The Not so Surprising Sneak Attack it Appears

While I wouldn't go as far as to say that FDR knew in advance that the Pearl Harbor attack was going to happen (as Richard Hill and Richard Stinnett have both articulated), I can say with a fair degree of certitude that he did in fact egg the Japanese on with a truckload of highly punitive economic and military measures. Here, folks, is just a partial list: a) The unilateral termination of the 1911 Commercial Treaty with Japan.............b) The Export Control Act which limited the export of defense materials to Japan.............c) An embargo of all exports of scrap iron and steel except to Britain and the Western Hemisphere.............d) A total oil embargo on Japan.............e) The construction of U.S. military bases all along the Pacific rim.............f) The relocating of the Pacific fleet from San Diego to Hawaii.............g) The freezing of all Japanese assets in the U.S..............h) A complete refusal on the part of the U.S. to even talk to the Japanese unless they totally vacated China (a ridiculous stipulation in that the British were simultaneously occupying India, Palestine, Rhodesia, etc. and we were obviously talking to them)............................................................................I guess what I'm trying to say here is that, even if FDR didn't know that the Japanese were going to attack Pearl Harbor on precisely December 6th, 1941, he at least should have known that an attack at some point was a distinct possibility and our readiness should have been infinitely better....Of course, being that the man DID want us to get into the damned war....