• @rottingleaf
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    120 days ago

    We can’t even begin to fathom what Europe would look like today if republicans instead of Democrats were at the helm in Washington, as the Marshall Plan surely would NOT have happened.

    Germany would be weaker and poorer than now. And more national-socialist, of course.

    Basically Central and even in some parts Western Europe would be more similar to Eastern Europe today than we can imagine.

    At the same time - if USA wouldn’t create this tendency of swaying societies full of unreformed evil to their side by forgiving everything and everyone and giving money, maybe the world wouldn’t be that bad.

    Anyway, Marshall plan not happening would mean Soviet ideology being more competitive, European militaries of the Cold War being less formidable. It would change the balance. It’s possible that USSR would be able press through a somewhat more leftist Austria and a unified Germany somewhat dependent on it. It’s also a question what role would Turkey play, same with Israel. Without restoration of Europe would they be more attractive as western assets or less, and thus what relationship would the rest of the Middle-East have with the former allies.