I chose to read "From Ancient Greece to Iraq, the Power of Words in Wartime" by Lackoff. This essay allows the reader to form an understanding of how war language is used, why it is used, and some of the countries who used war language. This essay breaks down the traditional stereotype of what you would think an essay should be. In my opinion, this essay was more educational. "In World War I, the British gave the Germans the nickname "Jerries" from the first syllable of German. In World War II, Americans referred to the Japanese as "Japs" (Lackoff). This essay provides the reader with many educational facts using the rhetorical style of definitions. Lackoff uses many examples of what other countries named their enemies so that the reader would be able to better understand that the military has to de-humanize their enemies in order to make them killable. Although Lackoff does not provide the reader with any in-text citation or a works cited page, Lackoff uses Ethos by providing credible facts throughout his writing. "But in war, military recruits must be persuaded that killing other people is not only acceptable but even honorable." (Lackoff). Although the reader is not given any proof through citation, we know this fact is credible because …show more content…
"An American soldier refers to and Iraqi prisoner as "it". A general speaks not of "Iraqi fighters" but of "the enemy". A weapons manufacturer doesn't talk about people but about "targets" (Lackoff). While soldiers are likely to feel guilty for taking a life, they are taught to think of the enemy as a target and not as a person in order to enable the soldiers to see their enemy as killable. This essay is also educational. Lackoff uses many examples of what countries have called their enemies dating all the way back to World War