The point I made about Roosevelt (who was instrumental in what the peace was going to be) was made. But no one saved the UK and Commonwealth, they did that themselves. We still ended up with a tyrannical neighbour even though it was 700 miles away (or 4 minutes as the SS20 fly's). The US came out of the war more than twice as rich as it went in. The Americans didn't save us they helped us to win the war and excelled in the post war reconstruction of Europe. Their willingness to commit a large part of their national budget to help defend the lives of Europeans for many years after is a fact that has appeared to have been lost to many of the ungrateful recipients.
We still owe them now for WW1. Their own laws wouldn’t permit them to gift stuff and they came up with a cash and carry arrangement initially - that allowed them to supply arms but maintain ‘neutrality’ - then they came up with lend lease which Churchill described as the most unsordid act in history The loan we finally paid off in 2006 was at 2 % over 50 years. And it was from a loan taken to help us rebuild AFTER the war. We also got a big gift/handout from the US via the Marshall plan. The remnants of the lend lease stuff left over at the end of the war we paid 10 p in the pound for. Hard to create a case we got shafted.
Good write up Eastern.... Just like to add, Apparently the reason Russia entered the war was because Hitler was told the Russians would be a big force in the future. Some say it was Churchill who convinced Hitler to move most of his army towards the Russian front, some say otherwise, either way, Hitler fell for it. It's also said Churchill knew Hitler's forces were not trained for winter warfare, and this would give Russia the advantage over the Germans. As it happened it turned out to be true, the German guns were freezing up leaving them helpless in many situations and the Germans didn't have the clothing to combat the severe cold. A mention should also go to the British 7th Armoured Brigade (Desert Rats) who were prominent in defeating the Germans in North Africa. The German Afrika Korp were supposed to be far superior.............obviously not. The 8th Army were the main forces fighting in Africa, this was made up of units from the British Empire and all played a part in defeating Rommel in Africa, and winning the war. The underground resistance, made up of Dutch, French, Polish, Soviet, Yugoslavs and others also deserve credit for their contributions to defeating Hitler, they were invaluable in the intelligence they gathered, fighting the Germans and helping airmen and soldiers get back to their own lines. Another story would be about the Naval and Airforce heroics, but they too, from all nations who were fighting the Germans during WW2 were invaluable in their contribution to defeating Hitler and his so called superior forces.
True, they did, and did well, 'specially in WW1 when they had their own problems at home. Actually a lot of Frenchmen fought for the English at Trafalgar.
They weren't only defending Europeans, Easter, their main concern was Soviet expansion that may threaten the US.
The problem with this ‘richer’, ‘made a profit’ type language is it implies they 'profiteered' at the expense of others... which to use a technical term is bollox. Their GDP went up, not surprising off the back of the great depression and with them gearing an economy up for war - but the US didn't get paid for the arms they produced for themselves or (for the most part) for others. They racked up huge debts in war bonds. What they had at the end of the war was an efficient production base in a country with vast natural resources ...and they hadn't been bombed to sh*t. They heavily invested in an aid programme that helped rebuild Europe after the war.
I heard that one of the consideration the USA had that caused them to support Europe during the cold war period was their desire that any traditional or tactical battlefield nuclear weapon engagement should take place in Europe and not on American soil.
As the USA's wealth was built on the slave trade and that money was invested in europe during and after the war to make even more money for years to come I think its fair to say like it or not we are indebted to the slave traders for the freedom we have today.
I think any country looks after it's own first. FDR saw the threat of Hitler and believed what he was doing was the best for the US in the long term. Personally I don't doubt he also recognised he was also doing the right thing for mankind, but I can't claim to know his motivations. Post war and cold war, sure they had their own interests first, but they saw that as being the dominant partner in a cooperative, which we all benefitied from.
You'r a chancey bastard, Ringo. Casting a lne like that will only get you tiddlers. I rather think there was/is more to the US economy than slave trading.
Zuckerberg personally loses 7 billion as advertisers leave Facebook, happening with Twitter too. Serves him right for being a looney lefty Marxist scumbag.
