Should Europe Repay America for Lend Lease & the Marshall Plan?

[old aryan]

In 1939-1941, America sent munitions, equipment, foodstuffs (whatever was needed) to European countries fighting the Axis Powers under Lend-Lease, a loan program. After WW2, America sent billions of dollars to rebuild western, central, northern & southern Europe, as the Marshall Plan, also a loan program. Only one country to date, has repaid America in full -- Finland.
Do the rest of the European countries who received this aid owe the money to America? Why/Why not? These were loans in fact.....................

[Sigrun Christianson]

Why does this bother you so much? Do you think you would get any of the repaid money?

[Sigrun Christianson]

Anyway, the answer is NO. We owe all of Western Europe at least that much money and probably much more for entering the war on the wrong side. And for exporting McDonald's.

[Scoob]

In 1939-1941, America sent munitions, equipment, foodstuffs (whatever was needed) to European countries fighting the Axis Powers under Lend-Lease, a loan program. After WW2, America sent billions of dollars to rebuild western, central, northern & southern Europe, as the Marshall Plan, also a loan program. Only one country to date, has repaid America in full -- Finland.
Do the rest of the European countries who received this aid owe the money to America? Why/Why not? These were loans in fact.....................

Speaking of the world wars - burdening people with reparations is not a good way to keep allies.

We gave out those loans to Europe to maintain our sphere of influence, and to prevent the whole of Europe becoming Communist.

The pathetic thing is that now we really do need the money.

I have an idea. Let's stop humanitarian aide to Africa, and once the continent becomes depopulated from AIDS, we can go make colonies. That would revive the West!

[old aryan]

No...I KNOW I wouldn't get any of the money......and no, I don't think any kind of reparations would help anyone...........and no, this REALLY doesn't bother me that much...........my point is, its easy to drive down America, and many Europeans have done it for years, and still do it................they forget what was done for them...............sure, Bush is an a**-**le, and so have been other Americans -- but they are not ALL Americans.............

I just think that sometimes, maybe to many times.....there is disrespect!

If you want respect....you have to give it (why is this so tough?)!!!!!!!

[Scoob]

my point is, its easy to drive down America, and many Europeans have done it for years, and still do it................they forget what was done for them...............sure, Bush is an a**-**le, and so have been other Americans -- but they are not ALL Americans.............

I just think that sometimes, maybe to many times.....there is disrespect!

If you want respect....you have to give it (why is this so tough?)!!!!!!!

I agree.

[cosmocreator]

I think Israel should give back all the money and equipment they've been given first.

[Sigrun Christianson]

HELP?? We helped defeat Germany!! You are proud of this?

[Zyklop]

...not to mention the post-war theft of german technology and art by our liberators.

[Angelcynn Beorn]

Lend-lease wasnt done out of generousity, the US basically used it to extort huge concessions and favours from the British when they made the deal. The US demanded permanent access to British ports and bases throughout the world in exchange for a handful of obsolete destroyers. On top of which much of the atomic research, which allowed America to make the bomb first, was carried out by the British and handed over to the Americans for free, care to repay us for that? Or how about repaying Britain for all the investment it put into protecting and building the fledgling civilisation in N.America? Or for the money we spent protecting you from French, Indian and Spanish aggression?

I dont have a problem with America or Americans, but the idea that everyone owes America for WW2 is a pretty puerile one that always gets on my nerves.