This isn't really in response to what you said other than your reference to Pearl Harbor. It's just a tidbit of information I found when I was investigating it.
My grandmother told me that when she heard of Pearl Harbor she said...
"What's Pearl Harbor?"
Pearl Harbor wasn't a thing at the time. Hawaii wasn't even a state. It took constant media pressure to push Pearl Harbor as a motive to enter the war.
For example, take a look at this paper from Dec. 12, 1941, 5 days after the "bombing of Pearl Harbor." Every single article on the front page ends with "-- Remember Pearl Harbor --". Take a look at the back page of that same newspaper, same thing. While a lot of the front page articles were about the upcoming war, and preparations for it, The articles on the back page are about things like local little league baseball games, bake sales, and advertisements for socks. Every single one says -- Remember Pearl Harbor -- at the bottom of the section.
An event doesn't even need to happen, or if "something" happens, it can be blown massively out of proportion, and with media complicity a belief can be pushed that will motivate specific action. All that needs to happen is the Mockingbird needs tweet and retweet it until it is ingrained deeply in the collective unconscious.
This isn't really in response to what you said other than your reference to Pearl Harbor. It's just a tidbit of information I found when I was investigating it.
My grandmother told me that when she heard of Pearl Harbor she said...
"What's Pearl Harbor?"
Pearl Harbor wasn't a thing at the time. Hawaii wasn't even a state. It took constant media pressure to push Pearl Harbor as a motive to enter the war.
For example, take a look at this paper from Dec. 12, 1941, 5 days after the "bombing of Pearl Harbor." Every single article on the front page ends with "-- Remember Pearl Harbor --". Take a look at the back page of that same newspaper, same thing. While a lot of the front page articles were about the upcoming war, and preparations for it, The articles on the back page are about things like local little league baseball games, bake sales, and advertisements for socks. Every single one says -- Remember Pearl Harbor -- at the bottom of the section.
An event doesn't even need to happen, or if "something" happens, it can be blown massively out of proportion, and with media complicity a belief can be pushed that will motivate specific action. All that needs to happen is the Mockingbird needs tweet and retweet it until it is ingrained deeply in the collective unconscious.