TOW 18 - Keep the Door Open (Charlemagne)

Current events are history in the making; they reflect cultural values and defining events. The Economist is valued for its factual and refreshing perspective on modern world issues. In his blog post featured in The Economist, the faceless Charlemagne uses esoteric references and a specific arrangement to suggest that the Ukraine would be smart to rejoin the European Union. For someone who is not well versed on current events, someone who is not informed of the current turmoil in the Ukraine, reading Charlemagne's article at first is a bit of a challenge, but for those who are up to date they can fully understand and appreciate the article's insight. Lack of a summary of the crisis can be seen as reckless on Charlemagne's part, however in this context he targets an audience of educated and informed citizens. The readers can acknowledge and appreciate that the author is specifically talking to them, creating a sense of flattery, and thus makes the message more likely to resonate. Since the reader is already aware of the basic background behind the situation, he or she is more likely to be open to the different interpretations of the event. Charlemagne slips in the different perspectives surrounding the situation, exposing the reader to different views, and then ends his text with what he believes to be the best possible solution, his own. This arrangement resembles a concert: the opening act followed by what you've been waiting for. Charlemagne warms up his audience with others' solutions, which he does not believe to be appropriate, and then finishes with what he believes to be the proper solution. Charlemagne leaves the reader with something to think about, by ending with his own solution there is less guess-work to what the reader will be considering.

http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21595957-how-europe-nearly-lost-ukrainebut-may-yet-regain-it-keep-door-open