>>64098730
>the japs should have simply stayed in their empire and avoided war altogether. there would have been no embargo then.
Have you read the Hull note? It demanded Japan to give Manchuria to China. That's not "staying in their empire" that's them no longer having an empire.
At the point where the US stopped selling oil to Japan, there was no attack by Japan on American ships, and Japan took over Vichy indochina to cut off Chinese supply routes.
All the US had to do was to sell Japan some oil, or at least allow the Dutch East Indies to sell Japan some oil.