Title: Occultatio: The Bush Administration's Rhetorical War.
Authors: Conley, Donovan; Saas, WilliamO.
Abstract: Debate roiled in the early months of Barack Obama's presidency surrounding the use of “enhanced interrogation” techniques and their relation to torture. In this essay we argue that the Bush White House bequeathed to the incoming administration a citizenry haunted by the paradox of torture enacted in the name of freedom. To account for this legacy, we introduce the trope of occultatio, a device of imperial mystification. Through key examples of legalese, signing statements, redaction, and stonewalling, we show how the Bush administration's occultic political style actively exploited the gaps of which democracy is made.
Subjects: ESSAYS; TORTURE; CRIMINAL procedure; RHETORIC; CRIMES against humanity; OBAMA, Barack, 1961-; BUSH, George W. (George Walker), 1946-
Publication: Western Journal of Communication, 2010, Vol 74, Issue 4, p329
ISSN: 1057-0314
Publication type: Academic Journal
DOI: 10.1080/10570314.2010.492822

Occultatio: The Bush Administration's Rhetorical War.

Conley, Donovan; Saas, WilliamO.