Visual Argument

In a modern age of technology, we are able to access images and video from all over the world in a matter of seconds. Whether it be powerful visual images such as political cartoons or YouTube clips, we are all able to make strong arguments about everyday life, government, politicians and much more. For this assignment I focused on a man that has stifled change in the United States for the past eight years. Our President, George W. Bush, has done little or nothing to improve healthcare, lower tuition bills, rectify the welfare state, create worker rights or develop new social programs within the US. This directly correlates to my final paper topic as I am speaking about social progress in Germany versus America. In this country, a man and his administration have managed to squash any hope of any lasting social reform and have tarnished the nation’s image and economy at the same time. Not only that, but they have rung up a huge budget deficit, leaving the next generation to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and many other costly mistakes. George Bush inherited a budget surplus from a Democratic President in 2000. How a Republican, who is for a smaller government and less social welfare, turned this surplus into a multi-billion dollar shortfall is beyond me.

My visual argument itself tries to show that Bush and his policies are like a ticking time-bomb waiting to explode. He has done nothing to improve the American society. Without affordable healthcare, accessible education and social programs for everyone, there is no bright future for this country. If young adults cannot afford to get educated, if families have to choose between medicine or food, and if there are no rights for workers (no matter what their profession), then in my opinion we have failed. We have failed as a nation, as a society and as a culture.

In addition to the visual argument that I created myself, I found a comical YouTube video that pokes fun at President Bush, and shows his cluelessness. The video shows a man that is pompous yet confused. For the past two terms, this is how I have viewed Mr. Bush. He is someone that I never could imagine would be President of the most powerful country in the world. Although I sometimes believe that he does have a heart, his relative inaction as President has shown that he cares more about Americas presence in other countries than he does about what the future holds for the people living within the United States. Unfortunately, Bush’s description of being confused and pompous is a representation of America as well. We as a nation seem to be unsure of our future and what to expect from a new government taking shape in Washington. We can take solace in knowing, however, that there is very little chance that it can be worse than the last four years. Additionally, we can hopefully look forward to strides in universal healthcare, welfare reform and equal rights for all Americans.