ABSTRACT
This chapter aims at providing evidence for the first stage of analytical framework, preliminary analysis, and begins to move onto the second level, textual analysis. It takes as a case in point the recent experiences of post-9/11 America, focusing on the discourse of G. W. Bush. A corpus constructed according to the abovementioned criteria is to be a representative sample of the specificity of Bush's discourse over this period and can be used for general quantitative observations. If an "operational keyword" is defined as such, once it has been identified, it allows for analytical "operations" to be performed on the text. Its identification origins from a contrastive perspective. The metonymic assimilation identifies a complex attitude comprehending lexical calls as well as contextual metaphorizations. Besides being applied to the position and the act of the two counterparts – America and an 'enemy' who has not been precisely identified – enthymematic causality comes to interest also the reasons of strategic choices.
