U.S. Is Preparing for a Long Siege of Arab Unrest

Link to Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/16/world/middleeast/us-is-preparing-for-a-long-siege-of-arab-unrest.html?pagewanted=all

This New York Times article delves into the recent development in Middle Eastern countries, destroying all symbols of American nationalism after a Anti-Muslim film insulting Mohammed was released. We can assume that the viewpoint of this article is slightly influenced by the US since both authors of this article are White House correspondents. The importance of this article is clear, given that many people do not envision that changes will occur not only in the Middle East, but also in our own nation, as this foreign policy issue battles President Obama heading into the upcoming election. We must also consider that these authors are writing in what has been shortly after the climax of the attacks, helping us readers to predict a somewhat panicked and unsure tone for this article. Obviously, the New York Times is directed to the general public, more specifically trying to inform the common American about the recent events in the world. In a way, though, the article does show a subtle type of persuasion, attempting to instill a sense of concern about this issue, illustrating the use of rhetoric. I feel that both authors were able to use their writing effectively to inform the people of the United States about the rioting in the Middle East. As someone who had very little awareness of this issue prior to reading this article, I can now feel confident telling about the situation to others and considering the effects this issue will have on the impending election.