The War On Drugs
Richard Nixon’s use of rhetoric created a common enemy for the American people.
George Orwell believed one of the greatest issues of language was the insincerity of the speaker, “the great enemy of clear language is insincerity and all issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred and schizophrenia.” In 1971, Richard Nixon declared that “America’s public enemy number one in the United States is drug abuse.” This movement to combat drug use in America became known as the “War on Drugs.” Language used during this era was victimizing, stigmatizing, misplaced blame, and most importantly created a common enemy for the American public, drug users. Politicians used rhetorical devices to make the public respond more harshly towards drug users rather than sympathetic and willing to help with drug rehabilitation. Richard Weaver’s theory on rhetoric argues that politicians throughout history use “God” or “Devil” terms to persuade an audience towards one view or another. God terms demand respect and have “inherent potency” (Weaver) while remaining vague such as “progressive” and “freedom“. Devil terms often evoke disgust in society and are rejected such as “Nazis” and “pedophiles.” These terms are used to create a reaction out of the audience and to get a listener to evaluate the intention behind these words and terms.
Nixon had a goal during this movement and it was to increase prevention of drug use and increase treatment for drug abuse, however the language used by him and other politicians shifted public perception to make the American people believe that drug users were not only dangerous but a threat to America. Nixon claimed that drugs were the public enemy number one. By using the metaphor, the “War on Drugs,” many believed that there was a battle to be fought and that one side would have to lose by the end of the war. Nixon created an environment in which the public felt that they needed to fight and defeat this enemy in a “new, all-out offensive method.” Nixon’s use of this metaphor put Americans against each other believing that they truly had to “grind the opposition into the ground” in order to control drug use in America. The war metaphor also evoked intimidation into the public by stating that those who don’t “fight” against this “battle” are unpatriotic, weak, and only care about their own personal interests. This metaphor created a massive effect throughout the U.S. by dividing the country into the “heroes” and the “enemy” and creating a space in which the only way to deal with drug abuse is to have a violent battle.
Both God terms and devil terms were used during this era to get Americans to reciprocate to speeches about drug abuse. Nixon used many god terms to make the American public feel united as one and united as a front against drug users. He used phrases such as “keep families together” and “building communities” and “protecting us Americans” to make the public feel as if they are the glue that holds the country together. On the other hand he used devil phrases such as “destroy,” “attack,” “the magnitude of drugs” “the enemy,” and “all-out war” to make the public react against drug users. Drug users no longer needed help in the eyes of the public, but they needed to be taken down and punished for what they have down. Nixon created a scenario in which the American people were the heroes coming in to fight an all-out war against the enemy, drug users. WIthout these phrases Nixon would not have been able to appeal to his audience and make them feel as if he was speaking directly to them.
Nixon used rhetoric and the emotions of the public to associate drug use and addiction with crime. By creating an environment where drug users were the enemies, many Americans felt as if this war was meant to criminalize anyone involved with dealing drugs or using drugs. This language used by him and other politicians created a movement which not only blamed a group of people, but amplified the emotions of the American public and made them feel as if they were fighting their own battle against drugs.
Politicians can use “god and devil” terms to persuade an audience to believe one thing or another, but if the public, in the future, thinks about the words behind a speech and the intentions of the politicians, they can come to their own conclusions about a hot topic such as the war on drugs or the war on terrorism.
