Reflection of social and political processes in the USA in military metaphors of Barack Obama

The article deals with the peculiarities of military metaphors usage in the political discourse of Barack Obama on the basis of transcript analysis of his public speeches. These metaphors are considered as means of reflection of different processes occurring at a specific period of time in the political and social life of the country on the basis of the opposition WE - THEY. Military metaphors, despite of their implied aggressive vector, serve as a tool of representing Barack Obama as a strong, wise and caring leader, whose ultimate value is a decent life of his people. Such terms as health, security, freedom, democracy, etc are considered as the highest values of the American society that need to be protected from either inner or outer threats. The research is based on the discursive approach to the study of metaphors and is represented by the opposition WE - THEY. Some of the examples of military metaphors usage express the desire of Obama to promote democratic values throughout the world, to condemn the tyrannical regimes that pose a threat to American lifestyle and basic values. The goal of all of this is to make people believe in the exclusiveness of the USA in advancing democracy to every corner of the world, thus justifying all the means necessary for this advance. Still Obama often wants to underline the willingness of the US to help those who are ready for changes. Other examples represent political and social life of the United States as a battlefield, where the enemy (mostly the Republican Party) always creates obstacles on the road to prosperity. Obama's strategy of self-representation includes the role of a tireless fighter for what is just and fair, the defender of socially disad-vantaged and discriminated. The aim of using military metaphors in this context is to encourage people to fight for their future, to improve their living conditions and social status, to make everyone pursue their own piece of the "American dream". The manipulative potential of military metaphors in the opposition WE - THEY is a powerful tool of discredit of those who are to be to blame for the existing problems - Republicans, lobbyists, politics in Washington in general, etc.

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