Forgetting Pearl Harbor

The Claremont Institute ^ | December 7, 2005 | Ken Masugi

[Stoat]

Forgetting Pearl Harbor

			By Ken Masugi Posted December 7, 2005

Every few months it seems we are presented with yet another poll revealing astounding ignorance of basic American history by especially the young. The tendency is aggravated by the forces of political correctness, i.e., the liberal understanding of America, which emphasize a distortion of that history to favor a leftist contemporary political outcome. This type of knavery has always been around--we can go back to 1913 for the egregious example in Charles Beard's An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States .

This work set off a whole series of interpretations of American history emphasizing the people versus the elite, the Declaration of Independence versus the Constitution, "republicanism" versus "individualistic liberalism," and so on. Even before Beard, there were writings (pro-Southern and secessionist) that made Abraham Lincoln a less than noble figure. The Lincoln as tyrant image is even repeated in some libertarian literature today. Leftists aren't the only bad historians.

Which brings us to our remembrance of the Imperial Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. Was it part of a plot by Franklin D. Roosevelt, who knew an attack was imminent and allowed it to happen, knowing that only such a shock would bring the nation into war? (Indeed, the aforementioned Charles Beard maintained something of this thesis.) The best curesfor such delusional thinking and for the need for preparedness today is Roberta Wohlstetter's Pearl Harbor: Warning and Decision. American disdain for Japanese military and technological capabilities and their bold strategic thinking was the major factor in the American failure to anticipate a strike on the island so distant from Imperial Japan.

We are afraid to accept arguments such as Wohlstetter's for they would force us to confront our own current strategic problems. Are we prepared for surprise attacks of all kinds--involving not just domestic terrorism but sea-launched missiles as well? Such meditation is too painful to endure for long, so our political leaders return to passing highway bills full of local pork barrel projects. That's all within their control, and it makes everyone feel good.

There are other lessons for today to be learned from Pearl Harbor. One of the ignored episodes of that terrible day has recently been highlighted by Michelle Malkin in her provocative and indispensable book, In Defense of Internment Malkin describes what happened on the island of Niihau, on the western tip of the Hawaiian archipelago, late on the morning of December 7.

The power and the truth of Malkin's book lie in putting at front and center the remarkable story of what even good standard histories of WW II typically omit: the Japanese-American couple who aided a pilot who landed his damaged Zero on tiny Niihau island following the Pearl Harbor attack. The pilot managed to persuade the couple to take over the island in the name of the emperor. They armed themselves and began issuing orders. After a few hours, a native Hawaiian couple killed the pilot, and the Japanese-American husband committed suicide. A rescue party from other islands came hours later. Less than four years later Japanese suicide pilots would kill many Americans.

If presumptively loyal, apolitical Japanese-Americans would come to aid of an invader, what might we expect from other ethnic Japanese on the mainland? They might not know the extent of their loyalty to two nations until they were tested.

So we are tested today. Are we doomed to act only after something terrible has occurred? Americans know how to react and defend themselves, if they know the facts. Unfortunately, they are woefully ignorant of their history, and don't always have sound premises to operate from. This leads our political elites to act as though they don't need to shape public opinion, a deficiency the Bush Administration is now dealing with as it defends the Iraq war.

We honor the sacrifices made at Pearl Harbor best by realizing that what we don't remember because we never knew it can hurt us most of all. We must begin asking questions about who we are as a people. That is a duty of self-government.

[Stoat]

Ken Masugi

 

Ken Masugi is the Director of the Center for Local Government. Its purpose is to apply the principles of the American Founding to the theory and practice of local government, the cradle of American self-government. Dr. Masugi has extensive experience in government and academia. Following his initial appointment at the Claremont Institute (1982-86), he was a special assistant to then-Chairman Clarence Thomas of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. After his years in Washington, he held visiting university appointments including Olin Distinguished Visiting Professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Dr. Masugi is co-author with Brian Janiskee of Democracy in California: Politics and Government in the Golden State (Rowman & Littlefield, 2002). He is co-editor of six books on political thought, including The Supreme Court and American Constitutionalism with Branford P. Wilson, (Ashbrook Series, 1997); The Ambiguous Legacy of the Enlightenment with William Rusher, (University Press, 1995); The American Founding with J. Jackson Barlow and Leonard W. Levy, (Greenwood Press, 1988). He is the editor of Interpreting Tocqueville's Democracy in America, (Rowman & Littlefield, 1991).

He is author of numerous essays and reviews of works on political theory, constitutional law, public policy, and films. Dr. Masugi has also published in the popular press, including the Los Angeles Times, Orange County Register, Washington Post, Washington Times, National Review, and the Weekly Standard.

[mbs6]

Scary. My father teaches a class of teenage boys at church and for some reason the subject of Pearl Harbor came up. Not one of them knew the geographical location of Pearl Harbor. At least one of them opined that it is somewhere in the Atlantic ocean. It seems we're not exactly getting what we're paying for when it comes to public education :(

[LS]

Today, in honor of Pearl Harbor, I played the powerful DVD for my classes, "9/11: In Memoriam." They can't see those images too many times.

[Question_Assumptions]

The Japanese weren't the only ones locked up during WW2. The way my father describes it, nearly all of the butchers in Jersey City (who had been sending their kids off to American Bund camps in upstate New York and were at the infamous Madison Square Garden rally a few years earler) disappeared not long after the start of the war because they were rounded up. Italians were rounded up, too.

[Bosco]

My great uncle was on the USS Maryland on Dec 7, 1941. He's still alive, and I have never heard him talk about it.

[mbs6]

My wife's grandfather was in the Navy and on ships during many of the famous pacific campaign battles. He also never talks about it, but I know he was wounded several times. And these idiot schools today can't even teach kids where Pearl Harbor is on the map :-(

[LS]

One year I wore some "muscleman" baggie sweats that were red and white stripes on one side and blue field with white stars on the other leg to the gym . . . but I forgot that day to pack my regular pants. So I had to teach my U.S. history class in my "stars and stripes" pants.

As fate would have it, that day was Dec. 7 . . . so I asked my students, "Now, why am I wearing these pants today?"

Talk about a good save.

[brothers4thID]

My grandfather was wounded during the Leyte Gulf landings and I didn't even know this about him until I was in college.

[mbs6]

Too funny! Although, I'm not sure mental images of you in baggy sweats is somewhere I want to go! ;-)

[KAUAIBOUND]

Living here in Hawaii, believe me, Pearl Harbor has not been forgotten - but it's probably because we are here, and the Mainland is 3000 miles away. The story in Malkin's book about the Hawaiian couple who took on the Japanese pilot and the traitors is amazing. The man, in his 50's, charged the pilot, taking a bullet or two, and picked him up and slammed his head into a rock wall, whereupon the wife bashed his head in with another rock. Never mess with a Polynesian - LOL.

[hkp037]

My father-in-law (age 84) served in N africa and Italy during WW11 and NEVER talks about it. I'm not stupid and neither is he. I wonder why no talks about it. And the older he gets, the more liberal he becomes. I'm baffled.

[mbs6]

I'm sure it must be extremely difficult for these vets to talk about their experiences, but soon they will all be gone and we will all be left wondering. I would suggest getting these men and their experiences on personal record as much as possible. I also suggest that we share (to the extent appropriate) these experiences with family members of the younger generations.

Among his many experiences, my wife's grandfather missed seeing the flag fly over Iwo Jima, as he was having plastic surgery to reconstruct his face which was blown off just days earlier.

[RedBeaconNY]

During my school day, not one mention of Pearl Harbor was made by a teacher, aide, administrator or principal. But Human Rights day is Dec. 10.

[hkp037]

Wipe out 6 more and take the whole week off!

[MA~Bear]

Whats sad is the local paper Boston Hearld did not make mention of it either. Waiting on the nightly paper to see if they have anything about Pearl Harbor.


Bear who will never forget!

[Lou L]

I asked a young, 20-something in my office today, "What happened 64 years ago today?" (I had actually "quizzed" him on other historical dates in the past, so I was keeping with my theme. To his credit, he humors me and tries to guess.)

Anyway, his answer did not come immediately. I practically had to help him along. He did know that 1941 (he could do the math without help) "was around the time" of World War II, but then he speculated that December 7th "must be important." Finally, he asked, "was it when Pearl Harbor was bombed?"

I suppose I should feel encouraged that he was able, after a few minutes, to reach that conclusion with help. He's fairly bright; I shudder to think what others in his generation don't know about our U.S. history.

[Fudd]

I found out as a teenager my grandfather was a medic in WWII. Recently, my dad told me that the (few) stories he told me were more than he ever heard growing up.

[Paul Ross]

Bump. Thanks for posting this.

USS Arizona War Memorial

[Stoat]

It seems we're not exactly getting what we're paying for when it comes to public education :(

Not long ago I posted an article here at FR that compared knowledge levels between Victorian era students and modern-day students.  Of course it's widely known that the knowledge base from previous generations is far wider and deeper than that of most modern students who seem to be taught mainly about proper condom usage and how they must revere homosexuals and ethnic Marxists far over and above our Founding Fathers, who are after all only Dead White Males and as such have less than zero value.  This is all old news and I didn't think that the basic notions of the article would be terribly troublesome.

How surprised I was then when I was instantly swarmed by all manner of 20-somethings who considered themselves to be computer programming and internet experts and who quite rudely derided and chastised me for posting such a 'bogus' and 'irrelevant' article.   Things like Latin, American and World History, Geography, English, Spelling, Grammar, and a host of other subjects that were mastered by young students of previous eras were spat upon by these defenders of modern 'education' as being useless and a complete waste of time.  One boasted of his ability to code web pages at the age of twelve, and how that is so very much more valid and meaningful than knowing anything about the Roman Empire, much less that there is / was a place called Rome and yes it was an empire at one time.  These twits considered themselves to be geniuses and yet knew nothing at all outside of computers and pop culture trash.  I would have expected such a response over at Democratic Underground, not at Free Republic.

We live in a Dark Age of education, and those of us who care need to do what we can to ensure that the truly important knowledge of the ages will not be lost and supplanted by incoherent idolatry of HTML.

[Stoat]

Today, in honor of Pearl Harbor, I played the powerful DVD for my classes, "9/11: In Memoriam." They can't see those images too many times.

I wish that other teachers had the good sense and understanding of what's important as you do.  Thank you so much for your fine work.

It would be nice if the MSM would occasionally replay such images as well, but that of course would be counterproductive regarding their primary goal, which is the destruction of President Bush and bringing the United States down to the level of Paraguay.