Similarities Between 9/11 And Pearl Harbor

Date of Infamy

This paper will discuss similarities between 9/11 and Pearl Harbor and describe/evaluate/analyze

the Presidential responses to the attacks, as well as examine/investigate the roles that class,

culture, religion, and notions of superiority played in these attacks on the United States.

Before comparing the two events there has to be an understanding of what happened at

each event. On the 9th of September 2001, people were ready to go to work like any other normal

day. Sadly, they did not know what tragedy laid ahead of them in a matter of just hours. Some

went to the Twin Towers in New York, which are the signature buildings of the World Trade

Center and others went to Arlington, Virginia to work in the US Pentagon
will have for the following three years and eight months and the first wave of

Japanese planed reached Pearl Harbor and started to bomb everything. Some even drove their

planes straight into our fleets of ships. Many lost their lives and a loved ones. The following will

explain how similar these two attacks are and their impact on the U.S. and also pointing out

differences in the presidential speeches.

The attacks of 9/11 compare to those of Pearl Harbor in 1941 because they were both

unprovoked and both took place on U.S. soil. In both the attacks the U.S. failed to listen to the

intelligence they had, the U.S. had information that the Japanese were planning something but

they didn’t act on it. Same thing for 9/11 they had a whole summer and they knew that

something was going to happen but they chose to ignore it because many people were on

vacation to put together a meeting and discuss a plan of action. Another similarity was that

people were extremely scared of follow up attacks. After the attacks on Pearl Harbor people in

California feared an attack on the West Coast could happen. After 9/11 airspace was closed in

fear of another airplane attack. Although, a huge difference was that the Pearl Harbor attack
Due the culture and religion of the 9/11 hijackers they

were led to believe that Americans were the worst of “infidels” and that Americans were “at war

with God.” Osama Bin Laden brainwashed people and said, “We believe that the worst thieves in

the world today and the worst terrorists are the Americans. Nothing could stop you except

perhaps retaliation in kind. We do not have to differentiate between military or civilian. As far as

we are concerned, they are all targets.” Extremists believed this and decided to attack America.

Those of the extremist Islamic and Muslim faith think they are superior to “American infidels.”

Which made them think it was okay to kill civilians and do other evil things. Japan must have

attacked the U.S. because of two things: 1. they thought they were superior because they had

been conquering recently and had a treaty with the Soviets so they weren’t so scared of the U.S.

or England. 2. The U.S. had placed an embargo on Japan essential goods because they had taken

over northern French Indochina.

9/11 first responders have faced physical and mental issues from the debris of the