TOW 27: PRY: The danger of dismissing North Korea’s nuclear threat

With the commotion around North Korea and its nuclear threat, this article provides a fresh perspective on the whole issue. It criticizes Obama's administration for greatly downplaying the threat the North Korea poses. The government has been minimizing and even denying the existence of North Korea's nuclear missile threat. However, the article argues that Obama should follow in the footsteps of previous presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson and instead warn the people of a potential threat. America must realize that North Korea poses a huge threat and instead of denying this fact, be proactive about this threat.

This article comes from The Washington Times and is written by Peter Vincent Pry.

This article is significant in context. With America's intense fear of terrorism, this threat is an explicit example. In order to coax the citizens into thinking that everyone is safe and sound, the government has been denying the existence of a threat, when in reality, North Korea has great potential to cause harm. This article gives readers a glimpse into the reality of things by exposing that North Korea actually does pose a threat with its nuclear weapons program.

The purpose of this article was to criticize the Obama administration for its lack of truth on the issue of North Korea. The article urges and argues that the president should be proactive, pointing to John Kennedy's presidency in which he created ICBM programs to deter the Soviet Union from escalating the Cold War into a full out nuclear war. Like Kennedy, Obama should be more proactive and create ways in which to prevent North Korea from launching its weapons.

The audience of this article is the general public, but primarily Americans. This article reveals the flaws of the Obama administration specifically during this crucial time.

The rhetorical device of ethos was utilized in this article. In order for people to believe the point that the government of the United States is incorrect and that one writer is correct, Pry provides many examples of evidence. First, he references a leaked Defense Intelligence Agency report that states that North Korea does have ballistic missiles and expands upon this fact by stating that the administration is attempting to conceal it. In addition, he refers to previous presidencies to show the positive effects of being proactive and launching programs to prevent nuclear war. He also refers to events during the Cold War with the Soviet Union in which America was able to swiftly avoid a full out nuclear war by creating and enacting programs.

The article's purpose was achieved. By clearly getting  across the point that North Korea does in fact pose a threat to not only America but other foreign nations, Pry instills a feeling of urgency and determination to overcome this issue.