We've Wasted Our Timeout (TOW 25)

          In terms of major conflict, the world has been dormant lately. Still warm after having been engaged in heated competition with the Soviet Union during the events of the Cold War, the United States was licking its wounds domestically, as were Russia, China, and most of Europe. Resolving underlying conflicts was unimportant, since nations were so fixated on their imminent danger. Author Thomas Friedman contemplates what the world could now see from this brewing conflict, and he writes an article trying to persuade readers that the world could surely be headed to another worldwide battle. The most evident rhetorical device he uses to help display this message is a metaphor connecting the situation of global politics to that of a timeout. Friedman links the two when he writes, “After all, in sports, timeouts are when you catch your breath, try to make sense of what is coming at you at high speed, figure out what has been working and what has not, design a play to win the game and then collaborate on its execution.” In a time that the world must be collaborating to find solutions to clear problems, nations are isolating themselves and simply regrouping. The comparison Friedman draws is perfect to describe the danger that is imminent in the near future of the globe. Friedman, in his article considering his opinion on what the world has become and what direction it is currently headed, effectively conveys his message and, as a result, achieves his purpose in the text.