They were wrong; it did the exact opposite.
We should consider the lesson of history that pre-emptive war is not a good idea, aka the Bush Doctrine, as neo-conservatives and other belligerent right wingers who are not historically literate attempt to push us into another pre-emptive war, this time with Iran.
The Japanese were on the wrong side of history. Let us not make the same mistake, again. Those who do not learn from history ARE doomed to repeat it.
