Yet both nations claim they want nothing more than to see Iraq prosper

[JBA]

Issues & InsightsMonday,
October 27, 2003    
   
To Forgive Is Divine
INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY

Aid: Iraq needs $56 billion to rebuild over the next four years. Donors in Madrid have pledged just $33 billion. Somebody will have to dig a little deeper. We know who.

However you tally it, the Madrid donor conference was a big disappointment. The U.S. has had to bear the military burden in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Now, it's being asked to pay most of the rebuilding tab, as well.

The big problem, as usual, is Europe — Germany and France, to be precise. The European Union, with a GDP that's larger than that of the U.S., has offered a pathetic $235 million to rebuild Iraq.

As bad as that is, it's more than either Germany or France could muster individually. Germany is giving a token $130 million. France has basically offered zero. Zip. Zilch.


Contrast that with Britain, Australia and the financially strapped ex-communist nations that make up the "new Europe." They're coughing up aid and contributing troops.

Why so stingy? Both Germany and France say they have problems with the U.S.' lack of specifics about handing power back to the Iraqis. Of course, that argument is utter nonsense.



They know the U.S. doesn't want to stay in Iraq any longer than necessary. The U.S. has made that clear. No, former allies Germany and France have taken just another opportunity to tweak the U.S.

And why not? These days, being anti-American sells well in Germany, where in a recent poll one in five said they believed the U.S. government was behind the Sept. 11 attack, and in France, where a recent best seller charged the Pentagon blew itself up on Sept. 11.

Yet both nations claim they want nothing more than to see Iraq prosper. If so, Germany, France and Russia should forgive Iraq's debts to them. After all, Iraq owes $383 billion in total debt. With a GDP of just $25 billion, it is by far the most indebted nation on earth. Oil revenue isn't enough to cover it; Iraq is bankrupt.

Much of Iraq's debts were rung up by Saddam Hussein's murderous regime. So Iraqis today are paying for the French mirage fighters and Exocet missiles and German machinery that Saddam bought to oppress them and invade their neighbors.

France, Germany and Russia have repeatedly invoked international law as a reason for opposing the U.S. Well, there's also an international law doctrine known as "odious debts." It says the bills run up by a dictator don't have to be paid by those who survived the dictatorship. And that's exactly the case in Iraq.

That law has been invoked to forgive debts for many nations — including Germany after World War II. Time to do the same for Iraq.

[Tarmac]

Are you a cut and paste bot too?

[FUNKED1]

Oh come now, we know that the USA is the only government controlled by business interests.  

[Siaf__csf]

Quit whining. Your government went in disregarding every warning, objection or request of its allies or the UN.

Now you expect the very same countries who you overrun blatantly with your decision, to pay for it?

Get a grip.

[fd ski]

This is as we're giving them a "loan" ?
Kinda ironic, ain't it ?

[NUKE]

The world is pretty lucky to have a superpower like the US around....that's all I can say. The world is lucky that America is the superpower, and not some other country.

Think about that.

[Cerceuilvolant]

They know the U.S. doesn't want to stay in Iraq any longer than necessary. The U.S. has made that clear.

Huhohohohohoho! I also heard that the new chechen president has been elected democratically

No, former allies Germany and France have taken just another opportunity to tweak the U.S.

Heh, 'I won't share my pokemons with you anymore' neo-con's leitmotiv  That's the US by its acts that forced us to take such a stance. Our intelligence services warned you about an islamist plot in 2001, we told you to not to go in Iraq because that'd make the 'flies rushing to the dog ****' effect.

So Iraqis today are paying for the French mirage fighters and Exocet missiles and German machinery that Saddam bought to oppress them and invade their neighbors.

Wheee, hah, hehe, yes, the Mirages had a special radar to track babies and drop 500 L napalm bombs on them. Got a nice picture for ya:



The French provided the vectors to kill the civilians, the Americans the poison...So, we're allies after all

France, Germany and Russia have repeatedly invoked international law as a reason for opposing the U.S. Well, there's also an international law doctrine known as "odious debts." It says the bills run up by a dictator don't have to be paid by those who survived the dictatorship. And that's exactly the case in Iraq.

Sorry, my parents learnt me that when I broke something, I had to repair it by myself. Have fun, America is making progress everyday in Iraq, looky, iraqis throwing gren... errrrh flowers to their liberators!

[Dago]

Now you expect the very same countries who you overrun blatantly with your decision, to pay for it?

Funny, I think history shows that the USA didnt start WW2, but we paid the cost of rebuilding Europe afterwards to help the people regain their lives.

Ever hear of the Marshall Plann?

The program cost the American taxpayers $11,820,700,000 (plus $1,505,100,000 in loans that were repaid), the Marshall Plan was a rational effort by the United States aimed at reducing the hunger, homelessness, sickness, unemployment, and political restlessness of the 270 million people in sixteen nations in West Europe.

Yeah, it wasn't our idea to start WWII, but we helped pay the rebuilding cost.

I guess countries like Germany (who did start WWII and then accept money to rebuild what they had caused), and France, who rolled over quickly to German domination forget thier not to distant past.


dago

[10Bears]

Isn't one of the main contentions a new resolution turning control over to the U.N.?.. JBA's article doesn't mention that I wonder why?

It's heartwarming to see the right wingers now suddenly want dept forgivness for 3rd world countries .. They can be out there protesting with the other hippies the next WTO conference.

[Siaf__csf]

Funny, I think history shows that the USA didnt start WW2, but we paid the cost of rebuilding Europe afterwards to help the people regain their lives.

Marshall plan? You mean the plan that tied the countries that accepted it into taking US military bases on their soil?

With which you essentially bought the loyalty of the countries in the pre-cold war situation as Soviet union all of the sudden posed a threat again? It had nothing to do with good will, it was cold and smart politics utilising the despair of the war theater and the economic advantage of the U.S.

As a result, US created NATO and had a sizeable buffer against the spread of communism in europe. Oh, it probably didn't hurt to be able to put your missile silos on the same continent with the russians, either.

[NUKE]

Originally posted by Siaf__csf
Marshall plan? You mean the plan that tied the countries that accepted it into taking US military bases on their soil?

With which you essentially bought the loyalty of the countries in the pre-cold war situation as Soviet union all of the sudden posed a threat again? It had nothing to do with good will, it was cold and smart politics utilising the despair of the war theater and the economic advantage of the U.S.

As a result, US created NATO and had a sizeable buffer against the spread of communism in europe. Oh, it probably didn't hurt to be able to put your missile silos on the same continent with the russians, either.

Maybe you would have prefered to have had the Soviets  rebuild Europe. Can you say Iron Curtain?

[vorticon]

Aid: Iraq needs $56 billion to rebuild over the next four years. Donors in Madrid have pledged just $33 billion. Somebody will have to dig a little deeper. We know who. However you tally it, the Madrid donor conference was a big disappointment. The U.S. has had to bear the military burden in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Now, it's being asked to pay most of the rebuilding tab, as well.

The big problem, as usual, is Europe — Germany and France, to be precise. The European Union, with a GDP that's larger than that of the U.S., has offered a pathetic $235 million to rebuild Iraq.

As bad as that is, it's more than either Germany or France could muster individually. Germany is giving a token $130 million. France has basically offered zero. Zip. Zilch.  

huh...us doesnt have to pay most of it...33 billion is over half the cost...learn some math

and why should they pay you more??? they dont agree with the war your lucky to get what you got...in fact since you were all gung ho about how you could deal with it yourself you may as well follow through to the end and pay for it yourself...

[Boroda]

France, Germany and Russia have repeatedly invoked international law as a reason for opposing the U.S. Well, there's also an international law doctrine known as "odious debts." It says the bills run up by a dictator don't have to be paid by those who survived the dictatorship. And that's exactly the case in Iraq.

That law has been invoked to forgive debts for many nations — including Germany after World War II. Time to do the same for Iraq. [/B]

Please tell me why my country pays all the debts of USSR and Russian Empire, I mean ALL the debts, including some that are more then 100 years old, and pays it alone, without any debts left for former parts of Russian Empire or Soviet republics?... Including all the debts made by Czars, "evil communists" and traitors or Western puppets like Gorbachov?...

Nice American logics: we have to pay everything to you, and we have to forgive Iraqi debts, because they can't pay, because some big guy decided it's a good idea to invade and mess up the whole Iraqi economics?... How about "forgiving" all Russian debts? You have won the Cold war, didn't you?

[NUKE]

Originally posted by vorticon
huh...us doesnt have to pay most of it...33 billion is over half the cost...learn some math

and why should they pay you more??? they dont agree with the war your lucky to get what you got...in fact since you were all gung ho about how you could deal with it yourself you may as well follow through to the end and pay for it yourself...

What war do you agree with?

[Udie]

Originally posted by Siaf__csf
It had nothing to do with good will, it was cold and smart politics utilising the despair of the war theater and the economic advantage of the U.S.

 

1. We most likely kept your sorry bellybutton alive.

2. We definitely kept the free world free from communism.

3.  People like you prove daily that it was a waste of money and shouldn't have been done.