Robert Byrd

Name: American Rhetoric Over the Top
Author: Robert Byrd

American Rhetoric Over the Top (2003)

Summary

“American Rhetoric Over the Top”, published in 2003, is a work by Robert Byrd. It explores elements such as the United States, Iraq and the United Nations.

Quotes from American Rhetoric Over the Top (Robert Byrd)

Robert Byrd, American Rhetoric Over the Top (2003)

“ Impetuous rhetoric has added fuel to the crisis with Iraq and strained our alliances. Before committing our nation to war with Iraq and the years of occupation that will surely follow, we should repair the damage to our relations with our allies. I urge the President to change the tone of our foreign policy — to turn away from threatening Iraq with war, away from insulting our friends and allies, away from threatening the United Nations with irrelevance. Our rhetoric has gone over the top, from giving an indication of our strength to giving an indication of recklessness. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Robert Byrd, American Rhetoric Over the Top (2003)

“ To be fair, the President and his advisors have repeatedly stated a preference for the peaceful disarmament of Iraq. But as I speak right now, many Americans believe that war is inevitable. Through words and through action, the United States appears to be on a collision course with war in the Persian Gulf. Stating a preference for a peaceful solution is not enough to alter the heading of our great ship of state.
If our rhetoric toward Iraq is not alarming enough, the last weeks have seen an appalling increase in criticism of our allies and the United Nations. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Robert Byrd, American Rhetoric Over the Top (2003)

“ To some of our allies, the United States, through its words and its actions on the crisis in Iraq, is beginning to look more like a rogue superpower than the leader of the free world. Many newspapers in European capitals criticize U.S. policy toward Iraq. Moderate Muslim nations, such as Jordan and Turkey, are growing progressively suspicious of American motives in the war against terrorism. An increasing number of people in Arab countries are coalescing around an outright hatred of the United States. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Robert Byrd, American Rhetoric Over the Top (2003)

“ Fortunately, the United States has a tradition in foreign policy of being slow to anger. We have nurtured a reputation of being rational and deliberate. I doubt that Americans would have much tolerance for a president who used the United Nations as a forum for testing the construction of his footwear on the nearest table. It would be a great departure for the United States to use its foreign policy organs as a means to spread divisive rhetoric. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Robert Byrd, American Rhetoric Over the Top (2003)

“ The world is now wondering, which is the greater threat to the relevance of the U.N.: a rogue nation that flaunts the will of the international community; or a permanent member of the Security Council that views the institution as useless unless it submits to its will? ”

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Source: Wikisource

Robert Byrd, American Rhetoric Over the Top (2003)

“ We expect North Korea or Iraq to use inflammatory propaganda to speak to the world, but we are a more dignified nation. There are ways for our country to indicate resolve without resorting to bellicosity. The subtext to nearly every new White House statement on Iraq is that the United States has run out of patience. The Administration is signaling its willingness to use an extreme amount of military force against Iraq when many still question the need to do so. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Robert Byrd, American Rhetoric Over the Top (2003)

“ While negotiation can steer great powers away from a course that would lead to war, we can usually count on public statements about diplomacy to be underwhelming.
There have been exceptional times when bold statements have energized world opinion. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Robert Byrd, American Rhetoric Over the Top (2003)

“ In broad strokes, the strategy argues that the United States should use its overwhelming military power to engage in preemptive strikes to prevent others from ever developing the means to threaten our country. The strategy notes a preference for working with allies to keep the peace, but underscores the willingness of the United States to act unilaterally. ”

Robert Byrd

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