by William Cobbs

Created on: May 08, 2009   Last Updated: May 22, 2009

This writer would like to compare the world's present economic and political problems with those of post-World War II and the great success of the system we called then the MARSHALL PLAN. This writer at that time and particularly in the period 1948-1954 was involved as a communications person in the Marshall Plan.

Briefly, the Marshall Plan, the product of General George C. Marshall, top guy militarily in the U.S. during the war(Ikes boss!) figured that the communists would easily take over the entirety of Europe is the countries were left weak and exposed and non-functional( like they and we are today).

So after proper legislation, the U.S. poured billions into all of Europe, allowing ALL countries to rebuild themselves...we were to be repaid by "counterpart funds" which meant that they paid us with their own currencies as those currencies gained in value, thus we were at least partially reimbursed by each country.

AMERICAN specialists swarmed over Europe. They rebuilt the war torn roads, the buildings, the factories; they repaired the health facilities.

It worked. The evil Russia of the Soviet was finally defeated by the Marshall Plan.

NOW, in 2009, once the U.S. had passed from its depression to FULL recovery, nothing would fix the world's economic woes any faster than a similar "Marshall Plan". A suggestion is to call it the "OBAMA PLAN"

But his time we should pal-up 50-50 with China and even invite Putin in to make it a three-way hook up if he wants it (which is doubtful). Then, the power of the two greatest and most powerful countries in the world, China and the U.S. would unite and go into all of the plagued countries with the same policy established in 1948 by Marshall.

JOBS would appear all over the world...even the awful picture of terrorism would diminish if their countries were to suddenly have food, lodging, and JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!

We found another great social good to come out of the Marshall Plan. Aside from the natural criticism, that came out of the communist organizations in all of the countries, the people got to know Americans as somewhat decent people willing to help if it were in their own improvement to do so.

HOW WOULD WE GO ABOUT IT?

Let's assume that by 2012 the U.S. is out of the economic woods...then we would create a new ECA (Economic Cooperation Administration) and invite in the world...even messy places like Iran if they would correct themselves. Then we would MODEL the rest of the plan shoulder to shoulder with China with great emphasis on HER problems with more than a billion citizens... parallel that with INDIA, also.

The 1948-1958 decade gives us the model...the counterpart funds idea supplies the money...we could drop the dollar and use the Euro or combine the two.

Its worth a try!

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