>>22
The ayatollahs are not known for their rationality.

>>23
Remember that Japan's invasion of China made the American trade embargo inevitable; from the end of World War I on, the educated American elites were fascinated with Chinese culture and there were fads for Chinese food (note how popular Chinese cuisine is in the US even today) and Chinese games like mah-jong. These American elites viewed Japan's invasion of China with horror and rage. And many of them owned newspapers. The question is, what motivated the fascist military junta ruling Japan in the 1930s to invade China in the first place?

>>24
Ever read anything about games theory? Brinksmanship was a zero-sum game with tremendous stakes. It only took one player to initiate the game, and whoever backed down first, lost.