"Why are people so cruel" on Sun, 4 Sep 2011
18:26:28 +1000 typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:

Odd then that the tone of your statements seemed to cast aspersions on
US contractors. Must be that knee jerk reaction against people when
Leftwingers start flapping their jaws...against everyone but the guilty
parties.

My personal view would be why are contractors used in the first place,
the US had a nearly perfect example of how to win the peace at the end
of WWII. The German and Japanese populations were put to work cleaning
up the mess that their country was in - the reward was being fed. But
instead
the lure of big money was too great and contractors were employed at an
enormous cost to the taxpayer to build roads, schools (with no teachers),
hospitals (with no doctors), drive trucks, and a host of other things that
locals
would do for a fraction of the cost of imported labor from the NATO
countries.

Have a look at photos of Kabul and there is still bomb sites from the days
of the Russian invasion - so not exactly a shining example of how to win hearts
and minds.

And why is it the American's fault for not repairing (in 2002)
bomb damage from the 1980's? The Soviets were rather slow to repair
their half of Berlin, even after 40 years.

Germany and Japan cleaned up their cities because that was what
one did. Just as the British, French, etc did, usually starting as
soon as the fires were out and there was light to work by.
--
pyotr filipivich
We will drink no whiskey before its nine.
It's eight fifty eight. Close enough!