Half of the Country What

Half of the Country

What are the rhetorical devices employed in this speech?

There are numerous rhetorical devices present in the text. In sentence "Well, I say to them, I wouldn't give you a free iPhone 5 if they were growing on trees in one of my many vineyards" the interposition of "I say to them" is significant as it interrupts the rhythm of the sentence and underlines the actual recipients of the message conveyed. Another rhetorical device used is the hypophora, with questions being raised and answered in the same text. Examples are "would those paying taxes agree with this? Is it right for half of the country to support the Slackers?" Or "How can we punish children?" These rhetorical questions find their answers implicitly in the body of the text and for the latest example it is rather explicit in the continuation of the text. Even so, despite a stated answer, the question was meant to be rhetorical and have an immediate personal impact on the audience. Also used in the text is the metabasis device in sentences such as "In summary, I implore all of you to vote for me" or "However, I do understand…" in which linkages are made between sentences and ideas through words such as "in summary" or "however."

Identify one logical fallacy found in the speech. Provide the sentence and explain why it is a logical fallacy

A logical fallacy in this text may be the false assumption that half the people not having a means of living are lazy. The set of sentences "The Slackers are lazy! Nothing is ever enough for them," points several shortcomings. On the one hand it generalizes and states as general truth an issue that cannot be validated. The term "lazy" makes a statement concerning a personal attitude that cannot be quantified or proven scientifically or through statistics. Further, the second part of the construction is again a personal remark that should not be made in a political speech. It is not only subjective but also offensive. On the other hand, even if there may be cases in which people may be reluctant to work, this cannot be cause for generalization to the entire population that is not paying taxes. Further, the speaker dismisses this generalization when arguing that children, that do not pay taxes either, cannot be "punished" which means that at least they are not lazy.

Identify one psychological fallacy found in the speech. Provide the sentence and explain why it is a psychological fallacy