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Rumor refers to stories about someone, something, or somewhere that develops and circulates, except they are untrue. Rumors are common among people and are always likely to arise after a dynamic phenomenon such as an attack due to anxieties. Some of the events that have had rumor develop after are impactful attacks such as the Pearl Harbor attack. The Pearl Harbor attack was launched by the Japanese Navy air service on the United States naval base located in Hawaii near the Pacific Ocean center.
The United States hardly expected a raid in the remote island; hence, the facility was not highly guarded. The Japanese, attacking as a surprise, managed to damage a lot of property. Many people died, and others were wounded; hence, the occurrence was catastrophic. After that, various stories emerged about the attack. The US and Japan had tension since the great depression. Japanese wanted to expand its economic and demographic territory. Forcing their way into China was one option for them, but the United States will not allow them.
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Therefore, destroying the weapons would deter an attack from the US forces as they indulge in their mission. Several fabricated stories followed the attack. This research will probe into the Pearl Harbor attack in the United States by the Japanese to reveal various rumors that developed after and the circumstances surrounding their emergence.
The Pearl Harbor attack took place in 1941 under the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. The raid on the significant Navy base lead to deaths of around 2,400 and damage of the Navy property on that fateful morning (Diabel, p. 2).
More than 20 vessels were destroyed, including 300 aircraft, and eight battleships. According to the Pearl Harbor Visitors Bureau, people who died included 2,008 personnel from the Navy, 68 civilians, 218 members of the Army service, and 109 Marines (Pearl Harbor Visitors Bureau, p. 1). The surprise raid forced the United States to join World War II after it had isolated itself for some time. The invasion was tragic, and it evoked various reactions from people, including numerous rumors.
DiFonzo identifies individual-level mechanisms and motivational factors as vital elements in explaining rumor. The latter includes belief, outcome-relevant involvement, anxiety, and uncertainty. The former, on the other hand, focuses on self-enhancement, relationship-enhancement, and fact-finding (DiFonzo, and Prashant, p. 278). People use rumor to try and make sense out of an occurrence. The information, which is not usually certified, circulates in a group of people. With a rumor, individuals can manage threats or provide reasoning on why a particular event occurred. Rumor can also develop as propaganda. In such cases, the lie is meant to misinform others intentionally. As a result, it can be ill whispered or motivated. By understanding the theory by DiFonzo, one can explain various aspects surrounding the rumors concerning the Pearl Harbor raids, such as fear, anxiety, or fact-finding.
One of the rumors that started after the Pearl Harbor aftermath is that Harry Dexter White had a hand in the attack. White was then a prominent US official who joined the treasury after gaining his philosophy at Harvard University. Declassified files indicated that White was a Soviet spy due to various things. The first reason is the motivational aspect of fact-finding. The United States is one of the most influential regions. The attack, even though it was a surprise, indicates weakness. Therefore, there was a need to try and establish the truth; hence, accused White of being a Soviet spy. According to DiFonzo and other scholars, there is usually a need for effectiveness. People’s response, therefore, is articulated in a way that maximizes survival. As a result, individuals try to search for accurate judgments. The best way to go about the process is by checking the source’s credibility and then analyzes the propositions based on the available knowledge. The judgment, ultimately, is tested against the objectives perceived to be true (DiFonzo, and Prashant, p. 282).
Similarly, by accusing White, the government has practical reasoning to explain their lack of unpreparedness. As a result, the criticism will be lesser. The means used to identify the victim are undeniably reliable. First, White is a top US Treasury official engaged in crucial government dealings. For instance, he assisted in setting the American financial policy concerning World War II allies. The position concerns finance matters; hence sensitive, therefore, it is possible to argue White is aware of the country’s financial situation and inability to recover if the navy battle items are damaged. The reasoning is valid since the main reason why the US military recovered from the tragedy fast is that most of the weapons were not wholly destroyed; hence, they could be fixed in a short period (Griffin, p. 235). Perhaps, if the arms were damaged, the US could have gone through a tough time to buy other weapons. Therefore, considering White’s position in the government and the ability to access crucial information, the accusers are likely to have accurate judgments valid enough to fuel the espionage rumor.
Additionally, the spying rumor could have developed due to the outcome relevant-involvement. The construct relates the importance and ambiguity of a particular topic to an individual. The events of White after the Pearl Harbor attack are suggestive. As the story goes, White tried to control his breathing and tried not to show surprise in the 1941 spring. After reading the note, he said “I’m amazed at the concurrence of my ideas with what Bill thinks, according to this” (Ferran, p. 3) Bill, was a Soviet Intelligence officer and an acquaintance to White. Also, during the meeting, White sat near another Soviet spy who was nervous. The topic seems crucial to White, and he seems to take the side of the Soviet Union. He is in support of his acquaintance even though the attack was launched against his country. Further, it is the first meeting since the attack, and the purpose of the event is purposefully elliptical. The least he could do for his country is sympathize and not lean on the opponent’s side. Also, trying to remain calm while a spy in the midst is nervous could indicate that he knew something incriminating.
Evidence from intercepted conversations among the Soviet Union and their officers depict possible connections between White and the Union (Ferran, p. 5). Also, an intelligent Soviet officer who defected to an FBI informant includes White in the list of Soviet spies. Nevertheless, various people have come forward in defense of Dexter White. His surviving family claims that the rumor was exaggerated. Craig also stipulates that White’s sympathy to the Soviet Union should be put into context. The scholar bases his argument on the fact that the Soviet Union and the United States allied during World War II (Goldberg, p. 156). Besides, Japan does not mention White anywhere in its 2009 analysis of their motives behind the Pearl Harbor attack. Nonetheless, White’s defense seems weak as opposed to the evidence. The proof points out that White had all chances and the motive to help the Soviets in their mission to see Japan through the economic crisis. The power, connections, roles, reactions, and intercepted conversation depict the fact-finding reasoning and outcome-relevant involvement events that make it easy to support the rumor. However, there is no confirmation to the espionage accusations up to date; hence, the allegations remain to be rumors.
Another rumor that develops after the Pearl Harbor aftermath is that the United States government knew about a potential attack in Hawaii by the Japanese Forces. The rumor developed from the information that Washington Military commanders received various warnings on an imminent attack on the Pacific by the Japan Empire. Further, there was an analysis of conversations between the US-Japan embassy and Tokyo. According to Shirley, Washington officials contemplated an attack in Hawaii in one particular Sunday (Shirley, p. 6). A Hawaii paper even warned people about the imminent attack. Additionally, President Roosevelt also received a confidential memo that disclosed a possible outbreak on the United States from the office of the Naval Intelligence. The notice also mentioned the espionage efforts of japan and identified probable areas that could be attacked. The memo stated that “The focal point of the Japanese Espionage effort is the determination of the total strength of the United States. In anticipation of possible open conflict with this country, Japan is vigorously utilizing every available agency to secure military, naval and commercial information, paying particular attention to the West Coast, the Panama Canal and the Territory of Hawaii” (Shirley, p. 10). Additionally, it is also a surprise that Japan troops could travel from Japan to the US and get the forces off guard. The circumstances surrounding the attack demonstrate a possibility that the US government did have prior knowledge of the attack and potential region to be attacked.
One can use DiFonzo’s constructs of sense-making to explain the events of the Pearl Harbor attack aftermath rumors. The state of uncertainty among people plays a significant role in the rumor. The evidence presented is substantial, and yet the government seems to deny it. President Roosevelt considers it as a surprise during the congress meeting the second day after the attack. Consequently, if any individuals knew that the government had been warned, then they are likely to panic. According to DiFonzo, such subjects develop uncertainty; hence, they do not understand what the attack meant and what is expected to happen in the future. One starts to wonder if the government knew or not. And if they had, why won’t they prevent it. Since there is no information provided to clear the uncertainty, people result in informal speculations. Different sociologists consider the excerpt as an advocated thinking that assists in solving problems (Bordia, p. 8). For one, an attack has occurred, and people have lost their relatives and friends. The nation has also lost military soldiers and weapons, yet, there is no explanation. Speculating remains the only option in the case, which gives people a sense of control since they feel their description makes them understand the event.
Similarly, after the attack, there is no information on how it happened, which leads to uncertainty. The fear of not knowing leads to anxiety, and as a result, people come up with advocated thinking, which helps to solve their problem (DiFonzo, and Prashant, p. 279). For instance, the two rumors where one claims that the United States government had knowledge of an imminent threat and the one stating that the government let it happen so that the US could join the war (Smitha, p.3) makes sense. They make it easier for an individual to understand the circumstances; hence, their problem is solved. Consequently, the rumor seems to be a tool to reduce anxiety and uncertainty despite the information being untrue. For instance, DiFonzo appears to take two positions on rumor. In one article, he refers rumor to have a watercooler effect hence a good thing (DiFonzo, p. 27). However, in another, the scholar considers rumor an unfortunate aspect since it destroys reputation (DiFonzo, and Bordia, p. 174). Overall, one could approach the factor from both perspectives depending on whether one is at the side of the recipient or source.
Another rumor that that spread across the country was that the US military pursued the Japan Forces immediately. The story further states that the army was defeated repeatedly in the Pacific theater. Shirley considers the piece of information to be untrue (Shirley, p. 10). The United States did not involve itself in any war until February 1942 after the Pearl Harbor attack. Besides, General Douglas MacArthur sought help through a telegram sent to Roosevelt while Japan was delivering vessel troops in the Philippines; however, the President did not respond. Also, the first time the United States got into war after the Pearl Harbor attack, they won. The rumor spread indicates malice hence could have meant for self or relationship enhancement. According to studies, individuals who desire to advance their sense of self in an in-group are likely to spread untrue stories (DiFonzo, and Prashant, p. 282). Roosevelt’s presidency was characterized by sharp criticism; hence, he had various enemies, whereby some of them were government officials. Any member from the group could fabricate the story to enhance their self-worth and the status among the critiques of the President such as Japan. The action results from the social motive urge to belong. The self and relationship enhancement, therefore, indicate rumor as a factor that comes in handy in strengthening in-group and out-group bonds.
The Pearl Harbor attack was a tragic and devastating event for the United States. It led to the destruction of Navy vessels and the death of people. The attack was a complete surprise to the people of America hence created many anxieties among people. As a result, various rumors developed to explain the event. Usually, rumors develop due to various reasons, all of which could apply to the fabricated stories about the Pearl Harbor attack. Examples of rumor causes include the need for self-enhancement, relationship-enhancement, uncertainty, and anxiety. Other elements, such as fact-finding and outcome-relevant involvement, could also explain the emergence of rumors. Rumors help people solve their problems, enable them to belong, and maximizes chances for sources to survive. Therefore, they play a crucial role in people’s lives despite the adverse effect they may have on the recipient especially if they are untrue.
The Pearl Harbor Aftermath Rumors. (2020, Sep 14). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/the-pearl-harbor-aftermath-rumors-essay
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