this post was submitted on 26 May 2026
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I don't think the US expected that Japan would attack them. They wanted to cripple Japanese imperial power in the Pacific so they could colonize the Pacific instead, but they would happily let China get genocided in the process rather than go to war and lose actual troops and material.
So I agree with you that "self-defense" made the US seem too pacifistic, when what they wanted was to bleed the world dry so they could become king of the ashes. But it should be made clear that the US did not take initiative to fight fascism. It did not "virtually" declare war. It sought maximum economic advantage for itself as millions perished.
The sensible military experts knew moving their main base to Pearl Harbor was crazy and creating a juicy target.
They most definitely expected an attack from intercepted messages and other intelligence.
And the embargo on Japan from resources is at least an act of aggression if not war.
They knew the Japanese certainly saw it that way.
Of course the US didn't fight fascism as many industrialists liked that ideology.
They only acted against them when they were sure they would lose against the Soviets.
From then on they actively helped to evacuate and save nazis for their future war against communism.