War Without Mercy by Dower Essay -- History World War II 2

War Without Mercy by portionIn War Without Mercy, Dowers principle is a surprising one Though Western allies were clearly headed for victory, pure racism fueled the persistence and increase of hostilities in the Pacific setting during the utmost year of World War II, a period that saw as many casualties as in the first five years of the conflict combined. Dower does not reach this disturbing conclusion lightly. He combed through loads of propaganda films, news articles, military documents, and cartoons. Though his case is strong, Dower reduces other factors, much(prenominal) as the prolonged negotiations between the West and the Japanese.During World War II, with the alliance of Germany and Italy made a propaganda campaign of obvious anti-white racism somewhat unreasonable. Furthermore, Japans history of quick and often passionate Westernization while opposing to colonialization by western powers largely prohibited such a propaganda approach. It is Dowers central idea that racial fear and nauseate were major factors that determined how twain sides, Japanese and Anglo-American, perceived and dealt with the respective enemy, the formulaic expression of Self and Other. Dower begins by examining the propaganda thrown out by both war machines (including a Frank Capra documentary, Know Your Enemy - Japan) and finds fundamental patterns of stereotyping. A few clichs that were found in this film was that it originally represent the Japanese as ordinary humans victimized by their leaders. In everyday words, he writes, the first kind of stereotyping could be summed up in the teaching you are the opposite of what you say you are and the opposite of us, not peaceful but warlike, not good but bad...In the second form of stereotyping, the f... ...cking. It does a semiprecious service in exposing many of the prejudices of the time and especially in showing how those prejudices were at least partly responsible for the string of debacles endured by U.S. and other ass ociate forces in the wars opening stages. It also does a very good job of giving the reader a glimpse of the kind of thinking that was prevalent in Japanese society prior to and during the war. In this sense it is an extremely important work and is highly recommended to anyone with a serious interest in the Pacific Theater. However, having express that, I will also say that the author overplays his hand and puts far too much emphasis on the role of racism, portraying it as the autochthonic cause of the war and of the evils that transpired during its execution. As a result, it has a tendency to explain away a good many complex issues that deserve a chockful treatment.