War for Oil?
December 16, 2009
I have a hypocritical tendency to accept propaganda when I agree with the message, yet reject propaganda that I disagree with on grounds of moral or intellectual inferiority. I guess that’s kinda the purpose of propaganda. The message intentionally elicits an emotional response. The message is not unbiased (and doesn’t even try to have the appearance of objectivity), and it doesn’t always make logical sense. Anyway, I started looking at American propaganda posters from World War 2:
And I noticed a few things. First of all, the racism is grotesque. That’s so obvious to us now. But also notice, in the first TAKE DAY OFF image, the Texaco sponsorship. This, plus the emphasis on saving gas in the second RIDE WITH HITLER image made me think about the connection between American oil interests and war. Even back during WW2? I had no idea! I’m no war-buff or history buff, really, but I’ve done my share of reading, and I don’t think I’ve ever read anything about oil or energy-related interests as part of America’s motivation behind our involvement in WW2. What do you think? Was WW2 at all over oil? Have you ever read anything along those lines that you could recommend to me? Am I totally misreading these posters? Am I projecting current wartime issues on to past wars in a perverted way? Am I trying to make something logical out of purposefully illogical propaganda?
Curiously yours,
Spring
December 16, 2009 at 6:23 pm
“I’ve done my share of reading?” No, you have not.
During WWII, the government used propaganda to urge citizens to conserve ALL commodities — meat, gasoline, cotton, etc. The US government even promoted “Victory Gardens,” small farm plots in suburban and urban settings that would supplement food supplies.
Did you really look any of this up? At all? Seriously, a quick look at Wikipedia or Google would have given you the answers you’re looking for.
Or did you just want an excuse to post these WWII propaganda posters?
December 16, 2009 at 9:48 pm
I’m pretty sure that that poster is just talking about civilians conserving gas so that the military wouldn’t have to worry about having enough. It’s pretty much the same thing as rationing, and I believe that gas actually was rationed in WWII (but I could be wrong).
It’s a very foreign concept to us now, this idea that things are finite and that wars require sacrifice from civilians as well as soldiers. Which is kind of sad, in a way.
December 17, 2009 at 12:22 am
yes, gas was rationed in WWII. people grew victory gardens. my great-great aunt worked in a factory that made airplanes.
this is a fascinating set of questions, spring. i want to turn it around, though.
could people now be more easily convinced to ration resources if it were in the name of war? they aren’t really into it in the name of peace… or the green movement…
December 17, 2009 at 9:03 am
fred- you don’t get it. and you seem to have a rude stick up your ass.
whatif- for sure, but besides the rationing once the war was underway, i’m wondering about our MOTIVATION to step into WW2 in the first place? was it really in the name of liberating jews? or was it AT ALL due to growing oil or energy demands? maybe i’m being too conspiracy-theorist?
beamish- yes, that’s another thing i was getting at! i found the overlap between current environmentalist movements and old war propaganda incredibly ripe for discussion! also, i find it fascinating that “rationing” is being used by the right-wing now in their propaganda against health-care reform! rationing or conservation, however you see it, is a more complicated and complex issue than i thought.
December 17, 2009 at 10:39 am
[...] war in afghanistan, WW2 Propaganda So, I seem to have pissed off some militant WW2 buff-wads (like Fred) with my queries in the post below. Let’s see if I can piss off some more of [...]
December 17, 2009 at 11:33 am
Ah, I see what you’re saying now.
A friend of mine sent me something a few years ago that tied the Iraq War into activities during WWII, and all of that to oil. He’s a big conspiracy theorist (the person who showed me the Lady Gaga was brainwashed by the Illuminati article) but this particular article actually made a lot of sense. And it didn’t say that WWII was solely for oil, but that that was an underlying motivation. If you want me to, I can ask him if he still has a link to it.
I think imperialism was a big motivation as well, though most people probably wouldn’t admit it. America before World War II was largely rural farmers; afterwards, we had become majorly industrialized and clustered much more in cities. Somewhere along the way, there was also an increasing feeling that our country was something special, “the best country in the world”. I’m not sure which would be causes and which would be effects, or if they could even be so easily seperated like that (especially since I haven’t done a huge amount of study on WWII myself).
December 17, 2009 at 11:45 am
whatif- ha! yeah, i’d like to look at any writing on the subject, but especially if he has a “good” or reputable source on the topic?
December 17, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Dear Egg:
The word you’re grasping for is “solipsism.” You’re suffering one of the worst cases I’ve ever seen.
I’m a “buff wad” because I know some American history and why the US entered WW2? So be it.
Best of luck to you.
December 18, 2009 at 12:23 am
so long, fred, and thanks for all the flames!