Answer

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     Terrorism and Cuba

     Introduction

     In 1992, Cuba was cited as a State Sponsor of Terrorism. One of the reasons for this designation is the country’s history of becoming a safe haven for both individual terrorists and guerrilla groups (Rennack & Sullivan, 2015). The country has historically been accused of advising, communicating, training, and providing financial support to terror groups. Cuba’s history of terrorism underscores the importance of adopting a policy to stop the trends of terror in the country. This paper provides a discussion of the issue of terror in Cuba, including the root causes, theoretical underpinnings, and data on the same.

     Background Research and Theory

                 Terrorism has various deep-rooted causes that, when combined, result in countries being designed as state sponsors of the vice. In 2019, Cuba refused Colombia’s request to extradite 10 ELN leaders after the group admitted to having bombed Bogota police, killing 22 people and injured 87 others (Lopez, 2020). Although the Cuban government denied knowledge about the presence of ELN members in its precincts, fugitive ELN terrorism is reported to be living in Havana. According to conflict theory, terrorism is a reaction to injustice (Kornbluh, 2017). Also, this theory argues that violent behaviors by terror organizations emanate from individual frustrations, aggression, and readiness to fight against perceived injustices (Alexander, 2019). However, terror can also be explained from the functionalism theory that views the vice as a temporary deviation of people from the norms in society.

                 Terrorism in Cuba can be explained from the world system theory, which holds that whereas some countries across the globe benefit from the global economic systems, other feel exploited; hence, terror is used in addressing global inequality (Richards, 2014). Cuba feels that it has been disenfranchised by global inequality; hence, its tolerance to terror groups and individuals (Cross, 2017). The dependency theory explains that resources flow from the poor and underdeveloped countries to the wealthy states, thus, enrich the latter at the former’s expense (Martin, 2018; Freilich & LaFree, 2017). Cuba views countries such as the US as benefiting from its resources, and terror is used in changing the flow of resources. Moreover, the modernization theory holds that states move from traditional societies to modern ones, and terror might be used to hasten such a process (Pisoiu & Hain, 2017). However, what is the historical trends of terrorism in Cuba? What are the root causes of these terror acts?

     Data and Analysis

                 Cuban society has historically experienced the effects of terror. Over the last 60 years, the war on terror in Cuba has cost the lives of close to 3,500 people, with thousands of others injured (Cuba Solidarity Campaign, 2010). Numerous attempts on the life of then Cuban president Fidel Castrol have historically been made (Kornbluh, 2017). One of the devastating acts of terror in Cuba is the October 6, 1976 bombing of the Cuban Airlines Flight 455, where 73 persons were killed (Cuba Solidarity Campaign, 2010). Also, the explosion of La Coubre in Havana harbor on a steamship resulted in the death of more than 100 and injuries to 300 more (Lopez, 2020). These incidences arise from social issues such as poverty and the mixed demographics in the country. Also, failure by the administrative regimes to stamp their foot on terror groups is to blame.

     Conclusion

                 Cuba has historically felt the effects of terror and was once placed in countries with state-sponsored terrorism. Terrorism acts in the country can be pegged on inequalities, and the frustration of the Cuban residents. Also, the government’s failure to extradite those culpable for terror has been a root cause of terrorism in the country. As such, there is a need to formulate a policy that addresses the vice of terror, which has led to deaths and injuries to thousands of people in Cuba.

      

      

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Answer

Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” Movie Analysis

            While delivering a speech, persuasion is essential in convincing the audience to listen to their ideas in their address. In An Inconvenient Truth, former US Vice President Al – Gore speaks on global warming as an encroaching crisis affecting its atmosphere and the environment as his central message. Al- Gore effectively persuades the audience into joining his cause against global warming by using persuasive communication strategies, a solid introduction, rhetoric strategies, oral citations, proper speech delivery, and presentation aids to evoke the audience in supporting his cause.

            Al- Gore’s successfully incorporates a solid speech introduction to attract the audience’s attention. He begins the introduction with a joke alluding to him being the “former future president of the United States.” The use of such a satirical comment evokes the audience wondering who would be bold enough to stand on stage after losing a race, such as the presidential election. This captures the audience to be more involving in his speech and sit for a better listening into the matters at hand. Later on, he introduces his speech topic by focusing on his central message, outlining his whole address’s main points. Finally, it eases the audience by showing a mangrove parchment indicated to involve the audience in relating to a preserved environment before expounding on his speech. The audience is engaged after this as he gets into his central message and further engaging in his speech.

Al-Gore’s excellently persuades the audience by using ethos as a rhetorical strategy throughout the speech.  Ethos employs a sense of trustworthiness and competence that enables the audience to believe in the speaker’s credibility. He shows ethos by acknowledging his commitment to the earth as an environmental activist. Al- Gore’s speech is based on expansive research that helps the audience trust his competence in speaking on the issue. Al- Gore’s possesses charisma and positive energy that attracts the audience to remain rooted in listening to his appeal towards addressing global warming. As characteristics of applying ethos in a speech, the combination of dynamism and competence draws the crowd to become trustworthy with his presentation and remains attentive throughout the address.

Al- Gore’s effectively employs persuasive communication strategies that include positive motivation, negative motivation, cognitive dissonance, non-verbal communication, and appeals to self-esteem in his speech. Positive and negative motivations are essential in persuading the audience to venture into addressing global warming to achieve positive outcomes in the environment. Consequently, Al-Gore uses negative motivation to convince the audience that failure to look into measures of curbing global warming and climate change, the earth might end up like the few places he depicts in his comparison photographs and videos. Cognitive dissonance helps change one’s perspective to something by discomforting norms and beliefs to persuade an audience towards change. At the start of the documentary, Al-Gore introduces a short video of a beautiful mangrove parchment that would stay in the back of the audience’s mind on what should be safeguarded.  To destabilize the audience, he shows pictorials of areas devastated by global warming, evoking fear and panic for the world that has become dormant in addressing this issue. Intertwined, with his central idea, Al- Gore persuades the audience in a bleak and disheartened tone to fight for preserving the environment.

            In addition, Al-Gore’s effectually uses non-verbal communication in his body language is established through a dejected worrying tone for identifying with the audience on the prevailing situation. Al- Gore’s body movement showed confidence in his walk and constant interactiveness with the audience. Al – Gore also has a confiden, genuine smile appearing as a well- groomed and dressed man in delivering his speech. In the documentary, Al-Gore’s clear expression of displeasure with people who negated around global warming instead of addressing is clear.  Al-Gore aimed to show concern for the issue. Al –Gore’s self-esteem pushes his central message across the audience by focusing on positivity and the audience’s contributions to curb global warming. His articulation of each point across helps in building confidence with the audience. His confidence in his speech persuades the audience to be on board the matter.

            Oral citations are well used in An Inconvenient Truth to capture the audience’s attention. Al- Gore uses oral citations effectively to show reliability, credibility, and validity of information conveyed in his speech address. Denoting empirical evidence from videos, charts, and maps allude the audience into believing that Al- Gore critically researched the issue and came up with a profound speech to convince the audience to join his cause to remove fallacies on wrong information presented in his speech. Virtually, his research pays off as he captures the audience in his factual interactions on the matter.

Al – Gore excellently uses presentation aids like projected images, comparison photographs, short videos, satirical cartoons, and info graphs like maps and charts to help persuade his audience to come to his plea in preserving the environment by combating global warming. Projected images show areas adversely affected by global warming, including flooded areas. The short videos as well show people injured due to flooding. The graphs and maps show empirical evidence of the effects of global warming in areas. A comparison of videos and pictures shows how some places were before global warming and its impact after years. All these visual aids serve as areas involving the audience’s concern and worry over the deteriorating ecosystem around us. Al-Gore was not shy off, including videos of politicians passing over the global warming issue through satirical cartoons while also poking at renowned scientists worldwide who showed the existence of climate change. As much as Al-Gore is a politician, he intended for the audience to understand that his concern was for the environment and endeavors towards combating global warming rather than politically-driven shows with aspirations of a political seat.

Lastly, Al- Gore successfully uses ethos, pathos, and logos strategies to capture the audience’s attention in his speech. Ethos employs a sense of trustworthiness and competence that enables the audience to believe in the speaker’s credibility. He shows ethos by acknowledging his commitment to the earth as an environmental activist. The documentary shows the incorporation of logos through his presentation of scientific facts that support his claims to global warming as an issue of concern. Lastly, his attributes to incorporate his son’s demise into comparing it to his commitment to the environment show pathos as a rhetoric strategy.  Successful integration of photographs and videos of areas affected by global warming helped provoke the audience to support his cause towards alleviating global warming.

In conclusion, Al – Gore effectively incorporates persuasive communication strategies, a solid introduction, rhetoric strategies, oral citations, proper speech delivery, and presentation aids to evoke the audience in supporting his fight against global warming.  Using all these techniques successfully convinces the audience to have a concern about the deteriorating ecosystem. Having watched the documentary, I am persuaded to carry on the legacy of conserving our environment as an environmental ambassador.         

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