[DanZ]

Tojo was too sure of himself and thought America was weak morally, and Japanese Bushido would carry the victory. Yamamoto had actually gone to graduate school in the USA.

Sounds like a Management issue - same as Patton (attack Russia) at end of WWII.

As for the Philippines, the Japs supply chain could have supported a more limited Pacific theater AND FDR may not have had the same resolve to fight the Japs that he got from the American population after the U.S. itself was attached at Pearl Harbor

[Alas Babylon!]

I’ve come to believe that FDR didn’t care, he just wanted a war with Hitler, and Soviet spy’s in his administration (both known and unknown) kept his nose on target.

So regardless of what happened with the Japanese, he would have gotten his war.

Have you ever heard Winston’s Churchill discuss his first thoughts on hearing about Pearl Harbor?

He thought it was a gift from Heaven. Roosevelt and Uncle Josef fooled them all.

[Vermont Lt]

Patton might have had a good idea, but the country was broke at the time and we were not about to extend the war against a Russian army stronger than anything we fielded.