02-24-2003, 11:36 PM
Hi,
The only nations that benefited from WWII, were those who had little reconstruction to do and transformed their wartime economies for peace.
Not so. The only major nation that had little reconstruction to do was the USA. Because it realized that an economically healthy world was good for everyone and because it wanted allies in the Cold War, the USA helped the Japanese and many of the European economies. It did this with loans and materials and trade agreements that generated new manufacturing and industrial capabilities in those countries and by suppling almost the whole of the military protection for Europe (and all of that for Japan). This was all done at the expense of the taxpayers of the USA.
But, to make the situation worse, since the model was that industry wasn't supposed to be supported by government (that was *gasp* socialism), the support for modernization that was so freely given to our ex-allies (except, of course, the USSR) and our ex-enemies could not be given to the American industries that were struggling to re-invent themselves after WW II and who were trying to modernize at their own expense. So, while our ex-allies and ex-enemies developed a new and much more efficient steel industry, the mills of the USA, fifty years out of date could not compete. While Europe was criss crossed by a modern rail system, and Japan went on to build its bullet trains, the railroads in the USA continued their slide into neglect -- a slide that was accelerated by a Federally funded (OK, not completely, but most states never came close to the 50% contribution) highway system which gave the trucking industry a free right of way.
So, we helped out old allies, we helped our old enemies. And in return, we've had defaulted loans, a negative trade balance, loss of many of our larger industries, and the scorn and hatred of our old enemies and our old friends alike. As the kid remarked at the end of the joke, "You try to do someone a favor and you always get f*ed in the end."
--Pete
The only nations that benefited from WWII, were those who had little reconstruction to do and transformed their wartime economies for peace.
Not so. The only major nation that had little reconstruction to do was the USA. Because it realized that an economically healthy world was good for everyone and because it wanted allies in the Cold War, the USA helped the Japanese and many of the European economies. It did this with loans and materials and trade agreements that generated new manufacturing and industrial capabilities in those countries and by suppling almost the whole of the military protection for Europe (and all of that for Japan). This was all done at the expense of the taxpayers of the USA.
But, to make the situation worse, since the model was that industry wasn't supposed to be supported by government (that was *gasp* socialism), the support for modernization that was so freely given to our ex-allies (except, of course, the USSR) and our ex-enemies could not be given to the American industries that were struggling to re-invent themselves after WW II and who were trying to modernize at their own expense. So, while our ex-allies and ex-enemies developed a new and much more efficient steel industry, the mills of the USA, fifty years out of date could not compete. While Europe was criss crossed by a modern rail system, and Japan went on to build its bullet trains, the railroads in the USA continued their slide into neglect -- a slide that was accelerated by a Federally funded (OK, not completely, but most states never came close to the 50% contribution) highway system which gave the trucking industry a free right of way.
So, we helped out old allies, we helped our old enemies. And in return, we've had defaulted loans, a negative trade balance, loss of many of our larger industries, and the scorn and hatred of our old enemies and our old friends alike. As the kid remarked at the end of the joke, "You try to do someone a favor and you always get f*ed in the end."
--Pete
How big was the aquarium in Noah's ark?