In 1946

[The Lone Liberal]

The USofA committed to rebuilding Europe under the Marshall plan. The annual cost was $4 billion, converted to 2002 dollars that would be approximately $40 billion. With that amount we rebuild a continent of 16 countries ravished by a 6 years of war and occupation.

Bush is spending annually $50 to $69 billion to rebuild one country ravished by a 30 day war.

Makes wonder about where and to which friends that money is going. Doesn’t it?

[never cry wolf]

1. on the contrary

i don't wonder at all.

[Kellanved]

2. The marshall plan didn't exactly rebuild Europe

rather it did restart the European economy.

In Germany the Industry was (edit: largely) left (edit: nearly) intact during the war (the post war production capacity exceeded the pre-war). The money was needed to refit the machines, rebuild the Infrastructure, make repairs, buy ressources and replace parts taken as reparations.


Edit: look at the chart here:
http://www.marshallfoundation.org/about_gcm/marshall_plan.htm#expenditures

[TheBigGuy]

4. I really question that...."industry left intact"

....if so, what where we bombing over there in Germany?

Where the air raids focused on mostly transportation infrastructure and military targets?

[Kellanved]

6. but that was the case

Industry wasn't bombed as much as widely believed.
Do you think, that one Billion USD was enough to build an industry from scratch?

For example the Volkswagen-plant in Wolfsburg, producing military cars during the war, was left virtually intact. Enabling it to produce the first Beetles shortly after the end of the war under UK administration.

The Industry wasn't operable after the war, but it wasn't completely destroyed.

On Edit: Sorry: the Plant was bombed, of course. But the machinery was not.

[greatauntoftriplets]

3. Kellogg, Brown & Root, Bechtel....

Bush.

[TheBigGuy]

5. Some details on the Marshall Plan:

http://www.marshallfoundation.org/about_gcm/marshall_plan.htm

The Marshall Plan was a complex undertaking that is not easily described. The following are a few examples of how the program worked:

(1) Pays freight subsidies for 16.8 million private voluntary relief packages to Europe.

(2) Funds building of a new wharf in North Borneo to help that British colony export vitally needed rubber.

(3) Assists building railroads and water systems in French North Africa

(4) $50 million for medicine to combat tuberculosis.

(5) Technical assistance program: over 3,000 Europeans make six-month visits to various U.S. industries to learn new techniques; there was a similar program in agriculture.

(6) The Ford Motor Co. in Britain receives funds to replace machine tools needed to produce cars, trucks, and tractors for export, thereby earning valuable foreign exchange credits.

(7) The Otis Elevator Company (U.S.) helps to modernize British factories, and its investment is guaranteed by ECA insurance.

(8) ECA money enables Portugal to purchase key equipment and materials to build a new hospital-tender ship for its cod-fishing fleet.

(9) The French aircraft industry in able to purchase propellers for the aircraft it is producing.

(10) An alcohol-producing plant in Scotland is granted $6.5 million, thereby reducing British imports and facilitating plastic, pharmaceutical, and rayon production. 




Plus this neat online exhibition from the Library of Congress:
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/marshall/
(check out the "book" & "album" links at the bottom of the page).

[Clete]

7. Some companies for starters.

From ABC News.
<snip>
Among the companies believed to be bidding are Bechtel, Fluor, Parsons, the Washington Group and Halliburton, Vice President Dick Cheney's old firm.<snip>

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/World/iraq_rebuilding_contract030322.html

Two companies who actually admit it:
Fluor
http://investor.fluor.com/news/20030424-107341.cfm and
Bechtel
http://www.bechtel.com/break.html

I combed Halliburton's website but couldn't find anything. Anyway these companies are good for starters.

[TheBigGuy]

9. Somehow I dont see this as a big deal..

Looking at these names I see some big integrated engineering/construction/project managment firms, with experience with managing complex infrastructure programs.

So i would sort of expect them to be bidding on a nationwide reconstruction program, comprised of many different but related projects. We are really talking about an issue of scale here, and there are not that many firms out there that can handle jobs this large and complex.

[Friar]

8. that's what he's spending to occupy Iraq

Bremer said the other day it would take another $100 billion to rebuild. You think these guys work on the cheap?