Analyzing My Own Assumptions

As readers, we often make assumptions based on our own views. These views are heavily influenced by the culture we are immersed in. As the article is by an American author, it is likely that I have made the same assumptions in reading it as he has in writing it.

SUXSIEQ "DEMOCRACY" 02/15/2012 via Flickr CC BY-NC 2.0

Like Francis, I value government spending efficiency and effective national defense. I also agree that the F-35 has overall been a
failed program, although it is still quite active and may be salvaged.

Francis believes that by convincing his readers that the current DOD strategy is ineffective, he can entice them with a seemingly more revolutionary strategy proposed by the Navy. The new strategy primarily consists of a shift from large programs to smaller, more adaptable programs.

The expectation that this strategy will be more effective is based on the assumption that this shift can and will be made. With so much money already sunk into large programs like the F-35, I think the Pentagon and DOD will be resistant to this change. The Air Force report that much of the article is based on is actually a "20 year strategic forecast" entitled, "America's Air Force: A Call to the Future".

The article originates from roughly the same cultural and temporal setting that I am familiar with.

I read Brandon and Isabel's blog posts. Reading their posts made me realize that effective texts make the same assumptions about a subject that their target audience is likely to make. All three of our texts are from American authors, and we all largely agree with the assumptions made by the authors. Readers from other cultures would have different perspectives and make different assumptions.