Free Republic

Reviving the foreign-aid racket -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: June 15, 2005 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2005 Creators Syndicate Inc. "Debt Cut Is Set for Poorest Nations" was the headline in Sunday's Washington Post over the lead story. "The world's wealthiest nations," wrote Paul Blustein, "agreed yesterday to cancel more than $40 billion in debts that some of the world's poorest nations owe to international lenders – a move inspired by the belief that full debt forgiveness is necessary to give those countries a chance to escape the trap of hunger, disease and economic stagnation." Sounds wonderful. Alan Cowell's story in the New...

Germany didn't spend all the money which the U.S. paid after WW2 to fire up the German economy ("European Recovery Program" - the so called "Marshall plan"). Through interests the 3.8 billion Dollar from the 40s became todays 15 billion Dollar. German finance minister Eichel wants to use the money to get under the 3% deficit barrier stipulated by the EU. Very short and reduced summary by me. No time to translate it all. If you're interested please use Babelfish.

Paul H. Nitze, an expert on military power and strategic arms whose roles as negotiator, diplomat and Washington insider spanned the era from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Ronald Reagan and helped shape America's cold war relationship with the Soviet Union, died Tuesday night at his home in Washington. He was 97. The cause was pneumonia, said his wife, Elisabeth Scott Porter. From the beginning of the nuclear age, whether in government or out, Mr. Nitze urged successive American presidents to take measures against what he saw as the Soviet drive to overwhelm the United States through the force of arms....

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel...

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Dec. 8 — They were a father and son shopping for a car for the young man, a family ritual as common as any in the United States. It was unfolding on a recent evening here, though, to the cadence of distant gunfire and explosions. Aadel Kadhem, 43, and his 23-year-old son, Mohammed, walked around a pair of black BMW's, opening the doors, staring through the windows. Aadel Kadhem paints automobiles for a living, and his income has risen tenfold since the fall of Saddam Hussein's government, he said, allowing him to squirrel away $3,000 for a car...

<p>They say generals are always fighting the last war. A lot of civilians are attempting to do the same thing -- or worse -- with their calls for a Marshall Plan for Iraq.</p> <p>The Marshall Plan, widely considered the most successful foreign policy initiative in U.S. history, has become the metaphor used to campaign for American economic intervention abroad. But winning a peace is like winning a war -- no cookbook solution, no copying what happened in the past, will ensure victory.</p>

Rumsfeld, Myers Urge House to Support $87B Supplemental Bill By Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2003 -- Rebuilding Iraq is as important to long-term security in the region as providing a secure environment, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said during testimony to the House Appropriations Defense subcommittee today. Rumsfeld, joined by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, told representatives that President Bush's $87 billion supplemental request for fiscal 2004 is an investment in peace in the region and the world. The supplemental spending request, which also includes money for...

(Defense in advance: I'm an engineer, not a poli sci or other liberal arts graduate. Interest in things political, and historical, came late in life.) Reading Ann Coulter's book "Treason" this evening I came across the following (p.85) about the Marshall plan (which Marshall, it appears, did not support!): "The United States poured billions of dollars into Western Europe to jump-start their war-torn economies. By allowing non-Communist European nations to flourish, the Marshall Plan strengthened Western Europe, and immunized it from the allures of Soviet Communism." Once stated it's obvious. Even to me. But the question I have is (and...

Dear Lord, There's a young man far from home, called to serve his nation in time of war; sent to defend our freedom on some distant foreign shore. We pray You keep him safe, we pray You keep him strong, we pray You send him safely home ... for he's been away so long. There's a young woman far from home, serving her nation with pride. Her step is strong, her step is sure, there is courage in every stride. We pray You keep her safe, we pray You keep her strong, we pray You send her safely home...

Conservative misunderstands Marshall Plan April 18, 2003 Dear Editor,I would like to address Russell Greim's Monday column. Let me first say that he is correct, the pessimists were wrong about the war in Iraq. However, I felt the column missed the point, and to be fair, readers should see the piece without the inflection of pro-Bush propaganda. There is a difference between being an optimist and being one who cannot see the other side of the coin because he is too busy ogling over how great he thinks his own side is.Greim wrote that he watched "people rejoice" in Basra...

Leaders of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund met in Washington over the weekend for their annual spring meeting. They were under great pressure from the United States to step in to Iraq and help get that country's economy back on its feet. However, if the Iraqis really want to restore prosperity to their country, they might be better off if the World Bank and IMF stay out. It is worth remembering that the greatest war reconstruction in history -- that following World War II -- took place without any World Bank or IMF around to help, which may...

Will there be a Marshall Plan for Iraq? Lawrence Smallman What does the United States want Iraq to look like in 2010? It will spend billions of Iraqi dollars on the post war reconstruction, but will it look to short or long term interests? If it considers long term interests, then the US will have to spend billions of its own dollars in rebuilding Iraq. The fear is that the US will fall into old habits and offer dysfunctional minimal assistance for short term gain. It is well known throughout the political world that the US does not have a...

-snip- The Greeks are the most anti-American folk in Europe, and I’m sad to say we were the only ones to boo the victims of 9/11 when asked to stand for a minute of silence before a football game. Be that as it may, Greek-Americans are among the most patriotic, law-abiding, and hard-working U.S. citizens, sending lotsa moolah back home and spending generously when they visit the mother country. But like me, they are at a loss when faced with the anti-Americanism of the locals. On a recent visit, sitting in a taverna, sipping ouzo, and discussing politics, I brought...