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Fdr Inaugural Address Rhetorical Analysis

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After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the US declared war against Japan and Germany. Before this, however, President Franklin Roosevelt urged the US to join the war. In fireside chats and speeches to the public and congress, FDR discussed offering aid to allied countries and a course of action that should be taken. Overall, Roosevelt visioned that America’s role should be to help countries in need by upholding democratic values and lending war materials and money, which would be accomplished by Congress passing laws that allow joining the war effort and offering such aid. Every week, FDR addressed the nation in radio talks, known as Fireside Chats. One such chat on May 27, 1941 is where he discussed why and how the US should aid its allies that were involved in the war. To begin with, Roosevelt states that to Congress, he said “I should like to be able to offer the hope that the shadow over the world might swiftly pass. I cannot”. Because of an embargo on arms in a Neutrality declaration, the US was not permitted to send war materials to countries at war. This shows that Roosevelt’s vision for America was to help other countries because he asked Congress to repeal a provision that limited the aid the US could give. Roosevelt stated that a year after he said this to Congress, a deal was finalized with …show more content…

This reasoning was that helping allies“has been based on hard-headed concern for our own security and for the kind of safe and civilized world in which we wish to live.” Roosevelt wanted to stop Germany and Japan from further expansion in fear of possible domination of dictatorship throughout the world, possibly even taking over the US. For the US, there was so self-interest in joining the war, as in the US did not wish to gain land or power in Europe or Asia. Simply, the US wanted to preserve democratic values and stop the spread of

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