The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #71054   Message #3400572
Posted By: PHJim
05-Sep-12 - 07:45 PM
Thread Name: War Mongering Songs
Subject: RE: War Mongering Songs
Graham said above, "My personal unfavourites are ones promoting bigotry against another country/race/whatever. "Come out you Black and Tans" is about as unpleasant as they come, but typical of the genre."

It's typical of the genre because a soldier would have difficulty killing an enemy if he thought of him as just another guy, with a wife and kids at home, who was drafted into the services. The enemy must be dehumanized, therefore bigotry is encouraged. Call the Germans "Krauts", the Japanese "Nips", the Vietnamese "Gooks", the Afghans "Ragheads"... and they seem less than human and easier to kill.