Analysis Of John W. Dower's War Without Mercy

For fifty million men, women, and children World War II meant death. For some it meant "hell on earth" For nations everywhere it led to technological changes and bureaucratic expansion. The government claimed it was "holy war for national survival and glory" and its purpose was to "defend" values of state and culture. Most high officials thought it was power politics. John W.Dower in his "War Without Mercy: Race and Power in the Pacific War" argues that world war II was a race war. He proves this on page four when he says "exposed raw prejudices...fueled by racial pride, arrogance, and rage." Dower claims that race was neglected as an issue of WWII. He raises a thought provoking question where he asks "When and where did race play a significant

The Japanese, according to Dower, were treated with suspicion while there were no actions taken against the enemy in Europe. (79) Using Pyle’s idea to prove his main point, Dower claimed that the enemy in Europe were still considered people but the Japanese were not because “they were denied even the ordinary vocabularies of being human. “ The United States government incarcerated Japanese- Americans and forced them to live in facilities which were meant for animals. (82) Actions taken by the government for people of Japanese ethnicity showed that they were viewed as a threat just because of their ethnicity. This, according to Dower, showed that the real Japanese enemy were considered to be “faceless” and “incorrigible.” (80) This clearly shows the discrimination against the Japanese. To make his argument even more convincing, Dower claims that some white Americans supported the relocation of the Japanese. He discusses the Los Angeles Times which shows racism in images and through expression. In that magazine, there was an expression that said “A viper is nonetheless a viper wherever the egg is hatched- so a Japanese-American born of Japanese parents, grows up to be a Japanese not an