Analytical Essay - Terrorism

Since the event of the terrorist attacks in New York on September 11, 2001, the issue of terrorism has received a considerable amount of media attention. The recent bombings of Bali and Jakarta caused this media focus to be further intensified allowing much discussion and debate between commentators such as Andrew Bolt, presenting their view on possible motives for such terrorist attacks. ‘The Blast of Truth’, appearing in The Herald Sun on Thursday 7th August, 2003, advocates his blatant opinion on this issue with a contention that terrorism is not a war against “Australia or wicked America”, but rather against freedom. Bolt employs various persuasive techniques with the intention to sway the reader whilst clearly revealing his prominent stance on the fight for freedom as he puts it.

Throughout the article, the author adopts the use of colloquial language and begins his discussion with a sarcastic tone. This language is designed to generate a particular level of inter...