Political flaming in the 21st-century war discourse: A pragma-linguistic perspective

Abstract

This article explores the phenomenon of political flaming within 21st-century war discourse from a linguistic perspective. Drawing on Entman’s Framing Theory and Martin and White’s Appraisal Theory, the study investigates how political figures and media commentators construct antagonistic and emotionally charged language in response to conflict events. Using qualitative coding, pragmatic and lexical analyses, it investigates flaming in political speeches and media commentaries surrounding recent wars and identifies key linguistic markers and evaluative strategies used to frame opponents and legitimize positions. The research highlights how language is employed to inflame political tensions, polarize public opinion, and frames narratives of blame and justification. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the rhetorical mechanics of contemporary war discourse and the role of flaming language in fueling political divisions.