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Either way it was not the responsibility of the citizens of the United States to carry the burdon financially for other nations. Anyones debts should be paid in full...
What you say is reasonable but the good people of the US (and I think I could speak for most) would not want to be told that they have to pay an extra 5 or 10% on their income tax to cover the burden of a "freebee" to the UK - it's that simple. If the shoe was on the other foot do you think the Average British citizen would of wanted to give billions of dollars away despite the cause?"carry the burdon" I think this is where my opinion differs from most on this topic. It seems the general opinion in the States, even after all this time is that it was not thier war. This confuses me. Where freedom and human rights are concerned it shouldn't matter if the problem country is on your border or across the ocean, it is the duty of all of us to do something about it. I am sure that given the choice the good people of the U.S. would choose to live in a world without Hitler. Without Great Britain this would not have been possible.
There's always a price for that generocityToday western countries (primarily the U.S.) give millions perhaps billions in aid to countries to sway them toward democracy and human rights.
I think you have a very limited view of how armaments are procured and delivered, especially during WW2 - as pointed out in many cases the US government had to first pay the contractor for lend lease contracts - then you had some situations where the "foreign government" unilaterally approached a US contractor for a product - a prime example of that was the initial purchase of the Hudson."
From 39 - 41 Britain was volunteering to fight for these causes against the most powerful opponent of these values the world has ever seen. Not only were they willing to exhaust thier own financial resources they were willing to fight and die for them as well. Thier homes and places of work were bombed, thier country was left in financial ruin. Who is carying the burden? And just what do they get in return? Years of debt payment and to stand by and watch vanquished countries recieve assistance in rebuilding while in thier own country they can't buy a stick of butter.
Great Britain would of been a lot better after the war with it did not embrace many "socialistic" programs that eventually killed her ability to stimulate her economy and that burden was taken on by the people."
My parents (including my father who is X -R.A.F.) left England after the war not because they wanted to but because they saw little hope for a good life. Once again I say that this debt should never have existed. Moreover I think the free world owes the people of Great Britain an enormous debt of gratitude for seeing Natziism for the evil that it was and taking the fight to them while all around them either collapsed or did nothing.
"carry the burdon" I think this is where my opinion differs from most on this topic. It seems the general opinion in the States, even after all this time is that it was not thier war. This confuses me. Where freedom and human rights are concerned it shouldn't matter if the problem country is on your border or across the ocean,
Instal said:it is the duty of all of us to do something about it.
Instal said:I am sure that given the choice the good people of the U.S. would choose to live in a world without Hitler.
Instal said:Without Great Britain this would not have been possible.
Instal said:Today western countries (primarily the U.S.) give millions perhaps billions in aid to countries to sway them toward democracy and human rights. From 39 - 41 Britain was volunteering to fight for these causes against the most powerful opponent of these values the world has ever seen. Not only were they willing to exhaust thier own financial resources they were willing to fight and die for them as well. Thier homes and places of work were bombed, thier country was left in financial ruin. Who is carying the burden?
Instal said:And just what do they get in return? Years of debt payment
Instal said:and to stand by and watch vanquished countries recieve assistance in rebuilding while in thier own country they can't buy a stick of butter.
Instal said:My parents (including my father who is X -R.A.F.) left England after the war not because they wanted to but because they saw little hope for a good life.
Instal said:Once again I say that this debt should never have existed.
Instal said:Moreover I think the free world owes the people of Great Britain an enormous debt of gratitude for seeing Natziism for the evil that it was and taking the fight to them while all around them either collapsed or did nothing.
I agree Chris.
Instal - I thought back on page 1 you were reacting emotionally, not rationally to the issue. Parts of me agree with some of the things you have said, but I haven't seen anything to make me think that the US taxpayer should have been asked to shoulder the costs.
British decline was not caused by repayment of these debts. It was far more deep than that, and not the subject of this thread.
Also, if you speaking of the Marshall Plan above when you spoke of conquered nations receiving aid, the UK was not excluded either.
That is how WW2 all got started because of the way the victors of WW1 handled the reparations.
Who were the victors of WW1?
UK, France, and the USA......
Why would I not include the USA in the list of victors?
My comment about the victors and WW1 and being one of the causes that led to WW2 has to do with the way the victors handled the reparations after WW1.
It helped fuel the political environment in Germany in the 1930s that helped the NSDP rise to power.
Was it the only cause of WW2 or the dircect cause? No but it was a factor that helped lead to the 2nd World War.
I agree Chris.
Instal - I thought back on page 1 you were reacting emotionally, not rationally to the issue. Parts of me agree with some of the things you have said, but I haven't seen anything to make me think that the US taxpayer should have been asked to shoulder the costs.
British decline was not caused by repayment of these debts. It was far more deep than that, and not the subject of this thread.
Also, if you speaking of the Marshall Plan above when you spoke of conquered nations receiving aid, the UK was not excluded either.
I personally think that the U.S. is owed a debt of gratitude for thier part as well but not to the exclusion of anyone else as you would have it.
Instal said:I am of the opinion that we should have been there in Viet Nam,
Instal said:better yet the allies should have continued the fight into Russia as Stalin was very near the evil tyrant that Hitler was then there would have been no Viet Nam.
Instal said:As far as learning my WW2 history I have never professed to be in posession of all the facts, that is why I find this forum so interesting. I have however learned and researched as time has allowed. With all due respect I invite correction when my knowledge is lacking but my opinion is my own.
Instal said:Thank you mkloby, I was not aware that the U.K. recieved any assistance post war. I realise that there were more factors involved in the decline of the U.K.'s financial situation however repayment of war debts must have been a contributing factor.
SIN? The US sat on its @$$ during this period too!Heads in the sand? The real sin during that period was the way Britain and France sat on their asses for 8 months after Germany rolled through Poland.