Letter to Michael White

After reading your blog about Angela Merkel, I started to analyze how you presented your argument and thesis. You used word choice, tone, and appeal to give credibility; indeed, you employed emotions to address controversial questions regarding the future of Germany and the alliance with the U.K. if Merkel did not win in 2017. Your blog seemed to set up a rhetorical analysis that allows readers to prepare for what should come next.

First, in the blog, you discussed the importance of Merkel since the reunification of Germany after the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989. You explained how Merkel’s background has deeply influenced her role as Chancellor of Germany for more than 10 years. The fact that Merkel comes from East Germany explains why she believes in social solidarity and working in a coalition-based political system; therefore, she is a mistress of consensus [1]. Merkel’s political survival is not just important for Germany, but also for the United Kingdom. If she is in political trouble today, it is because of her open position towards refugees.

Second, in your rhetoric, you introduce an actor who helps to strengthen what you have said about Merkel and Germany. You introduced the opinion of Neil MacGregor, a British art historian and former museum director. Through his words, you reaffirm that Merkel’s decision to accept Syrian refugees in Germany is based on the fact that the eastern borders were redrawn when Germany was defeated in 1945. MacGregor emphasized that Germany does not have a nationalist sense like France and England because of their Protestant mindset and also because Germany did not have a centralized state like the other two.

I think that you support and balance your ideas with knowledge and facts. Even though in a blog there is no filter, you considered that using the expertise of a historian, you provide the reader with the context they need to understand how important the role of Angela Merkel is in the leadership of Europe. You know that people need to understand that in this specific political context, Angela Merkel, a classic German center-right politician in ideas and actions, is a key player in the political future of Europe’s center-left.