Quote:
Originally Posted by Purrybonker
erratum... "loaned" is not a synonym for "spent"; i.e. the Marshall Plan. War has been an export business for North America. At the end of WW2, ramped up industrial capacity needed consumptive capacity to keep the good times rolling. Hence the Marshall Plan (loaning $ to Europe to rebuild), etc. That Germany and Japan, et al became amazing industrial powers very quickly after WW2 is a credit to their capacity to build and succeed. Military service in Europe during the 60's showed me the difference between war recovery in the UK and Germany. Evidence of war in Germany was almost non-existent 15 years after virtually complete destruction yet downtown London still showed much evidence (actually years older) of bombing.
Give credit where due...
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No doubt, the citizens of those countries had a tough row to hoe after WW2. Great Brittan just finished repaying some of those loans in 2006. The French still owe quite a lot. Outside of that debt from the Marshall plan we (US taxpayers) have spent many many billions in keeping our military in Germany, Japan, Great Brittan, and many other places and the taxpayers of those countries did not have to pay for that defense of "big Uncle Sam"
The US might not have defeated the British (the second time) had it not been for French help in 1812. Brittan stood alone against Hitler and it was indeed one of their finest hours and the world owes them a great deal for delaying Hitler at the time.
