Tag: Public speaking

Statistics for Evil

A few weeks ago I looked at Malenkov’s use of statistics and then on how he threatened the USA with nuclear war. 

Statistics are often used as evidence – sometimes more menacingly than others. This is part of the rhetorical branch of logos (the use of logic). 

While Malenkov used statistics to gloat of an apparent Soviet success, other speakers have used statistics as a form of fear mongering.

In his notorious Rivers of Blood speech in 1968, Enoch Powell used statistics on the number of immigrants to strike fear into his audience. 

In an attack on Britain’s immigrant population, Powell said…

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Threatening the USA

Last week I looked at Malenkov’s ridiculously long sentences and somewhat meaningless statistics. This time, I want to look at his use of threats! 

Despite starting with boring statistics, Malenkov’s speech picked up when he started talking about international affairs. He placed a great emphasis on characterising the USSR as friendly but powerful if it needs to be.

On the one hand he said…

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Soviet stats and suffocating sentences

Last week, a friend went to a second-hand book sale and bought me a pamphlet called Speech by G. M. Malenkov to the USSR Supreme Soviet. I have great friends, right? The pamphlet, with an English translation of Malenkov’s speech from April 26, 1954, was published by Soviet News of 3 Rosary Gardens, London – an ironically bourgeois address. 

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