora ‘look at Berlin’ in paragraphs 11 to 14, he is inviting

his audiences from Tiergarten Park, from America and from around the world to

remember how once upon a time, everyone had come together to help fight for

freedom. His objective is simple: he reminds people that they had come together once

before, and now that the course of history requires another intervention, he hopes

everyone could come together again.

20
Herrick (2005) p.85
 6 PS4220 RHETORIC AND POLITICS

The Master Rhetorician Speaketh.

Aristotle sees rhetoric as an art – a performance an orator puts on to persuade

the listener into action or inaction. He divided the means of persuasion into three –

logical reasoning (logos), psychology of emotions (pathos) and the human character

and goodness (ethos). Obama’s arguments are systematically delivered, and develop

first using ethos. He opens the speech by thanking the German dignitaries who played

a role in one way or another in allowing him to speak. He then explains his intentions

and under what guise he appears before them that day. By declaring that he is merely

a private citizen, and more importantly, by talking about his ancestral background, he

positions himself as a global citizen and by drawing linkage between his father’s

struggles with oppression and the suffering the Berliners endured during the blockade,

Obama wants the masses to be believe he can empathize with them. 21 And when he

reminds them of the why they were all present there on that day, Obama is identifying

on their behalf a reason using his own his prerogatives (paragraph 5).

In terms of content, Obama is very systematic and talks in themes. Following

his opening statements, he discusses the historical linkage that was once evident

between the two countries (paragraph 6 onwards). He goes on to talk about newer

developments in world history. Obama wants the transatlantic unity that was present

sixty years ago to resurface, to combat the problems offered to the free peoples by

terrorism and Islamic extremism. When the crowd realizes that he was asking for

more from them, their voices lowered. “The Afghan people need our troops and your

troops; our support and your support… We have too much at stake to turn back now”

(paragraph 28).22 Earlier, I contended that the speech was meant more for the

21
Conduplicatio
22
Elipses - deliberate omission of a word or words, which are readily implied by the context.
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Americans back home as much as it was for the Germans. This is one instance where

this is shown as Obama signals to his electorate his resolves to end the unpopular

wars. It is also a message to Sen. McCain, that he is actually politically astute.

Following, and without explicitly naming President Bush, Obama manages to

go into detail about European disenchantment with American quagmires such as the

Iraq war, and further suggests that the US would become a better partner with the

Europeans if he becomes president. In paragraph 20, when he says, “No one nation,

no matter how large or powerful, can defeat … challenges alone,” Obama effectively

sounds the death knell on unilateralism as the prevailing American foreign policy. 23

This proclamation is met with loud cheers from the crowd, a sign that pathos has been

invoked. But the biggest applause was saved for when Obama talks about his plans

for nuclear non-proliferation and for fighting climate change. These topics were

purposely put towards the end of his speech, at the climax, but after the ‘main gist’ for

he knew this arrangement would play well with the Europeans. It is no matter that he

does not go any deeper or offer any suggestion at how he will go about to achieving

this; his words had already left a mark on the audience. It is interesting how by

placing his arguments properly, he was able to get a positive reply from the masses.

Despite asking for more help to solve an American-caused problem, his promise that

the peace in the Middle East will eventually be restored by this cooperation is enough

to generate a positive response from the masses.

Rhetorical devices.

The aim of rhetoric is to persuade the audience to a certain point of view or

course of action. But how can one differentiate his words from the many other

23
Elipses
 8 PS4220 RHETORIC AND POLITICS

messages that bombard the listener from everywhere else? How can the rhetorician

make sure his message is remembered? The speech or text must be interesting, clear,

persuasive, and memorable.24 To achieve this effect, rhetoricians use rhetoric devices

to give a unique and effective style to their words. These devices are designed to

make the audience receptive through emotional changes and can be achieved through

a logical and progressive arrangement of arguments, through repetition, or even

omission of certain words.25

Obama is good at using rhetorical devices to emphasize the major themes in

his speech. Particularly, his use of anaphora throughout the speech is key in building

towards an impactful climax. If we look at the text, there are at least two major usages

of anaphora, in paragraphs 10 to 15, and 28 to 36. In the first instance, he implores the

people of the world to look at Berlin. By constantly repeating the phrase ‘Look at

Berlin’, the focus is put on the events that transpired there and Berlin is made an

example to be emulated. Berlin becomes a benchmark that Obama wants the world to

reach once more by cooperating again in the face of new challenges. This is shown

when he says, “look at Berlin, where… history proved that there is no challenge to

great for a world that stands as one. Sixty years after … we are called upon again.”

(paragraph 16).26 And when the emphasis is on “This is the moment,” Obama is

calling people into action. He lists several things that the world must come together to

do for a better future.

The speech is poetic in that Obama uses assonance, anadiplosis in many of his

paragraphs. He also uses sentential adverbs quite frequently, to lend emphasis on the

24
Hypophora - consists of raising one or more questions and then proceeding to answer them, usually
at some length.
25
Robert A. Harris (2010)
26
Elipses
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words immediately proximate to the adverb. This occurs since the comma

necessitated by proper grammar interrupts the natural flow of the sentence. This is

evident in paragraph 5, for example (and has just been shown in this sentence), when

he says, “This city, of all cities, knows the dream of freedom.”

But what I feel more impressive was his ability to, at times, combine more

than one device in one paragraph, to create a powerful statement. Paragraphs 40 and

41 are one such example. His use of anaphora builds up to a climax that is helped

along by clever use of polysyndeton and asyndeton, where he mixes the use of a

conjunction between each word and phrase at one point, and omits the conjunction

between other words and phrases at other points is dramatic. It is even more fitting

that these paragraphs are the penultimate in his speech. At this point, he invokes

metaphor after metaphor building to a crescendo and ending the speech with his

salutations.27

If we look at the transcript of the speech, we realize that there are several

words that are used more often than others. This is important because it helps us

identify the level at which the text is framed. If the author uses more singular

pronouns than plural pronouns, this could indicate a dictation of a certain course of

action, rather than an appeal for cooperation. Similarly, using second-person singular

has the same effect as if the author was ordering the listeners to do something. When

we look at the Berlin speech, we see that the word ‘we’ appears sixty-three times, ‘I’

appears thirteen times, and ‘you’ appears nine times. And when we realize that the

word ‘must’ appears eighteen times – twelve in conjunction with the word ‘we’ to

27
In the last sentence of paragraph 42, Obama says “With an eye toward the future, with resolve in our
heart, let us remember this history, and answer our destiny, and remake the world once again”.
 10 PS4220 RHETORIC AND POLITICS

form the phrase ‘we must’, we see that Obama is imploring cooperation even through

the choice of his words.

Of course, there are many more other rhetorical devices uses in the speech. 28

But due to space constraints, we are unable to discuss each and every at length.29

Danke Schön, Berlin.

It is a characteristic of Obama to begin and end off his speeches with many

thank yous and I love yous. Apart from developing his ethos, by positioning him as a

polite gentleman, it is actually an indicator of his affinity with the crowd/location that

he is speaking to. In all his campaign speeches, the tone is friendly and informal. Even

during the First Presidential Prime Time Conference in February 2009, he was

informal, ending by saying “Thank you, guys.” 30 But on that day in Berlin, Obama

seemed more reserved. He closes by saying “Thank you, Berlin. God bless you.

Thank you. Thank you.”31 On the surface, it is a legitimate closing. But I implore that

the choice of words seems impersonal, as if he were thanking Berlin for the

opportunity to speak, and to espouse his foreign policy. It does not help that news

reports talk about how his entourage of members of the press – all 40 of them

Americans, were already being escorted down from the guest stands even before he

was completing his last few lines.32

28
Sentential adverb - a single word or short phrase, usually interrupting normal syntax, used to lend
emphasis to the words immediately proximate to the adverb.
29
Metabasis - a brief statement of what has been said and what will follow. It might be called a linking,
running, or transitional summary, whose function is to keep the discussion ordered and clear in its
progress.
30
Barack Obama, ‘First Presidential Prime Time Press Conference’. February 9, 2009.
<http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/barackobama/barackobamafirstprimetimepressconference
.htm> accessed 20 March 2011.
31
Barack Obama, ‘Address to the People of Berlin’. July 24, 2008.
<http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/barackobamaberlinspeech.htm> accessed 20 March 2011.
32
Gregor Peter Schmitz, ‘Obama’s Berlin Speech,’ Spiegel Expres. July 25, 2008.
<http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,567932,00.html> accessed 20 March 2011.
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Perhaps the biggest indication of the speech’s political success can be seen in

the eventual victory of Obama in the presidential elections against Sen. McCain. On

its own, the speech drew much attention and controversy, but mostly over the venue.

In terms of the content of the speech, not much can be said to have transpired, yet. I

would like to believe that this is because of the relative recentness of the speech,

Obama’s inauguration into the oval office, and the events of today. 33 No doubt, there

has been progress towards fulfilling some promises in the speech, for example, in

2010, a revision was made to the elapsed Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START)

1.34 The New START, put into force in February 2011 reduces the nuclear stockpile

by a further half of what was left at the end of START 1.35

So my final verdict is: this piece of oration is one of rhetorical success.

33
Metaphor
34
Sentential adverb
35
Hillary Clinton, ‘New START Treaty Enters into Force’, U.S. Department of State. February 5,
2011. <http://www.state.gov/t/avc/newstart/index.htm> accessed 28 March 2011.
 12 PS4220 RHETORIC AND POLITICS

Bibliography

Clinton, Hillary. ‘New START Treaty Enters into Force’, U.S. Department of State. February 5, 2011.
<http://www.state.gov/t/avc/newstart/index.htm> accessed 28 March 2011.

Harris, Robert A, ‘A Handbook of Rhetorical Devices’, Virtual Salt. Janurary 26, 2010.
<http://virtualsalt.com/rhetoric6.htm#Alliteration>

Herrick, James A. The History and Theory of Rhetoric: An Introduction, 3rd ed. Boston: Pearson
Education. (2005)

Nathler, Christian. ‘Obama to Perform Speech at Berlin Victory Column: Democratic Presidential
Candidate Changes Brandenburg Gate Venue’ July 21, 2008.
<http://www.suite101.com/content/obama-to-perform-speech-at-berlin-victory-column-
a61190>

‘Obama to Speak on Trans-Atlantic Ties at Berlin's Victory Column’ July 20, 2008.
<http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3492785,00.html>

Obama, Barack. ‘Address to the People of Berlin’. July 24, 2008.

<http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/barackobamaberlinspeech.htm>

Obama, Barack. ‘First Presidential Prime Time Press Conference’. February 9, 2009.
<http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/barackobama/barackobamafirstprimetimepressco
nference.htm>

Rapp, Christof. ‘Aristotle's Rhetoric’, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2010 Edition),
Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2010/entries/aristotle-
rhetoric/>

Schmitz, Gregor Peter. ‘Obama’s Berlin Speech,’ Spiegel Expres. July 25, 2008.
<http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,567932,00.html> accessed 20 March 2011.
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Annex 1: The Speech Transcript.

[Pargraph 1.] Thank you to the citizens of Berlin and -- and thank you to the people
of Germany. Let me thank Chancellor Merkel and Foreign Minister
Steinmeier for welcoming me earlier today. Thank you Mayor
Wowereit, the Berlin Senate, the police, and most of all thanks to all of
you for this extraordinary welcome. Thank you.

[Pargraph 2.] I come to Berlin as so many of my countrymen have come before;

although tonight, I speak to you not as a candidate for President, but as
a citizen -- a proud citizen of the United States, and a fellow citizen of
the world.

[Pargraph 3.] I know that I don’t look like the Americans who’ve previously spoken
in this great city. The journey that led me here is improbable. My
mother was born in the heartland of America, but my father grew up
herding goats in Kenya. His father -- His father -- my grandfather --
was a cook, a domestic servant to the British.

[Pargraph 4.] At the height of the Cold War, my father decided, like so many others
in the forgotten corners of the world, that his yearning -- his dream --
required the freedom and opportunity promised by the West. And so he
wrote letter after letter to universities all across America until
somebody, somewhere answered his prayer for a better life.

[Pargraph 5.] That is why I am here. And you are here because you too know that
yearning. This city, of all cities, knows the dream of freedom. And you
know that the only reason we stand here tonight is because men and
women from both of our nations came together to work, and struggle,
and sacrifice for that better life.

[Pargraph 6.] Ours is a partnership that truly began 60 years ago this summer, on the
day when the first American plane touched down at Tempelhof. On
that day -- On that day much of this continent still lay in ruin.  The
rubble of this city had yet to be built into a wall. The Soviet shadow
had swept across Eastern Europe, while in the West, America, Britain,
and France took their stock of their losses, and pondered how the world
might be remade.

[Pargraph 7.] This is where the two sides met. And on the twenty-fourth of June,
1948, the Communists chose to blockade the western part of the
city. They cut off food and supplies to more than two million Germans
in an effort to extinguish the last flame of freedom in Berlin.

[Pargraph 8.] The size of our forces was no match for the larger Soviet Army. And
yet retreat would have allowed Communism to march across Europe.
Where the last war had ended, another World War could have easily
begun. And all that stood in the way was Berlin. And that’s when --
 14 PS4220 RHETORIC AND POLITICS

that's when the airlift began, when the largest and most unlikely rescue
in the history brought food and hope to the people of this city.

[Pargraph 9.] The odds were stacked against success. In the winter, a heavy fog filled
the sky above, and many planes were forced to turn back without
dropping off the needed supplies. The streets where we stand were
filled with hungry families who had no comfort from the cold.

[Pargraph 10.] But in the darkest hours, the people of Berlin kept the flame of hope
burning. The people of Berlin refused to give up. And on one fall day,
hundreds of thousands of Berliners came here, to the Tiergarten, and
heard the city’s mayor implore the world not to give up on freedom.
“There is only one possibility,” he said. “For us to stand together
united until this battle is won…The people of Berlin have spoken. We
have done our duty," he said, "and we will keep on doing our duty.
People of the world, now do your duty. People of the world, look at
Berlin.”
[Pargraph 11.] People of the world -- look at Berlin!

[Pargraph 12.] Look at Berlin, where Germans and Americans learned to work
together and trust each other less than three years after facing each
other on the field of battle.

[Pargraph 13.] Look at Berlin, where the determination of a people met the generosity
of the Marshall Plan and created a German miracle; where a -- where a
victory over tyranny gave rise to NATO, the greatest alliance ever
formed to defend our common security.

[Pargraph 14.] Look at Berlin, where the bullet holes in the buildings and the somber
stones and pillars near the Brandenburg Gate insist that we never forget
our common humanity.

[Pargraph 15.] People of the world -- look at Berlin, where a wall came down, a
continent came together, and history proved that there is no challenge
too great for a world that stands as one.

[Pargraph 16.] Sixty years after the airlift, we are called upon again. History has led us
to a new crossroad, with new promise and new peril. When you, the
German people, tore down that wall -- a wall that divided East and
West; freedom and tyranny; fear and hope -- walls came tumbling
down around the world. From Kiev to Cape Town, prison camps were
closed, and the doors of democracy were opened. Markets opened too,
and the spread of information and technology reduced barriers to
opportunity and prosperity. While the 20th century taught us that we
share a common destiny, the 21st century has revealed a world more
intertwined than at any time in human history.
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[Pargraph 17.] The fall of the Berlin Wall brought new hope. But that very closeness
has given rise to new dangers -- dangers that cannot be contained
within the borders of a country or by the distance of an ocean.

[Pargraph 18.] Think about it: The terrorists of September 11th plotted in Hamburg
and trained in Kandahar and Karachi before killing thousands from all
over the globe on American soil. As we speak, cars in Boston and
factories in Beijing are melting the ice caps in the Arctic, shrinking
coastlines in the Atlantic, and bringing drought to farms from Kansas
to Kenya.

[Pargraph 19.] Poorly secured nuclear material in the former Soviet Union, or secrets
from a scientist in Pakistan could help build a bomb that detonates in
Paris. The poppies in Afghanistan come to Berlin in the form of the
heroin. The poverty and violence in Somalia breeds the terror of
tomorrow. The genocide in Darfur shames the conscience of us all.

[Pargraph 20.] In this new world, such dangerous currents have swept along faster
than our efforts to contain them. And that is why we cannot afford to
be divided. No one nation, no matter how large or powerful, can defeat
such challenges alone. None of us can deny these threats, or escape
responsibility in meeting them. In the absence of Soviet tanks and a
terrible wall, it has become easy to forget this truth. And if we’re
honest with each other, we know that sometimes, on both sides of the
Atlantic, we have drifted apart, and forgotten our shared destiny.

[Pargraph 21.] In Europe, the view that America is part of what has gone wrong in our
world, rather than a force to help us make it right, has become all too
common. In America, there are voices that deride and deny the
importance of Europe’s role in our security and our future. Both views
miss the truth: that Europeans today are bearing new burdens and
taking more responsibility in critical parts of the world; and that just as
American bases built in the last century still help to defend the security
of this continent, so does our country still sacrifice greatly for freedom
around the globe.

[Pargraph 22.] Yes, there have been differences between America and Europe. No
doubt, there will be differences in the future. But the burdens of global
citizenship continue to bind us together. A change of leadership in
Washington will not lift this burden. In this new century, Americans
and Europeans alike will be required to do more -- not less. Partnership
and cooperation among nations is not a choice; it is the only way, the
one way, to protect our common security and advance our common
humanity.

[Pargraph 23.] That is why the greatest danger of all is to allow new walls to divide us
from one another. The walls between old allies on either side of the
Atlantic cannot stand. The walls between the countries with the most
and those with the least cannot stand. The walls between races and
 16 PS4220 RHETORIC AND POLITICS

tribes; natives and immigrants; Christians and Muslims and Jews

cannot stand. These now are the walls we must tear down.

[Pargraph 24.] We know -- We know that these walls have fallen before. After
centuries of strife, the people of Europe have formed a Union of
promise and prosperity. Here, at the base of a column built to mark
victory in war we meet in the center of a Europe at peace. Not only
have walls come down in Berlin, but they've come down in Belfast,
where Protestant and Catholic found a way to live together; in the
Balkans, where our Atlantic alliance ended wars and brought savage
war criminals to justice; and in South Africa, where the struggle of a
courageous people defeated apartheid.

[Pargraph 25.] So history reminds us that walls can be torn down. But the task is never
easy. True partnership and true progress requires constant work and
sustained sacrifice. They require sharing the burdens of development
and diplomacy; of peace and progress. They require allies who will
listen to each other, learn from each other and, most of all, trust each
other.

[Pargraph 26.] That is why America cannot turn inward. That is why Europe cannot
turn inward. America has no better partner than Europe. Now -- Now is
the time to build new bridges across the globe as strong as the one that
binds us across the Atlantic. Now is the time to join together, through
constant cooperation and strong institutions and shared sacrifice and a
global commitment to progress, to meet the challenges of the 21st
century. It was this spirit that led airlift planes to appear in the sky
above our heads, and people to assemble where we stand today. And
this is the moment when our nations -- and all nations -- must summon
that spirit anew.

[Pargraph 27.] This is the moment when we must defeat terror and dry up the well of
extremism that supports it. This threat is real and we cannot shrink
from our responsibility to combat it. If we could create NATO to face
down the Soviet Union, we can join in a new and global partnership to
dismantle the networks that have struck in Madrid and Amman; in
London and Bali; in Washington and New York. If we could win a
battle of ideas against the communists, we can stand with the vast
majority of Muslims who reject the extremism that leads to hate instead
of hope.

[Pargraph 28.] This is the moment when we must renew our resolve to rout the
terrorists who threaten our security in Afghanistan, and the traffickers
who sell drugs on your streets. No one welcomes war. I recognize the
enormous difficulties in Afghanistan. But my country and yours have a
stake in seeing that NATO’s first mission beyond Europe’s borders is a
success. For the people of Afghanistan, and for our shared security, the
work must be done. America can't do this alone.  The Afghan people
need our troops and your troops; our support and your support to defeat
 Muhammad Al Miqhayil 17
[U071859Y]

the Taliban and al Qaeda, to develop their economy, and to help them
rebuild their nation. We have too much at stake to turn back now.

[Pargraph 29.] This -- This is the moment when we must renew the goal of a world
without nuclear weapons.  The two superpowers that faced each other
across the wall of this city came too close too often to destroying all we
have built and all that we love. With that wall gone, we need not stand
idly by and watch the further spread of the deadly atom. It is time to
secure all loose nuclear materials; to stop the spread of nuclear
weapons; and to reduce the arsenals from another era. This is the
moment to begin the work of seeking the peace of a world without
nuclear weapons.

[Pargraph 30.] This is the moment when every nation in Europe must have the chance
to choose its own tomorrow, free from the shadows of yesterday. In
this century, we need a strong European Union that deepens the
security and prosperity of this continent, while extending a hand
abroad. In this century -- in this city of all cities -- we must reject the
Cold War mind-set of the past, and resolve to work with Russia when
we can, to stand up for our values when we must, and to seek a
partnership that extends across this entire continent.

[Pargraph 31.] This is the moment when we must build on the wealth that opens [sic]
markets have created, and share its benefits more equitably. Trade has
been a cornerstone of our growth and global development. But we will
not be able to sustain this growth if it favors the few, and not the
many. Together -- Together we must forge trade that truly rewards the
work that creates wealth, with meaningful protections for our people
and our planet. This is the moment for trade that is free and fair for all.

[Pargraph 32.] This is the moment we must help answer the call for a new dawn in the
Middle East. My country must stand with yours and with Europe in
sending a direct message to Iran that it must abandon its nuclear
ambitions. We must support the Lebanese who've marched and bled for
democracy, and the Israelis and the Palestinians who seek a secure and
lasting peace. And despite -- despite past differences, this is the
moment when the world should support the millions of Iraqis who seek
to rebuild their lives, even as we pass responsibility to the Iraqi
government and finally bring this war to a close.

[Pargraph 33.] This -- This is the moment when we must come together to save this
planet. Let us resolve that we will not leave our children to a world
where the oceans rise and famine spreads and terrible storms devastate
our lands. Let us resolve that all nations -- including my own -- will act
with the same seriousness of purpose as has your nation, and reduce the
carbon we send into our atmosphere. This -- This is the moment to give
our children back their future. This is the moment to stand as one.

[Pargraph 34.] And this is the moment when we must give hope to those left behind in
a globalized world. We must remember that the Cold War born in this
 18 PS4220 RHETORIC AND POLITICS

city was not a battle for land or treasure. Sixty years ago, the planes
that flew over Berlin did not drop bombs; instead they delivered food,
and coal, and candy to grateful children. And in that show of solidarity,
those pilots won more than a military victory. They won hearts and
minds; love and loyalty and trust -- not just from the people in this city,
but from all those who heard the story of what they did here.

[Pargraph 35.] Now the world will watch and remember what we do here -- what we
do with this moment. Will we extend our hand to the people in the
forgotten corners of this world who yearn for lives marked by dignity
and opportunity, by security and justice? Will we lift the child in
Bangladesh from poverty, and shelter the refugee in Chad, and banish
the scourge of AIDS in our time?

[Pargraph 36.] Will we stand for the human rights of the dissident in Burma, the
blogger in Iran, or the voter in Zimbabwe? Will we give meaning to the
words “never again” in Darfur?

[Pargraph 37.] Will we acknowledge -- Will we acknowledge that there is no more

powerful example than the one each of our nations projects to the
world? Will we reject torture and stand for the rule of law? Will we --
Will we -- Will we welcome immigrants from different lands, and shun
discrimination against those who don’t look like us or worship like we
do, and keep the promise of equality and opportunity for all of our
people?

[Pargraph 38.] People of Berlin -- people of the world -- this is our moment. This is
our time.

[Pargraph 39.] I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we’ve struggled
to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We’ve
made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions
around the world have not lived up to our best intentions.

[Pargraph 40.] But I also know how much I love America. I know that for more than
two centuries, we have strived -- at great cost and great sacrifice -- to
form a more perfect union; to seek, with other nations, a more hopeful
world. Our allegiance has never been to any particular tribe or kingdom
-- indeed, every language is spoken in our country; every culture has
left its imprint on ours; every point of view is expressed in our public
squares. What has always united us, what has always driven our
people, what drew my father to America’s shores -- is a set of ideals
that speak to aspirations shared by all people: that we can live free
from fear and free from want; that we can speak our minds and
assemble with whomever we choose and worship as we please.

[Pargraph 41.] These are the aspiration[s] that joins the fates of all nations in this city.
These aspirations are bigger than anything that drives us apart. It is
because of these aspirations that the airlift began. It is because of these
aspirations that all free people – everywhere – became citizens of
 Muhammad Al Miqhayil 19
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Berlin. It is in pursuit of these aspirations that a new generation -- our

generation -- must make our mark on the world.

[Pargraph 42.] People of Berlin -- and people of the world -- the scale of our challenge
is great. The road ahead will be long. But I come before you to say that
we are heirs to a struggle for freedom. We are a people of improbable
hope. With an eye toward the future, with resolve in our heart, let us
remember this history, and answer our destiny, and remake the world
once again.

[Pargraph 43.] Thank you, Berlin. God bless you. Thank you. Thank you.