The presented rhetorical analysis is aimed at examining the rhetorical culture of the selected countries. According to Atkins, such kind of investigation assists in identifying the character of the authorities-citizens’ relations (Atkins & Finlayson 2013). Therefore, it is presumed that the following study will contribute to a better understanding of the relevant political structures and will help to consider the concept of democracies and authoritarian regimes in the framework of Iraq and Belarus.
To begin with, it is important to determine the difference between the contested autocracies and uncontested dictatorships. Thus, a contested autocrat is a politic that has to balance between exercising his power and minding the interests of his allies as the former have a chance to express their disagreement via a social rebel. On the contrary, an uncontested dictator is a politic whose power allows him to remain undependable on any external threats of his removal (Svolik 2012). Basing on this interpretation of the discussed concepts, one can refer Belarus’s political regime to the uncontested dictatorship whereas the Iraq political organization is to be defined as a contested autocracy. However, one would, probably, say that a “mixed-message politics” is employed in both cases (Goodin & Saward 2005).
Even though it is difficult to draw parallels between the two countries due to the instability in the Iraq’s environment, it is still possible to point out several peculiarities in the countries’ rhetorical culture. First of all, both countries have laws regulating their mass media institutes. In the case of Iraq, it is the Information Crimes Law that is widely criticized by the Human Rights Watch (Katzman & Humud 2015).
In Belarus, it is the Mass Media Law that implies a series of restrictions on the national mass media’s activity (Usov 2008). Another common point is a substantial religious impact that is present in both the rhetorical cultures. The Belarus’s regime regards the Orthodox Church as a solid base for its public rhetoric. It is considered to be a powerful means of the patriotism’s encouragement among the citizens (Usov 2008). Meanwhile, Islam plays an equally important role in the Iraq’s legal appeal to its society.
Nevertheless, there are some significant differences between these cultures as well. First of all, the recent changes in the Iraq’s political regime have made the authorities change their public rhetoric for the democratic direction. Although the country is a representative of the classic Eastern culture, the US’s interference has transformed the local environment significantly. Thus, now, the country’s rhetoric tries to avoid contradictions with the western world (Katzman & Humud 2015). On the contrary, Belarus’s authorities overtly announce their commitment to the conservative values that preserve the traditions of their background. These values are normally regarded as the throwback elements of the Soviet Union’s past (Usov 2008).
In conclusion, one can point out that the national rhetoric is of great significance as it has an influence both on the country’s interior environment and its relationships with the world’s society. It is evident that the rhetoric of both countries, as well as any other rhetoric, represents a carefully planned strategy aimed at strengthening the ideologies and the governmental power (Edelman 1988). Unlike the democratic rhetoric, authoritarian appeal implies an emphasis on the particular values that are commonly found in the relevant nation. The significant peculiarity of such rhetoric is that it is aimed at the local inhabitants rather than at the international society.
Reference List
Atkins, J & Finlayson, A 2013, ‘‘… A 40-Year-Old Black Man Made the Point to Me’: Everyday Knowledge and the Performance of Leadership in Contemporary British Politics’, Political Studies, vol. 61, no.1, pp. 161-177.
Edelman, M 1988, Constructing the Political Spectacle, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Goodin, R & Saward, M 2005, ‘Dog Whistles and Democratic Mandates’, The Political Quarterly, vol. 76, no.4, pp. 471-476.
Katzman, K & Humud, CE 2015,Iraq: Politics and Governance. Web.
Svolik, MV 2012, The Politics of Authoritarian Rule, Cambridge University Press, New York.
Usov, P 2008, ‘The Neo-Authoritarian Regime in the Republic of Belarus’, Lithuanian Foreign Policy Review, vol. 21, no.1, pp. 86-111.