Phier, bud...
I said, "morality aside". I also said in my first post that I was not excusing anything, just explaining.
To call the Japanese government of the 30's and 40's "evil" is both an over-simplification and a value judgement. Military History is a science, and as such it calls for cold, objective evaluation, not value judgements. If you want to argue morality, then you need to go see the Philosophy department, bro
As far as my own opinions, I'm a unreconstructed nationalist and anti-globalist. I think America is the greatest nation on earth, and Americans are the greatest people on earth
But none of that changes the
facts of the matter. What was involved was a simple logic statement-
If A, then B
If we cut off their oil, they will attack us
I think I understand where you're coming from. My statements sound like I'm making excuses for the Japanese, and that offends your sense of patriotism.
But on the other hand, I will also observe that the Japanese have no business making excuses for the Rape of Nanking, or whining about Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The Japanese are a controversial people. I see much in them that is intensely admirable, and also some things that are rather despicable. Oddly enough, many foreigners seem to feel that same way about us Americans