Tim, I didn't realize it was an embargo of Japan, which is as you say a completely different thing from a blockade. Are you sure? I suppose I could ask Google, who would know.
Who started WWII in the Pacific against Japan? Well, I suppose my ancestors have some guilt there, as they were colonists in China as part of the British Empire, which was setting up shop in China. Japan understandably was taking part in the same geopolitical power games, as most countries did back in the 19th century and earlier.
That British Empire colonisation was just a flanking manoeuvre in retaliation for Genghis Khan's invasion of Europe some time before, so it was really the Khans who started WWII. If we check Hu Jintao's DNA, we will likely find some Khanian links, so he should apologize to me for his ancestors' murderous maraudings.
Japan was trying to prevent the British Empire from surrounding them. My grandfather used to live in Dalian and holiday in Korea, which was probably unnervingly close to Japan for the Japanese. What with the British on that side, the Americans to the east and the Russians looming from the north, it is understandable that they did some pre-emptive manoeuvres to avoid WMD attacks from the surrounding bad guys.
The USA is happily building a large-scale co-prosperity sphere, but as is obvious from the number of corpses being created, not everybody is gung ho for the programme.
<Japan had been happily building an East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere before the rude intrusion by the gaijin.
Maybe happily for Japan. The invaded countries were not so happy about it. >
Of course the number of bodies these days is infinitesimal compared with the horrors perpetrated by the Japanese effort, but smart weapons were not so smart in those days and bulk killing was the norm. The process is still much the same.
Plus ca change,
Mqurice |
