red indian
2nd Level Yellow Feather
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2001
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....those of you have followed some of my WW2 heated debates with Neutron and others, may recall my many references to the massive financial debt which the UK was obliged to burden itself with in order to engage the US in the war.
Its not widely known that the UK is still paying back the US for every gun, bomb and bullet it procured during WW2. I think many in the US and UK still have this impression of the US as a great and kindly benifactor bestowing upon the UK in wartime its largesse, for purely altruistic reasons.
Its worth remembering that the US also proffited very nicely out of WW2. I have no dispute about the vital role that he US played in WW2, thats taken for granted, and very well publicised, not least by Americans, but their contribution in terms of war material was part of a hard nosed, hard headed business deal which at times became a very heavy burden for the UK in the post war years.
Its interesting to compare this to the more traditional custom of "reparations" normally paid by the vanquished to the Victor, wich of course did not happen post WW2 for the very good reason that reparations sow the seeds of the next war.In fact the US to its great credit, did the complete opposite with the Marshal plan.
Its also interesting to know that the USSR got fed up with paying back their WW2 debt to the US during the cold war and told the US where to stick it.
Not so your good and trusty friends this side of the pond, we are due to complete our payments at the end of this year...yippee!!
Its not widely known that the UK is still paying back the US for every gun, bomb and bullet it procured during WW2. I think many in the US and UK still have this impression of the US as a great and kindly benifactor bestowing upon the UK in wartime its largesse, for purely altruistic reasons.
Its worth remembering that the US also proffited very nicely out of WW2. I have no dispute about the vital role that he US played in WW2, thats taken for granted, and very well publicised, not least by Americans, but their contribution in terms of war material was part of a hard nosed, hard headed business deal which at times became a very heavy burden for the UK in the post war years.
Its interesting to compare this to the more traditional custom of "reparations" normally paid by the vanquished to the Victor, wich of course did not happen post WW2 for the very good reason that reparations sow the seeds of the next war.In fact the US to its great credit, did the complete opposite with the Marshal plan.
Its also interesting to know that the USSR got fed up with paying back their WW2 debt to the US during the cold war and told the US where to stick it.
Not so your good and trusty friends this side of the pond, we are due to complete our payments at the end of this year...yippee!!
