http://www.rockridgeinstitute.org/research/lakoff/occupation
It is time to tell an inconvenient truth about Iraq: it is an occupation, not a war. In wars, armies fight to dominate land. The US won the war three years ago when Bush said, “Mission Accomplished”. Then the occupation started, and our troops were not trained or equipped for an occupation under predictably hostile circumstances. Finally getting the courage to tell the truth that the US is an occupying force drastically changes the picture in Iraq. You cannot “win” an occupation. “Cut and run” does not apply to an occupation. Occupiers have to leave; the only question is when and how. Progressive Democrats agree that it should be soon; they only disagree on details. Political courage is called for. Truth now!
then, of course there is the Republican framing of the issue....
There is a war against evil that must be fought. Fighting requires courage and bravery. Those fully committed to the cause are brave. Those who "cut and run" are motivated by self-interest; they are only interested in saving their own skins, not in the moral cause. They are cowards. And since those fighting for the cause need all the support they can get, anyone who decides to “cut and run” endangers both the moral cause and the lives of those brave people who are fighting for it. Those who have courage and conviction should stand and fight.
Be sure to read the whole article to understand how to escape the frame trap and also to avoid "self-interest" framing.....
Lakoff is giving some good advice. I read Lakoff's book, Don't Think about the elephant!, TWICE. On the second reading I noticed that his points and his doctrine of framing was a technique to be used but something to dwell upon.
To be perfectly honest, I haven't integrated framing into my rhetorical portfolio yet but I'm working on it.
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