Tugging On The Heartstrings With Pathos

Take a quick gander at this video of FDR giving his speech on the "great arsenal of democracy." It's pretty impressive—he's got that squinty-eyed look on his face, and the bow tie makes it obvious he's very, very serious.

But remember, most people wouldn't have actually seen him give his speech. Most people would've heard it, over the radio. No shots of snazzy bow ties for them, unfortunately.

And we're not even talking about the Apple Radio you can get on your iPhone. Americans would've had radios that looked something like the one in the movie Annie: big, wood-paneled, and a perfect spot to rest your head.

While Annie and her friends sang and danced and never dressed without a smile, FDR was revolutionizing the relationship between a president and the general public. He was an excellent communicator, and his radio addresses made lots of people feel intimately connected with the most powerful man in the world.

That emotional appeal (that'd be pathos in action) was crucial to FDR's various policy plans throughout his presidency. In his "Great Arsenal of Democracy," FDR counted on his ability to connect with the American people on an emotion level, and he starts from the very beginning by asking everyone to recall the banking crisis of 1932.

As if people could ever forget the banking crisis of 1932.

FDR wanted folks to remember the emotions associated with that time in the not-so-distant past. So many people, from "the workmen in the mills, the mines, the factories...[to] the farmer doing his spring plowing" were worried about how they'd survive, were worried about their life's savings (6). But he also wanted the American people to remember the way they'd all come together to address the situation.

It's called patriotism, folks, and Americans have it in spades. FDR appealed to that loyalty and dedication to incite an emotional response. Even during the worst financial crisis in U.S. history, the American people still rallied and fought back…because that's just what Americans do.

You're feeling like belting out God Bless America right now, aren't you? That's okay—we'll wait.

Emotion is a powerful motivator, and FDR incited feelings of patriotism numerous times throughout his speech, because reminding the American people of their love of country made everyone more invested in what he was talking about.

And he needed everyone's support, which is where the logos (or logic) comes into play.

And Rallying The Troops—Er, Manufacturers—With Logos

First, FDR addresses anyone who says isolation is the best way to address the war in Europe. (This was most of the U.S., btw.)

He wanted the naysayers to understand that the Axis weren't ever going to be happy with conquering Europe, and leaving the U.S. alone. Check it out:

That is the same dangerous form of wishful thinking which has destroyed the powers of resistance of so many conquered peoples. (69)

In other words, the Nazis plowed into Poland and Austria and Belgium, and France—there's no logical way they'd just stop and leave the rest of the world alone.

And to all those people who say the best bet might be to just jump on the dictatorial bandwagon, FDR says, essentially, "NO @#$%-ING WAY. WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?"

(We don't like to yell at you in all caps, but we think FDR would have wanted his emotions passed on this way.)

Allying with Germany was not an option, no matter how many people talked it up as the best solution to avoid physically fighting in the war.

FDR is a master at combining logic and emotion throughout the "Great Arsenal of Democracy." He talked about what was happening in Europe between the Allies and the Axis, as well as what was likely to happen if the Germans kept misbehaving. Then he appealed to the inherent patriotism in all Americans, the desire for freedom and security, by saying outright that the Axis:

[…] is not a union of ordinary, self-respecting men and women to protect themselves and their freedom and their dignity from oppression. (110)

Logically and emotionally, the United States cannot support a government like that.

A Man With A Plan

Now that he had everybody all fired up, FDR detailed his plan to help—because that's just what America had to do. However, in another emotional appeal to his audience, FDR acknowledged that he wasn't planning to send American troops overseas.

Instead, he wanted U.S. industry to dedicate all they had to producing weapons and supplies for the Allies:

American industrial genius, unmatched throughout all the world in the solution of production problems, has been called upon to bring its resources and its talents into action. (155)

And, logically, everybody knew the United States had access to lots of natural resources, so the American people were ready and able to get the job done. FDR said all manufacturers would dedicate themselves to munitions production, and the workers and managers and plant owners would work together—just as everyone had come together in the face of the banking crisis eight years before.

In the words of Rosie The Riveter: We can do it.