Remember the "Day that will live in Infamy"?

It's a little problematic.

A propaganda campaign via media corporations to get citizens on board with entering WW II was stubbornly failing in effectiveness. There are questions about the warnings of an attack on Pearl Harbor, and those being suppressed because some "chilling event" was needed. If so, things probably got out of control and cost more lives than ever expected.

Afterward it was seized on firmly though, and used to create and fan the flames of racism to make it possible to enter a war on two fronts:

Pearl Harbor Propaganda Posters | PearlHarbor.org

Wont Forget.jpg

But war is not a pretty thing. If people were better at handling facts and keeping things in proportion they'd be able to understand the wrongs they did as well as the good. I think it's sad that more people can't take a step back and realize how complex the world can be to navigate.

That's what gets us into trouble with the false philosophy of equality. Many people just don't know enough, haven't lived broadly enough, and cannot process it properly to be in the loop when it comes to decision making. One can have a four year degree and be very poorly educated. One can be very intelligent but coldly uncaring. One can own property and have children yet fail to consider that investment in society. And a lot of people just aren't very bright, too focused on personal emotions, too parochial in their knowledge, with no connection to their neighbor much less society or the world.

There are cave-dwellers among us in great numbers, just riding on our backs like ticks enjoying the great societies others have built.

This is a big part of why we don't have direct democracy. Of course the sad thing is that a republic is subject to coercion of the small pool of elected representatives via bribes in finances and delivered captive votes.
 
dilettante said:
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Much of what you wrote is partially the realm of correct. Education does not mean intelligent To state appears to me to be saying that racism was caused by the powers that be. It isn't.

Racism is a simply a concept. A cartoon that uses Japanese facial features only means it was Japanese who attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor. In addition racism is a subjective concept. Just because the word "Japs" is used, or "Krauts" or "Commies" is used does not create racism or hate.

Often the actions of the Japanese or Germans, or Communist theory that creates a dislike or distaste for anyone, and not specifically a whole race. I think it was the attack on Pearl Harbor, among many other world issues, and not some plot to create racism :rolleyes: in order to hate Japanese enough to get into a war...

The US seems to be some political target due to "racism". There can and IS be racism in every single culture I have ever encountered. Especially some racism against Americans. The word needs to be dropped and replaced with propaganda.
"....used to create and fan the flames of racism to make it possible to enter a war on two fronts".
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My father was stationed on the other side of the island from Pearl Harbor. A guy woke him up saying excitedly that the Japanese were attacking and my father told him to go back to bed and sleep off his drunk. My father didn't think it was even possible that the Japanese would attack.
 
CooCooforCoCoPuffs said:
Racism is a simply a concept. A cartoon that uses Japanese facial features only means it was Japanese who attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor.
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I don't completely disagree. However I still believe that "othering the enemy" was a conscious attempt to exploit a human frailty.

I think it found fertile ground, especially in the Western states where Asians had been exploited almost as a lifestyle for a long time. Everything from railroad workers under abusive conditions to sex slaves sold into prostitution. It all fed into a dehumanization of Asian people in the minds of 1/3 of the country.
 
DaveA said:
Those of us who are old enough to have been alive back then probably haven't forgotten but to many younger folks it's just another date that they were taught in school.
Does everyone recall our entry into WW1 ? I don't and both my dad and his brother fought in France.
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Did both make it home in one piece?

My stepfather was in WWII, in Navy 26 years.
 
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