Sunday, September 05, 2004

did germany occupation fail?

I heard Bush's dig at the NYTimes editorial staff, and wondered about it, but then forgot amidst all the other outrages:
"In 1946, 18 months after the fall of Berlin to Allied forces, a journalist in The New York Times wrote this: 'Germany is a land in an acute stage of economic, political and moral crisis. European capitals are frightened. In every military headquarters, one meets alarmed officials doing their utmost to deal with the consequences of the occupation policy that they admit has failed.' End quote. Maybe that same person's still around, writing editorials."

Maureen Dowd didn't forget it. Atrios points this out and adds some perspective. It seems the post-war occupation was failing, until someone decided to respond to events on the ground, change tacks, and came up with the Marshall Plan.