Topic > Ronald Reagan's Speech Against the Existence of the Iron Curtain

In June 1987, the world watched President Ronald Reagan as he traveled to Berlin to face the impact of one of the greatest symbols of world communism: the Berlin Wall. For nearly two decades, the “Iron Curtain” cut off communications between fellow Germans and eventually divided the country into two regions, communist East Germany and democratic West Germany. President Reagan intended to mobilize the people of West Germany against the Soviet Union and communism in favor of American democratic values. In his speech, Reagan first asserts his credibility as president to make the public believe he is trustworthy, but proceeds to provide unclear information. Shortly thereafter, Reagan captivates his audience by boldly demanding that the president of the Soviet Union tear down the Berlin Wall. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayReagan uses ethics to establish credibility by connecting to the success of democracy in America. In the exposition, Reagan clearly states: "We come to Berlin, we American presidents, because it is our duty to speak in this place of freedom." Reagan makes it clear early on that as a representative of America, a country recognized worldwide as a symbol of freedom and independence, he is the perfect person to talk about the lack of freedom in Germany. Carefully observing Reagan's diction, he tells the audience that it is his "duty" to speak. Reagan chooses his words carefully to bolster his credentials by claiming that he is qualified to talk about freedom because, as president-elect, he is a symbol of democracy. While Reagan certainly represents democracy and freedom in America, he provides vague reasoning as to why the Soviet Union is failing compared to the United States. However, because he has made his audience aware that he is in a very good position of power, he is a reliable speaker and can be trusted. Reagan first describes America as a thriving country, and more than any other civilization in all of history. He then states: “In the communist world we see failure, technological backwardness, worsening health standards, even shortages of the most basic form: too little food.” Although Reagan provides examples of why the Soviet Union is failing, these criticisms are unclear and ultimately subject to interpretation. For example, while Reagan claims that there is technological backwardness in the communist world, this criticism is well established. Through these criticisms, it is clear that Reagan is setting a serious and subtly aggressive tone by portraying the Soviet Union as the enemy. Regardless, the public is unaware of life on the other side of the wall, and since Reagan essentially accused the Soviet Union of mistreating Germany, the public is easily convinced that Reagan understands the situation and that there must be truth in these accusations. , Reagan continues to employ rational thinking to persuade his audience to embrace democracy. “In the Philippines, Central and South America, democracy has experienced a renaissance. Across the Pacific, free markets are delivering miracle after miracle of economic growth.” Here Reagan explains that the economies of developing countries are beginning to prosper by transitioning to democracy as a form of government. Through Reagan's optimistic tone, it is clear that he is implying that this connection must be universal. His point is that if East Germany were to embrace democracy like poorer, developing countries, it would succeed and no longer be plagued by food shortages. With this simple ideology,.