Marshall Plan 60th Anniversary - VOA Story

[0000romano]

ao' ma che voi i sordi?

[Fleur114]

USA gave 13 Billion Dollars to Europe. Without USA Lots of Europeans would have starved to death.

[judhar2004]

America gained an incredible amount from the Marshall Plan. Loans were guaranteed by national reserves in Europe, and prevented countries like Britain from ever regaining the foreign markets they had lost during the Second World War. However, the welfarism of Europe would not have been possible without the loans that were granted by the Marshall Plan.

[xgalba00]

I'm Czech and we haven't received anything from Marshall plan. Europe would exist without Marshall plan, I'm pretty sure, but it would be maybe different kind of Europe, like communistic China

[YogaNate79]

Without the Marshall Plan and the USA, Europe would not exist today.

Us Americans are always called upon when we have to go babysit the British, Franch, and Germans during their wars.

[LazerKidz2]

Thanks for the video! I'm writing a research paper on the European Recovery Plan (Marshall Plan) and this sure did help!

[MarshallPlan4Ellas]

(PART III) Finally, I think that French people like to tease us Americans also, because I used to be stationed at a joint American/French Air Force Base (Istres) and the French guys there always tried to joke with me about American food etc.. I didn't take it personally, just like French people shouldn't take our jokes personally. Think of it as sibling rivalry. If you email me, I'll send you some really funny French jokes and I'm sure you have some American ones?

[MarshallPlan4Ellas]

(PART II) rabelai2006: Now, regarding anti-European etc in the USA. I don't think that Americans are anti-French or Europe, but our media tends to exagerate this. I lived in the states and my best friend (Pierre) was from France, and yes I teased him (politely) about France not helping in Iraq, but then in the end I apologized because France is a good friend and Americans know this. Most Americans are nice to Europeans and we consider them brothers. Have you had other experiences?

[MarshallPlan4Ellas]

(PART 1): rabelai2006: Apology accepted. A discussion without profanity is much more civil. Now, I appreciate you saying Thank You. I think many people (at least in Greece) tend to take the negative reaction against the US Govt without realizing that the US Govt is not ONLY Bush.  We have so many nice, caring individuals who work for the US Govt on a daily basis that try to make life nicer for the world. One example is the Peace Corp. It helps countries improve their infrastructure..

[MarshallPlan4Ellas]

Wonderful video. As an American living in Greece, I try to educate the Greek people on the Marshall plan. Many Greeks have an very negative view of the US Govt, and have no idea (or knowledge) how supportive America was to Greece and how the Marshall plan saved their country from certain starvation.

[rabelai2006]

Europe has paid this Marshall aid back tenfold. Like said in this video the Marshall amounted to todays worth of 100 billion dollars. For example EU countries wrote of 80 billion dollars worth of debt for Iraq at USA request. Americans don´t even fucking know about that do they.

Today´s worth of France help to you in the war of independence probably amounts for more than the total amount of the Marshall plan, so why do you always give them shit.

[MarshallPlan4Ellas]

To: rabelai2006

A simple Thank You will do. That's all anyone ever really expects.

However, your foul language and incoherent gibberish seems (to me) to show your contempt for America. Unfortunately, along with people who truly appreciated America's assistance, the Marshall plan undoubtedly saved countless ungrateful individuals as well.

[rabelai2006]

Get over it, it was 60 years ago and you have been thanked for it thousands of time. EU donates two times more world aid than USA and provides TEN TIMES more manpower to UN´s peacekeeping. Does EU expect everybody thanking it all the time.

How much money do you think USA got when 9/11 struck or Katrina. Have you ever thanked EU for that? Plus you made a killing of World War 2.

[MarshallPlan4Ellas]

rabelai2006:

I'm curious where you get your stats on World Aid and UN Peacekeeping. Can you provide a link or bibliography?

I seriously doubt the EU provides 2X more world aid. Most stats I've seen show the USA providing 40% of world aid, but this is because we are the wealthiest country.  Additionally, our private citizens of America donate quite a bit more. For example, just look at our NBA league and they probably donate more than any European country. (just speculation)

[rabelai2006]

I´ll send you some links since they can not be sent on this comment section.

You don´t need to doubt EU provides two times more aid than USA, it is a fact.

Yes, I would also be very interesting to see those numbers you mentioned. EU provides 50% of world aid, USA something like 25%. Japan, Switzerland, Norway, Canada, Australia etc are also big contributors.

[rabelai2006]

But I have a good feeling on how these numbers you mentioned were "faked". EU has two kinds of world aid, one which comes from EU it self and the other which comes from the EU member countries individually. SO these numbers of USA providing 40% must have skipped one of the two factors, raising USA up and bringing EU down.

[MarshallPlan4Ellas]

Regarding 911 and Katrina. YES, America said THANK YOU and that's the point. Most Americans are very grateful for any assistance provided unlike many Europeans (such as you) who appear to have a chip on their shoulder when it comes to America. I think it is you and your fellow Europeans that should "Get Over it" (your words). Young man, I think you should research your topics more carefully before you start spewing obvious propaganda against America.

[rabelai2006]

I have never heard Americans say THANK YOU. All I hear from Americans is they come on every EU channel and French channel talking all kinds of shit about Europeans.

For example, I wasn´t even talking badly about Americans here and instantly you jumped in the reverse crying about I should say thank you and I was ungrateful or some kind of bullshit.

[LazerKidz2]

Wow you're pretty ungrateful. I'm not sure wether or not you are from France or another European country, but without the Marshall Plan your country would be ruled by a tolitarian government and all of Europe would be Communist. America helped YOUR COUNTRY in its time of famine, poverty, and a crippled economy.

[rabelai2006]

It´s very normal for Americans thinking Europeans are some kind of beggers and ungrateful or some crap. I´m sorry for saying it, but your media has made Americans into morons. Take example France. Been your ally for 200 years. The only thing you talk about is world war 2. You even bring down their efforts in your war of indipendence so now Americans think Mel Gibson took down the British empire with his tomahawk axe.

[rabelai2006]

In the Suez war USA went ballistic and started to fucking with the British pound to force UK and France out of the war.

France took down Iraq´s anti air for you in the first gulf war because they built it. France warned you about 9/11. France is helping you in Afghanistan, France helped you in the Katrina, France wrote off Iraq´s debt to France.

How the fuck do Americans repay them, by trashing them in hollywood movies, boycotting their products. Who is ungrateful here.

[MarshallPlan4Ellas]

With your first comment, you used profanity and insulted America when really as mentioned before, a simple thank you will do. Remember, this is a video about the Marshall Plan, not how great the EU is, or how much you hate America. There are plenty of those types of sites available for you to entertain yourself. You have shown yourself to be rash and antagonistic and I've decided to just end the conversation now.

[rabelai2006]

So no thank you to the French?

:D

[rabelai2006]

Any way, if my language was out of order, don´t take it the wrong way, it´s just the way I talk.

Of course Europeans are grateful for the Marshall aid and your efforts in World war 2 as well. But as you said in the beginning Greece is very negative about the government. Well of course, the whole world is, even Americans themselves. Doesn´t mean that Europeans are negative about USA public.

I just think anti Americanism is overrated compared to for example anti Europeanism in USA.

[rabelai2006]

Yes, so thank you USA for the Marshall aid.