Why does America lead the world?

[Rich]

Rich...you really must read more history.

Until 1940, the US Neutrality Act called on any country at war to purchase materials and take them away, literally cash and carry.

In that year FDR passed the Lend Lease Act. Countries at war (that the US approved of) were given tanks guns etc free of charge.

The result, by 1944 the British Armour Corp was made up 90% of US Sherman tanks, RAF Coastal Command was made up 80% of US Liberator bombers. Several groups of RAF Bomber Command were made up of US Flying Fortresses. The British merchant ships that had been lost to U Boats were replaced by US Liberty ships. This just scratches the surface.
This is in addition to the material the US gave to the Soviets and other Allied powers.

ALL OF IT FREE OF CHARGE



Neither the US or Britain could have won the war without the other. Of course both of them would have totally screwed without Canada.

That's why the US charged us over $1075,000,000 for goods that were on route at the end of the war, that debt was finally repaid in Dec2006
And you've forgotten the enormous benefit to the US of reverse Lend-Lease The UK supplied extensive material assistance to US forces stationed in Europe, for example the USAAF was supplied with hundreds of Spitfire MkV and MKVIII fighter aircraft.
In fact the US had more from Kiwi land than it gave

We'll cover the benefits to Britain from the post-war US Marshall Plan in our next lesson.

Yes let's cover the benefits to the benefactor
The Marshall Plan aid was mostly used for the purchase of goods from the United States.

 

[Rich]

Col I did point out that the grass is much greener over the cesspool

Well I know America has many faults but I wouldn't go so far as to call it a cesspool

 

[ColinEssex]

I didn't say "the average American"...I said "most of us."

So that must include all the people that make up an average then. You can't have an average of just a few.

Then of course you need to decide whether to trim the extremes which would make the average more realistic.

So unless you are an extreme - I would class you as average.


What's your view on what has happened in Burma and China recently?

Col

 

[dan-cat]

So that must include all the people that make up an average then. You can't have an average of just a few.

I would view the current British administration as sycophantic but certainly wouldn't attribute this quality to the 'average' Briton.

 

[georgedwilkinson]

What's your view on what has happened in Burma and China recently?

It's an (they are?) awful tragedy. I feel for the people who were injured, killed, and/or uprooted from their homes and for their families. I think the average American feels the same way, though that is my opinion, as I've stated many times before.

 

[Rich]

It's an (they are?) awful tragedy. I feel for the people who were injured, killed, and/or uprooted from their homes and for their families.

Well let's compare the actions of the evil communist regime with that of the land of the free, the Chinese leader went straight to the scene and stayed there summoning all the help he could muster, what did Bush do during Katrina, he stayed on vacation. Which is the country that actually care for its people?

 

[georgedwilkinson]

If you really feel that way, you should be singing the praises of China and its leaders. I'm sure you'll make a lot of points with all the Chinese forum members.

 

[Rich]

If you really feel that way, you should be singing the praises of China and its leaders. I'm sure you'll make a lot of points with all the Chinese forum members.

I don't come here to score points

 

[Sum Guy]

That's why the US charged us over $1075,000,000 for goods that were on route at the end of the war, that debt was finally repaid in Dec2006
And you've forgotten the enormous benefit to the US of reverse Lend-Lease The UK supplied extensive material assistance to US forces stationed in Europe, for example the USAAF was supplied with hundreds of Spitfire MkV and MKVIII fighter aircraft.
In fact the US had more from Kiwi land than it gave


Yes let's cover the benefits to the benefactor
The Marshall Plan aid was mostly used for the purchase of goods from the United States.

What was the actual value of the war material supplied to Britain by the US? About 20 to 30 times the amount you quoted. Why did the US bill Britain for these item? Perhaps because the war was OVER.
Without Lend Lease, you would be speaking German right now. The ammunition and fuel the RAF used was almost all American. Most of the British Army lost all of its equipment at Dunkirk. The replacement rifles were US Army surplus Springfields.
Without US arms, the British army on D Day would have amounted to a Coproral's guard.
NOT ONE SINGLE USAAF SQUADRON USED SPITFIRES DURING THE WAR. The ones that were given to them were used for spare parts (some squadrons did use Typhoons for ground support).
The New Zealand merchants who supplied US Navy ships were paid cash.
If the goods supplied via the Marshall plan were American made, perhaps it was because no one else on the planet was in a position to manufacture them at the time.
If the British Army in Burma won any battles, it was because of the US troops in Britain defending the island that allowed a British army to fight in Burma.

No one is asking you to gush over America's generocity to Britian, but you might at least acknowledge it.

 

[ColinEssex]

I would view the current British administration as sycophantic but certainly wouldn't attribute this quality to the 'average' Briton.

The UK government is not made up of 'most of' the people. Your analogy is therefore unfair. - Dismissed.

I think the average American feels the same way

Lets get this straight - is that "most of" Americans or just an average? According to your recent post, you allude that an average is not many, and "most of" are substantially more.

Therefore, according to you, not many Americans actually care about the humanitarian disasters currently. Have they been reported on the TV yet in the USA? Or just a column inch on page 10 of the New York Times.

I'm intrigued as to know how you knew about it? Did you google it after I raised the question?

Col

 

[ColinEssex]

What was the actual value of the war material supplied to Britain by the US? About 20 to 30 times the amount you quoted. Why did the US bill Britain for these item? Perhaps because the war was OVER.
Without Lend Lease, you would be speaking German right now. The ammunition and fuel the RAF used was almost all American. Most of the British Army lost all of its equipment at Dunkirk. The replacement rifles were US Army surplus Springfields.
Without US arms, the British army on D Day would have amounted to a Coproral's guard.
NOT ONE SINGLE USAAF SQUADRON USED SPITFIRES DURING THE WAR. The ones that were given to them were used for spare parts (some squadrons did use Typhoons for ground support).
The New Zealand merchants who supplied US Navy ships were paid cash.
If the goods supplied via the Marshall plan were American made, perhaps it was because no one else on the planet was in a position to manufacture them at the time.
If the British Army in Burma won any battles, it was because of the US troops in Britain defending the island that allowed a British army to fight in Burma.

No one is asking you to gush over America's generocity to Britian, but you might at least acknowledge it.

Odd there is no references for any of this so called 'generosity' - just US brainwashing no doubt - "see how we helped the UK and won the war in the process - have we nuked Japan yet?".

Col

 

[Rabbie]

What was the actual value of the war material supplied to Britain by the US? About 20 to 30 times the amount you quoted. Why did the US bill Britain for these item? Perhaps because the war was OVER.

The name "Lend/lease" reveals that it was always the intention that the US should be paid for the aid. Substantial amounts of Britains gold reserves were transported to the US during the war and were part of the payment.

Without Lend Lease, you would be speaking German right now. The ammunition and fuel the RAF used was almost all American. Most of the British Army lost all of its equipment at Dunkirk. The replacement rifles were US Army surplus Springfields.
Without US arms, the British army on D Day would have amounted to a Coproral's guard.

With all respect a load of bull sh*t

NOT ONE SINGLE USAAF SQUADRON USED SPITFIRES DURING THE WAR. The ones that were given to them were used for spare parts (some squadrons did use Typhoons for ground support).
The New Zealand merchants who supplied US Navy ships were paid cash.
If the goods supplied via the Marshall plan were American made, perhaps it was because no one else on the planet was in a position to manufacture them at the time.
If the British Army in Burma won any battles, it was because of the US troops in Britain defending the island that allowed a British army to fight in Burma.

We stopped any German attempts to invade before you guys entered the war 2 years late and only because the Japanese attacked you. There is no question that the British did push the Japanese out of Burma. If they did that without winning any battles then it must have been the only time that has been acheived in history.

No one is asking you to gush over America's generocity to Britian, but you might at least acknowledge it.

I have seen some american spelling but this looks eccentric even by those standards

Lets face it the United States did not do it out of generosity but out of enlightened self interest.

 

[Rich]

Without Lend Lease, you would be speaking German right now. .

Actually if we had not gone to war with the Nazis while your lot were sat in front of the tv, it is you who would now be speaking German
oh and please research the subject before posting nonsence

The select band of U.S. Spitfire aces either flew Spitfires as regular members of RAF squadrons or were assigned to American units such as the 4th, 31st and 52nd Fighter Groups which were initially equipped with Spitfires, a case of lend lease in reverse! Included in the former group were pilots like Lance Wade, Claude Weaver and John Lynch. The latter group boasted aces like Frank Hill, Harrison Thyng, Jerry Collinsworth and Sylvan Feld. Other pilots like Don Blakeslee, 'Dixie' Alexander and Don Gentile claimed their initial kills in Spits before scoring the magic fifth kill in other aircraft.

 

[dan-cat]

The UK government is not made up of 'most of' the people. Your analogy is therefore unfair. - Dismissed.

That's why I wouldn't attribute that quality to the 'average' Briton. What's your point?

 

[statsman]

You fellows are constantly harping on the fact the US did not enter the war until 1941. Were you expecting them to go to war against Germany in 1939 because you are such lovely chaps? America had no interest in the European conflict until Hitler declared war on the US a few days after Pearl Harbour. If he had not done this, America would have confined herself to fighting only the Japanese. The Congress would have demanded an end to Lend Lease to arm the American forces. Hitler would probably have died of old age with Germany still in control of most of Europe.

In 1940, there were many Americans (mostly of German and Irish decent) who had no problem at all with Germany invading England.

The only person Harry Truman spoke to about the A Bomb before its use was Winston Churchill. Churchill remarked that if it would end the war, it must be used.

The basis of Lend Lease was that the equipment would be returned when the war was over. No one ever expected it would actually be returned. Britain received a bill for the Lend Lease equipment they received after the war ended as it was their intention to use it to restore the Empire.

TV did not take off in the US until the 1950s. Yes, there were a few sets around in the 40s but they were mostly a novelty. The main limiting factor was the lack of TV transmitters.

It appears from some of the comments that Britain won the war alone and without any help from anyone (including the Commonwealth).
You talk about US brainwashing.

 

[ColinEssex]

Without Lend Lease, you would be speaking German right now.

As usual this is yet another American misinterpretation of events and pure speculation about an event that didn't happen.

Many people in the UK speak German.

Anyway, even if the Germans had invaded the UK, they would not have forced the populace to ditch their language. They didn't do it to the Polish, French or Belgians so why the UK?

Did the Americans force the Iraqi's to speak your American pigeon English as soon as they invaded? No, of course not. Too busy securing the oil wells for US consumption.

Still waiting for references to your spiel earlier by the way.

Col

 

[Rabbie]

The only person Harry Truman spoke to about the A Bomb before its use was Winston Churchill. Churchill remarked that if it would end the war, it must be used.

are you sure about this. Clement Attlee was the British Prime Minister at that time so it would have been a grave discourtesy if Harry Truman has spoken to the the leader of the opposition and not to the prime Minister.

 

[ColinEssex]

are you sure about this. Clement Attlee was the British Prime Minister at that time so it would have been a grave discourtesy if Harry Truman has spoken to the the leader of the opposition and not to the prime Minister.

None of the so called facts posted by brainwashed Americans or Canadians have been backed up by references.

It's pure fantasy, to be taken with a pinch of salt.

Obviously the Yanks think they saved the world back then, it's what they're taught in school, hence no references or valid believable facts.

Col

 

[dan-cat]

are you sure about this. Clement Attlee was the British Prime Minister at that time so it would have been a grave discourtesy if Harry Truman has spoken to the the leader of the opposition and not to the prime Minister.

Interesting. It definitely seems that Churchill was aware and approved it's use on July 4th. Link I assume he was still Prime Minister at that point and that talks regarding it's use had occured before then. Whether Churchill was the only one consulted, I don't know. It certainly seems that he didn't keep the news to himself.

 

[statsman]

Truman learned of the first A bomb test while he was attending the Potsdam conference.

The conversation between Churchill and Truman was held at the Potsdam Conference. The election that elected Atlee had been held previously, but the results were not yet in due to the length of time it took to get the soldiers vote counted.

CHURCHILL WAS DE FACTO PRIME MINISTER AT THE TIME.