$98 per barrel oil

I don't doubt the US military budget was huge during the cold war, but
so was ours. And so was the Soviet Union's BTW. I guess that's the
price you pay for wanting to be a super power. When you want to project
military power to all corners of the globe, have nuclear submarines and
air craft carriers roam the world oceans, have troops stand by for the
odd invasion here and there, it costs lots of money. The US didn't do
all that out of kindness, but for selfish reasons, namely to maintain
their superpower status. Don't portrait it as a gift please. The
benefit was mutual.

Really? What benefit did the US gain by saving/protecting Europe?
I'd be interested in hearing your take on this matter, because I see
very little return on our investment.

About the only upside of the "Quiet Invasion" that is taking place
from south of our border is that our costly connection to Europe is
fading fast -- and I say this as a proud German American. With any
luck we will never again be drawn into one of your stupid wars.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Interesting. According to figure 3 the US started at 6% of GDP in 1980
and is down to 3.5 in 2002. West Germany started at 5.5 in 1984 and is
at about 3 in 2002. Approx 0.5 difference throughout.

Two things:

1. .5% of US GDP is a huge number. Now mulitiply that for 60 years.
I believe we've just paid for your welfare state.

2. West Germany was the "tip of the spear" in the Cold War. Despite
this exalted position, they STILL spent less than the US (as a
percentage) in their own defense.

Now go back and research the numbers on the rest of Europe.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote in news:1194965707.182401.81440@
57g2000hsv.googlegroups.com:

Interesting. According to figure 3 the US started at 6% of GDP in 1980
and is down to 3.5 in 2002. West Germany started at 5.5 in 1984 and is
at about 3 in 2002. Approx 0.5 difference throughout.

Two things:

1. .5% of US GDP is a huge number. Now mulitiply that for 60 years.
I believe we've just paid for your welfare state.


Oh **** you , you moron.






Bertie

Jay Honeck wrote in news:1194964810.954677.52380
@o38g2000hse.googlegroups.com:

You'd be speaking Russian, but I guess that's a small price to pay,
eh?

What Bertie says. The amount of ignorance you display so loudly and
proudly is stunning.

You know you're in good company when you're standing four-square with
the group's Troll of Trolls,##



I beg your pardon.

I'm usenet's troll of trolls.


How many other trolls do you know who have shaken up two large
governments?



The 13 million American men and women who fought to save your sorry
asses in World War II -- including my father -- must be rolling in
their graves. What an incredible waste of time, lives, money, and
effort.

Another generation of American men and women who paid billions of
their tax dollars to rebuild Europe after World War II, and then
sacrificed their blood and treasure to fight the Cold War for another
generation, must surely be thinking the same thing -- why did we
bother?


You really don't know, do you?


I'm betting you never will.



Bertie

Jay Honeck wrote in news:1194965335.759955.200940@
22g2000hsm.googlegroups.com:

I don't doubt the US military budget was huge during the cold war, but
so was ours. And so was the Soviet Union's BTW. I guess that's the
price you pay for wanting to be a super power. When you want to project
military power to all corners of the globe, have nuclear submarines and
air craft carriers roam the world oceans, have troops stand by for the
odd invasion here and there, it costs lots of money. The US didn't do
all that out of kindness, but for selfish reasons, namely to maintain
their superpower status. Don't portrait it as a gift please. The
benefit was mutual.

Really? What benefit did the US gain by saving/protecting Europe?
I'd be interested in hearing your take on this matter, because I see
very little return on our investment.



Of course you can't.


Bertie

You are correct. We seem to be able to find enough stupid wars of our own.
Korea, Vietnam, Iraq...

Jim


With any
luck we will never again be drawn into one of your stupid wars.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote in
ups.com:

The West German government paid for ALL of the occupation costs
in West Berlin of the US, UK and France.

Wrong.

Actually, they did.

--

Jay,

-- why did we
bother?


That one is really easy to answer. Try reading a history book or two.
You'll be amazed.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

RST,

We seem to be able to find enough stupid wars of our own.
Korea, Vietnam, Iraq...


Hey, those were/are not wars. They were/are police actions, conflicts
and liberations, in that order.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

"John Godwin" wrote in message
...
"Matt W. Barrow" wrote in news:E3a_i.2779
:

Quite...but Berlin was not "Germany" at the time.

Neither you nor I said it was. I simply disagreed when you said
occupation
ended in the 1950s and I stated that occupation continued long after I
left
Berlin. The West German Government continued to fund sustaining allied
troops in Berlin even after occupation of West Germany ceased.

That's nice, but that was not the context of the topic (Germany at-large and
Europe in general).