Re:Statement from Edward Snowden in Moscow
by philwelch on Tuesday July 02, 2013 @11:51AM
(#5978646)
In 1941, it probably didn't seem obvious that Russia would prevail. The cynical, hegemonic move for capitalism certainly wouldn't have been to ally with the Soviets, but rather to let both totalitarian regimes fight each other to exhaustion and sweep up the remains of both.
Re:Statement from Edward Snowden in Moscow
by fieryeagle on Tuesday July 02, 2013 @09:25PM
(#5981843)
Hypothetically, a win for either Axis or Eastern bloc would spell disaster for capitalism. That practically guarantee that US would join in the fray, one way or another, indirectly or directly. Pearl Harbour helped alot with the decision making, as other members pointed out in this thread and the general consensus on America's participation in WW2.
Re:Statement from Edward Snowden in Moscow
by philwelch on Wednesday July 03, 2013 @01:08AM
(#5982611)
Right, I'm just saying counterfactually, if you were in charge of a global capitalist conspiracy, you'd sell weapons to both sides until Germany and Russia were both weakened and then conquer both, and then you have global capitalist hegemony.
The fact that that's not how it worked out is pretty good evidence that there wasn't a global capitalist conspiracy behind the whole thing after all.
Re:Statement from Edward Snowden in Moscow
by fieryeagle on Wednesday July 03, 2013 @04:23AM
(#5983144)
Well, it was pretty much a big win for America after the war ended, economically with all that arms trade and diplomatically as the affirmed leader figure of Western bloc.
Of course Pearl Harbour was what got the US directly involved and nuking Japan out in the end, but I hold the speculation that without Pearl Harbour, US would still declare war to either Germany or Japan anyway because of several reasons below: 1) US businesses were being harmed by the Axis, i.e. Germans attacking cargo ships meant to supply arms to Britain. Sooner or later the piled up losses would justify the entry in front of Congress.
2) The Japanese was expanding fast in Asia and they would not stop just short of US territorial waters, plus the imposed embargo had been pissing the Japanese off anyway. A clash was inevitable.
3) Letting USSR being the major player and eventual winner meant letting communism spread throughout Europe. There had to be a sizable participation from the Capitalist group in the war and the rest of the Western bloc was too tattered to muster that up.