Operation Enduring Analogy: World War II, the War on Terror, and the Uses of Historical Memory

Abstract

Since 1999, George W. Bush has consistently evoked the legacy of the "greatest generation." Moreover, since September 11, 2001, Bush's use of World War II analogies has intensified. Such analogies capitalize on post-Cold War historical memory and lend credibility to the war on terrorism, yet they characterize the world in a simple, dualistic fashion that evades a critical engagement with history.

Toward a Theory of Simulated Atonement: A Case Study of President George W. Bush's Response to the Abu Ghraib Torture Scandal

“…Thus far, scholars have credited Republicans with controlling the framing of major political issues (Lakoff, 2004). More specifically, many have argued that defining the 9=11 attacks as an act of war gave Bush the power of a wartime president, which allowed him to demonize his opponents and to manipulate the public's fear (Bostdorff, 2003;Domke, 2004;Ivie, 2004;Jewett & Lawrence, 2003;Lakoff & Frisch, 2006;Murphy, 2003;Noon, 2004). I add to these analyses by showing how Bush used simulated atonement to minimize the negative reaction to Abu Ghraib.…”

From representations to representing: on social representations and discursive-rhetorical psychology

“…In However, this is not to say that such historical narratives are beyond contestation, both in terms of their historical accuracy (see Finney, 2011;Noon, 2004), and in terms of the general lessons that are to be drawn from them. In this latter respect, the Suez crisis arguably fulfils a similar role in the UK as does the Vietnam War in the USA (see e.g.…”

The Rhetoric of Revisionism: Presidential Rhetoric about the Vietnam War since 9/11

“…He found it difficult to reference the war in Southeast Asia now that he was promising a long, protracted war that could quickly have become associated with the failure in Vietnam. Instead, therefore, President Bush tapped into popular ideas about World War II that he knew would resonate with the American people in an attempt to tie them to the current struggle and legitimate his war on terror (Noon ). Initially, this was relatively easy when the United States had been attacked and because there was a wave of popular nostalgia in the United States at the time commemorating World War II, so many Americans made an immediate connection between 9/11 and Pearl Harbor (Bostdorff ).…”