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Saturday, April 16th, 2016

Afghanistan Has Cost the U.S. More Than the Marshall Plan

Author:     Peter Coy
Source:     Bloomberg
Publication Date:     July 31, 2014 — 8:51 AM PDT
 Link: Afghanistan Has Cost the U.S. More Than the Marshall Plan
Stephan:   "The U.S. has now spent more on the reconstruction of Afghanistan than it spent on the Marshall Plan, which resuscitated Europe after World War II, according to a special inspector general." And the result: after decades of war Afghanistan is a failed state with almost no future prospects. I read this report and thought: if ever one wanted two examples one a successful foreign policy the other a total and abject failure this is the example. Like every empire before us there comes a time when the leading power just loses its way and its chops and squanders money and lives to no good effect for itself or anyone else. And this seems to be the state of the United States today.
Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan 15 years into America's endless war Credit: tripadvisor

Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan 15 years into America’s endless war
Credit: tripadvisor

The U.S. has now spent more on the reconstruction of Afghanistan than it spent on the Marshall Plan, which resuscitated Europe after World War II, according to a special inspector general. (emphasis added)

The Marshall Plan delivered $103 billion in today’s dollars to 16 European countries between 1948 and 1952. That has now been topped by congressional appropriations for reconstruction in Afghanistan, which so far have come to $109 billion in today’s dollars. The difference: The Marshall Plan helped Europe get back on its feet, while Afghanistan is a chaotic mess.

The Marshall Plan comparison is the most striking fact in a depressing, 259-page quarterly report (pdf) to Congress issued July 30 by John Sopko, the congressionally appointed special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction.

Afghan forces seem unprepared to take over when the Americans depart. According to one recent audit by Sopko’s office, a U.S. contractor was unable, “because of security […]

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