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Um, pretty thin and ahistorical comment. You make it sound like FDR imposed sanctions all at one time. Quite the contrary, the sanctions had been gradually imposed for seven years after Japan first invaded China in 1932. Each time the Japanese increased their territories, FDR and other free powers tried to persuade the Japanese---short of war---to stop by increasing the sanctions.

The one I think you think you're referring to was in July 1941 after Japan, through a deal with Hitler, took over French Indochina, thereby threatening both the Philippines and British Malaya (and the Straits of Malacca). Only an idiot would have let Japan keep going. FDR correctly shut off all further oil sales (although quit a bit still was shipped as late as Dec. 1941), and froze Japanese assets, which meant they couldn't buy more US oil. Nobody forced them to do anything. Quite the contrary, I think FDR was slow and weak in his response. He should have cut off all oil after the Mukden incident. That would have nipped the Rising Sun in the bud, so to speak.

Then, as now, we don't "impose hardships" on anyone. They impose it on themselves. It's like you're living next door to a murderer and you choose not to do business with him. It's not your fault he's a creep and a thug.

ZEro, on the other hand, has not acted nearly tough enough with Putin. He should have forced him back out of the Crimea and immedately re-nuked the Ukraine.