TOW #9 - Paris and the Lessons of 9/11

We stand for the Tricolore. We stand for Justice. We Stand With Paris. Nous sommes tous Français. However, we must learn from their actions when supporting us in the past. They served as our anchor of logic when we were about to start the war in Iraq. They did not support the war because they believed it to be rash and thought that rage clouded our judgement. Now, in France's time of trouble, Americans rally with them to hopefully crush the source of terror, ISIS. The author wrote this article to have us learn from the past, and hopefully be a logical anchor to stop any rash decisions by the French Government in their time of need. Graduate of Pomona College and New York University Conor Friedersdorf calls for the US to be an ally to France in his article Paris and the Lessons of 9/11, but at the same time reminds us to be tactful with our alliances and convinces the reader to follow this train of thought with hard hitting historical evidence and a careful diction that builds ethos. He reminds the reader very carefully that he is for solidarity with France, just not complete agreement by saying: "I endorse the widespread affirmation of solidarity with the French" (para 3) and continues his point by saying: " good allies engage in constructive criticism as best they can" (9). He reminds us that we should support our ally, and then tells us that challenging them is perhaps the best thing an ally can do, as it is for their benefit, not us being evil to them. He also uses hard hitting historical evidence to show the need for a logical anchor. "a majority of Americans began to conclude that Saddam Hussein posed an uncontainable threat, our allies in Paris insisted that our trauma was clouding our judgment" (4). We fell into a trap that France warned against, but they were being good allies by reminding us to not be so rash. This also hits home to Americans, as many see the Iraq War as a mistake, and France's foresight will perhaps make people want to reciprocate this kindness. The careful diction that leaves the reader open to Friedersdorf's ideas and the relatable historical evidence converts the reader to want to make the US a better ally to a struggling nation. The delicate subject was handled with rhetoric, and the author was so successful in doing so.