“New Pearl Harbor” and US Digital Media 2001‑2002

Abstract

The research topic is aimed at studying the means, methods and techniques of updating the metaphor “New Pearl Harbor” in the US foreign policy discourse. Analysis of the evolution of this metaphor in the US media in the 21st century allows us to talk about the formation of a special phenomenon of the socio-political life of the United States, the reconstruction and explanation of which is not possible within the framework of the traditional methodology of historical research, but requires an interdisciplinary approach based on historical imagology. The importance and significance of this metaphor is shown by the fact that in every foreign policy crisis, in every new threat, in every aggravation of the international situation, the metaphor “Pearl Harbor” was used in the United States. The metaphor “New Pearl Harbor” and its variation “Russian Pearl Harbor” is an important element of US foreign policy discourse and contemporary research. As a result of the research, it was established that the metaphor “New Pearl Harbor” is used both for “internal consumption” (political discourse) and for the external one. Moreover, in the 21st century, this metaphor very often arises in the coverage and analysis of contemporary Russian-American relations. The article shows the evolution of the “New Pearl Harbor” metaphor in the US digital media. Digital media in the United States reacted most quickly to changes in the use of the “New Pearl Harbor” metaphor. The article is intended for political scientists, historians and journalists.