“I don’t think America should be trading with nations like pre-WWII Japan.”
Hey, I don’t think we should be trading with countries like Saudi Arabia — in the here & now. But they have something that we want, so we look the other way on a who bunch of things that we would find objectionable.
To your point about America Trading with pre-WW2 Japan:
You do realize that the United States sent an emissary & a squadron of steam frigates under Commodore Matthew Perry to force-ably open trade with Japan? That was in the 1850’s when Japan was a closed, largely pre-industrial, feudal society.
This set in motion massive societal upheaval in Japan that set the stage for Japanese imperialism. (note I didn’t say CAUSED).
Saddam was “par for the course” in the Arab world.