There is universal agreement that the major reason for World War II were the crippling reparations on Germany imposed at the close of World War I. These reparations not only brought Germany down, but the financial aftermath of the war plunged the world into The Great Depression. After the defeat of Germany, the world did not want to plant seeds for World War III. General George Marshall came up with a plan to rebuild Germany so that it would be an economic force and not a drain to the world. His proposal was known as The Marshall Plan.
Today Germany is the most solvent and solid of EU countries. Mercy was shown to Germany by the world, especially The United States. No matter the political stripes of Americans, there is a great pride that we have in The Marshall Plan. We answered evil with justice and mercy. The Nuremberg trials brought the guilty to justice. The Marshall Plan brought mercy.
There was no similar plan for Japan. As a result, Japan did not become an economic power until the 1970s. Now, we are drowning in Japanese cars and electronics. Their economy is booming and our manufacturing jobs are gone. If we had had a Marshall Plan for Japan, the 1950s would not have been so prosperous, but we would not have had the bubbles and bursts that have plagued us either. With a world that had been rebuilt earlier, it is quite possible that alternative energy sources would be discovered and replacing oil at this point. When mercy is extended, the people we ultimately save are ourselves. Kindness coats the world in balance and peace.
We linked General George Marshall to John Paul II in a previous post. The three degrees are...
General George Marshall to FDR to Pope Pius XII to Pope John Paul II
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