There was an incident which went largely unnoticed by the general public. An important chapter of Second World War was closed. It could perhaps explain the present political equations which some people find hard to understand.
At the click of a few computer keys in London on the last business day of 2006, $83.25 million was sent electronically winging to Washington and $22.7 million to Ottawa, to free Britain from annual installments it occasionally has struggled to pay. The original loan of $4.34 billion -- the equivalent of $27 billion in today's money...
More than six decades after the fact, Britain has finally paid back the billions of dollars it had borrowed from the United States and Canada to help pay for rebuilding the country after World War II. ~ The Washington Times
Under the arrangement, the US handed a financial lifeline to Britain, allowing it to secure oil, food, arms and other military equipment on credit to help the war effort. Though other countries also benefited under the programme — a $48 billion project — Britain received the largest chunk of aid. ~ TimesOnline.com
What does all this mean for the common man? Nothing! Despite UK being an ally, America stood by its famous rhetoric "In God we trust; all others must pay cash." Well, this is a small warning for all those countries who are piling up weapons for use later. War is not free and there will be bills to pay if not in this generation, but for generations to come.
What is the cost of war? The present generation forgets the cost for the previous two world wars, but forgets it is the one way first class ticket back to the Stone Age. It's easy to spend on bullets and bombs. Loans will be loans and will have to be paid with every bone in your body.
"Give me the money that has been spent in war and I will clothe every man, woman, and child in an attire of which kings and queens will be proud. I will build a schoolhouse in every valley over the whole earth. I will crown every hillside with a place of worship consecrated to peace." ~ Charles Sumner, American Politician
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