RandalFlagg said:

I think I have heard the following explanation for Japan's attack on America:

Japan and America were butting heads over oil and Japan's expansionism.  Japan was pissed.  Japanese leaders knew that they could probably not militarily defeat America completely.  But, they surmised that they could put enough of a dent in America's Pacific Ocean military power so that America would back off and Japan would have free reign in Asia and the Pacific.

---

Exactly!~

You know your history RF!~



It was over OIL and Japan's expansionism.

Japan was importing OIL from the United States before WW2.
The United States cut the Japanese OIL supply down...which pissed off Japan.
There were Japanese Shipping Companies in Seattle that were buying up all the OIL they could and sending it to Japan...before the War.
My Mother worked at one of these Japanese Shipping Companies before the War broke out.

Japan was already at war with China...and they had their eyes on taking the Phillipines.

Many American Fighter Pilots were already fighting for the Chinese at the time in China...the Flying Tigers.

Some people believe that FDR knew about the Japanese plot to attack Pearl Harbor ahead of time...and that he allowed it to happen so that the Americans could enter the War in Europe.
Which would explain why more of the Pacific fleet wasn't in Pearl Harbor at the time of the attack.
But this is still pure speculation.

---

The sadest part to me is how the United States helped the Japanese rebuild after the war...giving them technoligy.
From companies like General Electric...then the Japanese took off and became more advanced in Electronics.

Now the Japanese have factories in the Phillipines...and Vacation there.
Now Japanese people and businesses are buying up the Real Estate on Hawaii...turning it into their own little Club Med.
They might not have won the War...but they are buying what they couldn't take during the War.

My father...who was at Pearl Harbor at the time of the Attack...is probably turning over in his grave over this.