Fwd: Truth is the First Casualty of War

[Brad De Long]

>  >>Richard Minear (Victors' Justice)
>  >>sums up Pal's view of the embargoes on scrap iron and oil, that "these
>>>measures were a clear and potent threat to Japan's very existence."
>>
>>For Roosevelt and Acheson to say "we won't keep selling you the oil >you
>need to conquer China" is a "clear and potent threat to Japan's
>>very existence"?
>>
>>No. To say "we won't keep selling you the oil you need to conquer
>>China" is not to threaten Japan's very existence: it is to try to
>>limit Japan's power to conquer China.
>>
>>
>>Brad DeLong
>
>You're speaking of the intention of the embargo rather than its effect.

You've just abandoned the claim that the U.S. embargoes on exports of 
scrap iron and oil to Japan were offensive threats to Japan's very 
existence.

Game, set, and match to me...