Why was it that the U.S. was more helpful rebuilding post-n**i Germany than it is at rebuilding Iraq?

Question

Just a question, is it racism due to the fact that Germans are "white brethren" or is it the fact that they only where at war with Germany for SELF-DEFENCE, unlike the current war on "terrorism"..............

Answer 1

Well, for one thing, Germany was really zonked.  

And it was a northern country, which means it had a little problem called winter.  People hate being cold.  If your house was wrecked, and winter was coming, would you not want to help someone give you a new roof?

Another thing, is that while there were a few who tried to "fight on", for a short time, most Germans were willing to admit that:  1) The war was over.  2) They had lost.  3) It was time to clean up the post war mess.  In other words, most of the common everyday people wanted to rebuild.

Lastly, Germany was more united.  There were fewer competing factions, and they were not competing via terror, and death and destruction, but via politics and such.

All of Europe was smashed up.  All of Europe was rebuilding.  The Germans are competitive and efficient.  It was a matter of national pride to them that they unite, and rebuild, and faster and better than anyone.

As a corrolary:  Look at how Japan, for instance, rebuilt and surpassed everyone!

In Iraq...

1) No winter! No problems!

2) Used to 'too much oil wealth', so can afford to waste, the Germans NEEDED to rebuild!  And had no secret wealth.

3) Common people not united politically OR RELIGIOUSLY!  Almost HALF the fighting in Iraq is between various sects and Mullahs.

4) They resent the Americans and the Wester powers.  Germany did not resent the west.  Most Iraquis (sects) have not accepted that they lost the war.  

5) Possibly, the Germans were smarter.  Blowing yourself up, appears not to be a German sport.  Hard to tell, as the Germans have a lot of other weird habits!  

6) No other countries in the region outside of Iraq want them to rebuild, or are encouraging them to rebuild. In Europe all nations helped each other.  They all wanted to rebuild.  They even wanted Germany to rebuild, MOSTLY because of the back then "now perceived" Soviet Block Threat...

Answer 2

It wasn't more effective.

There were n**i soldiers that practiced 'insurgency' through 1947.  The country was a complete physical basket case well into the 1950s.  Economically, Germany did not rebound until the 70s.

If you put that template on top of the Iraq war, we defeated Saddams Army and the Feddeine Saddam (sp?) less than 4 years ago.  That puts us in about 1948/9 in post-n**i Germany time, just rebuilding infrastructure.

Answer 3

In Iraq, there's a war going on, and the Iraqis are having too much fun being murderous and destructive to stop and help to rebuild their country.

Answer 4

the Germans helped us rebuild the country

Answer 5

A conservative more compassionate America vs a Liberal selfish America.   I hate saying that, I love America, just seems to be going that way.

Answer 6

Probably because we weren't being followed around by a bunch of radical germans blowing things up and killing people at random.

Answer 7

The Iraq war is ongoing.  AND, Iraq has its oil wealth.  Let them pay their own bills. Germany was economically destroyed.  Hello?

Answer 8

Well it wasnt just the United States that was involved in rebuilding post n**i Germany.