By using rhetorician Kenneth Burke's theory of Dramatism this paper will analyze the presence of nationalism in oral descriptions of the goals of a national space program by analyzing two public addresses, one Soviet, one American. By employing the focus that Burke's lens provides us we can start to understand that while space exploration is often hailed as peaceful and for the benefit of humanity, it is often "sold" to the public in starkly nationalistic terms as a way to ignite public pride in the program, and to generate the necessary financial support for the undertaking of exploration activities. It is important to remember that rhetoric is historical and that the analysis of it is important to our community. By examining the role of nationalism in space exploration, we may begin to see why nations explore space; why so-called "developing" nations value a national space program; and why cooperation in space may still be fragile, subject to prevailing national whims and political goals, and overshadowed by geopolitical events - similar to the period of U.S. - Soviet rivalry. It is important to look back at these two speeches both to acknowledge their impact on world history, but also to learn from their rhetoric so that future space exploration efforts are more about cooperation and collaboration which may foster a new generation of exploration for all mankind, and less about nationalist rivalries that can stunt growth and cripple our ability to further understand our universe. The artifacts to be analyzed are Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev's April 14, 1961 address to the Soviet People entitled 'The Feat Will Go Down in the Ages," an address celebrating the safe orbit and return of Cosmonaut Yuri Gargarin from space and American President John F. Kennedy's September 12, 1962 address at Rice University entitled "Why We go to the Moon." Besides being iconic speeches, both firmly established the idea that space programs were primarily national undertakings and a source of pride to their nations. Additionally, the Soviet "victory" in reaching space first directly influenced Kennedy's motivation to put the U.S. on the Moon before the Soviets. Through the gaze of Burke, we can see that both speeches were fiercely nationalistic, spoken by actors firmly enmeshed in a Cold War mentality - that neither could escape due to the prevailing political atmospheres. Burke argued that all "life is drama," and that each of us is an actor on life's stage - with our actions and words creating reality. For Khrushchev and Kennedy, the reality of supporting the advancement of their national space programs created a nationalistic rivalry between the nations that lasted throughout the Cold War. Through Burke's lens we can examine the actors - both shaped by their national viewpoints; the place of both speeches - one in a central downtown Moscow area at a rally proclaiming success in the nascent "space race," and the other in a university setting of a private university - perhaps contrasting the public and the private; the common and the privileged; the agency of both leaders, and the importance of establishing their visions for space; and the purpose of their action - both celebrating their national space programs while laying out visionary claims for the future of space exploration.
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