----- Original Message ----- From: "Timothy Scott" <ivanyouidiot at earthlink.net> To: <MedCat7 at aol.com> Cc: <dragaera at dragaera.info> Sent: Saturday, February 05, 2005 6:57 PM Subject: Re: on contradictions and such > > I remember that exchange. By that logic, though, doesn't that seem to > indicate that the US wanted Japan to begin (although perhaps not a > Pearl Harbor style attack) WW2...? > > It depends on how you read it. The US had imposed a series of economic sanctions on Japan, limiting its crucial imports (oil, steel) during the 20's and 30's to curb its imperialist expansion (We don't like to share). Japan felt that crippling the bases on Hawaii would prevent the US from being able to enforce those sanctions, allowing the continued pillaging of China and Korea, er, I mean the completion of the "Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere". Certain individuals (including Admiral Yamamoto, the orchestrate of the Pearl Harbor attack) felt this was a bad idea, but the culture of the Japanese society left them in a poor position to oppose it. Now the interesting thing is, there is evidence that some feel that the US was aware that the Japanese had an attack planned, and allowed it to happen, thus causing a public outcry that would allow a military response towards Japan. That scenario seem familiar to anyone? So in actuality, the US was already the attacker, in an economic sense. What Japan tried to do was make it the attacker in a military sense, then use the Pacific Islands and their fleet as defense in depth. That would allow them time to consolidate their holdings in China, Korea, and the Senkaku Islands. But, they missed the aircraft carriers, and, well, you know the rest of the story. Jeff G.