Conv-Dehumanizing the Enemy

Dehumanizing the Enemy

October 2014

0:01

From: Joe Ciokon

Dated: October 8, 2014

Subject: Flying Tigers in Burma....1942

"The more things change, the more they stay the same."

So, what's your point, Mate?

AFVN Home

From: Ken Kalish

Dated: October 8, 2014

Subject: Flying Tigers in Burma....1942 [I don't know how this discussion acquired this subject line. Webmaster]

Frank:
The first necessity of warfare is to reduce one’s opponent from human to subhuman. It is much easier to teach prospective warriors how to kill bespectacled monkeys or buck-toothed Japs or kraut bastards or stupid gooks than how to kill fellow human beings. Allied prisoners of the Japanese were not deserving of human respect because they lacked honor and were, therefore, nothing but two-legged cockroaches. It is the most fundamental part of psychological preparation for war. For instance, in the current Middle East situation our opponent has been reduced to monsters and letters of the alphabet. After 9/11 the enemy was towelheads and camel humpers. Their nations became Eye-crack and Asscrackistan. To them, we are Infidels and non-believers only a step above Jews,
During Viet Nam, the non-combatants and support personnel called the Viet Namese “zipper heads,” “slopes,” “gooks,” and worse. Those of us who met the enemy in the field were less dismissive. Out there at the pointy end of the spear it was Victor Charlie, VC, NVA, Charles, and Mr. Charles.
The word “gook” is something American soldiers picked up in Korea. It’s a bastardization of the word Cook, meaning person. A Han Cook is a Korean person, which is why the tire brand tells us that the tires on many race vehicles ride on tires made by the Hancook people.
Thirty-some years from now, after we are all dead and gone, new names will be invented to deal with that problematic 6th Commandment. That’s the way it has always been, and so long as war between modern tribes exists, so, too, will the need exist to make the killing of one’s opponents psychoilogically permissible.

Ken

Group Conversations
H to M

From: Frank Rogers

Dated: October 9, 2014
Subject: Flying Tigers in Burma....1942

Jim et al,

In Korea I saw a sign on base that said something like, "Through these doors pass the best Hangook and Megook." ["Koreans and Americans"]
Those who have been to Korea will note the Koreans have changed the US spelling of many words, like Pusan to Busan and Inchon to Incheon..
During WWII, the Japanese had what was called the Ianfujin butai, or Comfort Women Unit. The Japanese still have trouble admitting these were women forced into sexual services to the troops. Many of the women were not Japanese, but Koreans, which is another reason for continuing animosity Koreans have towards the Japanese. In the early 60s to get Japanese TV, the antenna had to be positioned vertically, not horizontally as for Korean TV which did not exist in Pusan, and it was a visible sign you were participating in Japan's "cultural invasion" of Korea.

Frank

From: Nancy Smoyer

Dated: October 9, 2014
Subject: Flying Tigers in Burma....1942

I recently got back from a trip to Korea. While in Seoul, there was a woman on the sidewalk, totally covered including her head and face, kind of in raggedy clothing, with signs on her. I asked the Koreans I was with what she was saying. They said she was one of the comfort women and I think, although I'm not sure, she was asking for compensation from the Korean government.
On a nearby plaza there was a large blow-up boat, like you'd see in a tub, lots of people, signs, etc. They were demonstrating against the way the gov handled the ferry disaster. Again, I'm not sure exactly what they were saying or wanted but it was definitely about the disaster. Not being able to read signs, let alone speak the language, was very frustrating.
Nancy

[NB: More than likely the woman was asking for compensation from the Japanese government. At certain times in recent history, the South Korean government would not have even permitted a demonstation asking for compensation from them. The Japanese position is that they did give the Korean government a very large sum of money to use in compensating these women but the Korean government turned around and spent it (blew it?) on other things. Also, since the war ended some 71 years ago, any Korean comfort women would now be at least 85 or so years old. It appears that many of them are not that old and, in some cases, it is obvious that children and grandchildren of the comfort women are the ones asking for compensation from the Japanese government. Jim White]

Group Conversations
A & B

From: Nancy Smoyer

Dated: October 8, 2014

Subject: Flying Tigers in Burma....1942

During Viet Nam, the non-combatants and support personnel called the Viet Namese “zipper heads,” “slopes,” “gooks,” and worse. Those of us who met the enemy in the field were less dismissive. Out there at the pointy end of the spear it was Victor Charlie, VC, NVA, Charles, and Mr. Charles.
The word “gook” is something American soldiers picked up in Korea. It’s a bastardization of the word Cook, meaning person.
When I went back to Vietnam, our guides were the former enemy. After we had spent many days together, one of them said to me, "Americans called us gooks. What does that mean?"
I was embarrassed and didn't know what to say, in part because it didn't really mean anything. After a pause I said that it was a bad name for them. He said, "oh, we called you running dogs.'
Hearing their name for our guys had about as much force as our name for them. They're just words if it weren't for the feeling behind them.
Nancy

AFVN Group Conversations

From: Jim Anderson

Dated: October 9, 2014
Subject: Flying Tigers in Burma....1942

Years ago I subscribed to Asia Week Magazine (defunct in 2001) , published by Time out of Hong Kong. Every issue had a column concerning a certain Asian word or phrase. Their take, Gook was derived from Mi-Guk, meaning I'm Korean, a variation of the explanation below. Naturally GI's, being GI's, started using the term Guk in a non-derogatory and derogatory term for Koreans. Also Han is a more commonly used word for Korea or Korean. Hanbok being a traditional Korean dress, Hansik, Korean food, Hangul, Korean writing. Vietnamese refer to Korea or Koreans as "Di-Han".

Jim
[NB: I also used to take Asia Week. I don't remember the Asian word or phrase column, but I think that they were blowing smoke--unless they thought that the "Mi" was "Me" in English and the "Guk" was Korean for country. Again, I think that the Americans learned the phrase "Mi-Guk" (or "Mi-Gook") from the South Koreans fleeing the North Korean and Chinese and who would say "Mi-Guk" or "Americans" as they ran towards the Americans praying they wouldn't get shot by mistake. The North Koreans and Chinese both would often hide their weapons and infiltrate these groups of refugees; and then would pull them out and start shooting when the group got close enough to the Americans. Jim White]

Group Conversations
U to Z

From: Ron Turner

Dated: October 10, 2014
Subject: Flying Tigers in Burma....1942

To all:

While the use of derogatory names certainly facilitates societal responses, the dehumanizing of an enemy serves a deep psychological purpose. Normal people have problems systematically (war at its best) and frequently killing other human beings; the more convincingly you dehumanize the enemy the better off (mentally) your soldiers are-they are killing animals not humans. Because of race (differentness) it was much easier to dehumanize the Japanese than the Germans who looked just like (and, in many cases, were) us. Just a few thoughts.

Regards, Ron

From: Jim White

Dated: October 8, 2014

Subject: Flying Tigers in Burma....1942

Ken,
Extremely well said! Being from 7 to 11 years old during WW2 I well remember the cartoonish figures used to represent Axis leaders.
However, for a long time I had my own theory about the term "Gook." I though that perhaps it came from the Korean word for "country." In Mandarin, "country" is ""Guo" and in Japanese it is "Koku." Many Korean words are pronounced very similar to either Chinese or Japanese (or sometimes a variation that is rather in-between). The word for "beautiful" in English is also used in Chinese and Japanese as the character for "America" (Chinese = "Mei-Guo" / Japanese = "Bi-Koku") and in Korean, it could possibly be "Me-Gook." (Sorry, I really don't know Korean.) Therefore, if the Koreans fleeing to the American lines were saying "Me-Gook, Me-Gook" meaning "Americans, Americans," the Americans could well have thought "Well, if you are saying you are a Gook, then that's what we'll call you." ( If this paragraph doesn't make any sense, then please ignore it.)
On the other hand, please look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gook (Click here) According to Wikipedia, it seems that the word, in the sense of a "prostitute, " dates back to the late 1800s. However, another theory given in the next paragraph is somewhat related to mine. And then it is quickly refuted.
In summary, guess that my theory is false.
Jim
PS: I think that "Hancook" really means "Korea" and not "Korean."

[Continued on July 18, 2016]

One advantage of being Webmaster is that unless somebody comes back with a refute of some kind, you always have the last word.

My above comment about the cartoonish figures of the Axis leaders during World War Two. I remember going bowling with a friend when I was going to the Army Language School from April 1958 to March 1959. Evidently they had been there since before 1945? While the following is very different from what I remember, you can kind of get the general idea.

My other comments about where the word "Gook" and the idea that it comes from the Korean word for "America" (Mi Gook) is somewhat reinforced by the following very short (1 second) recording. I copied it from http://www.bing.com/translator

(Click here).

Group Conversations
C to G

From: Jim Anderson
Dated: October 9, 2014
Subject: Flying Tigers in Burma....1942

A friend renting an apartment in Saigon often had disagreements with his Vietnamese landlord. During those quarrels the landlord would refer to him as a "My Heo" (American Pig). The friend knew what he was being called but never returned the "compliment", paying a low rent in a good location.

Jim

Group Conversations
N to T