[nonliberal]

Even Stimson's diary says they were trying to figure out how to get the Japanese to fire the first shot. The embargo had choked off their oil and scrap iron supply and the only thing between oil and scrap iron in Indonesia was the US fleet at Pearl Harbor.

We had a chance to avoid the whole thing but Hull killed the deal.

[schurmann]

“...We had a chance to avoid the whole thing but Hull killed the deal.”

Many American citizens think their country is too good to involve itself in the affairs of the world: the “shining city on a hill,” and all that. To the extent that the nation produces individuals that out of touch, the nation deserves to be embarrassed, and will only suffer more attacks in the future.

Many Americans are misinformed: the United States came into existence as a trading nation and thus by definition cannot stand aloof.

In 1914-1917, many believed the nonsense peddled by the isolationists. They were surpassed in arrogance, dimwittedness, and self-righteousness only by those who in 1931-1941 believed the nonsense peddled by the isolationists.