When you think about it, the Marshall Plan was a remarkable idea--give tons of money to help rebuild the mortal enemies you just defeated.

I guess we had learned what happens when you shatter a country's economy and saddle it (e.g. Germany) with too burdensome a debt load (i.e. war reparations) "really bad things" can ensue politically, like Hitler. But I agree with Byrd_Huntr that today's situation is very different than post-WWII.

In fact, the international financial system established at Bretton Woods after WWII which made the US dollar the center of the financial universe is arguably on its last legs now.

You don't hear it anymore, but it wasn't that long ago that there was a lot of talk of China becoming Europe's savior and riding to their rescue.