Thursday, January 20, 2011

Tom Hanks Pacific War & Hollywood Mythmaking

- - -

Google Images 
- - -

     Many Americans love Tom Hanks, and I am one. However a ‘Time’ cover story last March once again reveals the problem with the political left, which is that no matter how much they learn about the world, by a combination of ignoring some facts and emphasizing others, or by simply holding contradictory beliefs at the same time, they always manage return to certain cherished core Utopian principles.

     In the course of the article it is reported that in mid-life Hanks has become a major history buff and has devoted countless hours studying it, including, in this case, the Pacific Theater of World War II, in conjunction with his miniseries, ‘The Pacific.’

     All of this is commendable, to be applauded to the skies. And yet after studying the war backwards, forwards and upside-down, Hanks,  said to be a “JFK liberal,” is quoted in ‘Time’ as concluding:

     “Back in World War II, we viewed the Japanese as ‘yellow, slant-eyed dogs’ that believed in different gods. They were out to kill us because our way of living was different. We, in turn, wanted to annihilate them because they were different. Does that sound familiar, by any chance, to what’s going on today?”

     While you can make a good case that the West could have intelligently altered and avoided the run up to World War II, and an even better case that the United States could have avoided the two semi-endless wars to which we are now Krazy Glued, it just might be that the sneak attack at Pearl Harbor had a tad more to do with the United States entry into World War II than (obviously white) Americans foaming at the mouth with hatred for ‘yellow, slant-eyed dogs.’

     Those on the left, the self-styled liberals or progressives, must always return to the Great Leftist Hymnal--and the number-one tune is always about race. This is the core justification for the existence of modern liberalism. Liberals would not know what do without this central issue, so they must see ‘racism’ everywhere, which constantly reaffirms that they represent ‘our better angels.’ As they forever valiantly struggle, trying to teach the rest of us to stop all our hating--whether or not we are hating.

     But, thank you, Tom Hanks, for all your well acted and extremely entertaining and often instructive movies. Keep them coming!