The Marshall Plan: Rebuilding Europe In the Shadow of Communism

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[@megaprojects9649]

Get 7 days free + 20% off Finimize today 🡆 bit.ly/_Megaprojects Understand the biggest finance news and learn to invest with a team of analysts - without jargon.  “App of the Day”. Try for free today

[@pyeitme508]

Reminds me of the Oversimplified video

[@kommandantgalileo]

do the Panzer tanks Germany made

[@DonHrvato]

Megaproject suggestion: Željava air base in the mountains, secret and largest underground airport and military air base in Yugoslavia, and one of the largest in Europe.

[@CrniBalkan]

@@DonHrvato Would be very interesting

[@mustafaemad3614]

Megaproject suggestion: Bar Lev Line - Sinai Peninsula. Costing around $300 million in 1973

[@earlyriser8998]

The Marshall plan was the most brillant idea and allowed the broken economies of Europe (and Japan) the resources they needed to rebuild quickly. Without it, comparing it to the WW1 recovery, there is no doubt that the Marshall plan helped rebuild Europe faster. The suffering this plan prevented, by creating jobs in Europe, was enormus. Thanks for covering this topic.

[@DonHrvato]

*Megaproject suggestion* : Željava air base in the mountains, secret and largest underground airport and military air base in Yugoslavia, and one of the largest in Europe.

[@josipbroztito6763]

YUGOSLAVIA FOREVER!

[@97SEMTEX]

this sounds cool, and ive never heard of it unlike 90% of them. Simon and Danny make it happen!!!

[@JohSno]

Yep, this should be done next.

[@merindat.6376]

Yes yes and yes, this sould be the next topic, would like to hear and see more about it

[@That_Thicc_Cat]

YES

[@davidhuffman8352]

The Marshall Plan seems like one of the few instances of a truly win-win situation.

[@ChestonU]

Megaproject Idea (Copied from prior suggestions): The U.S. Interstate Highway System

[@joshuaosborn]

Also known as the Eisenhower interstate system

[@CosRacecar]

@@baronvonslambert not quite. The highways aren't designed to be able to handle large planes taking off a d landing, just to be able to move large amounts of people and materiel around the country quickly.

[@IvanDmitriev1]

They have a two-part lecture about this on the US National Archives channel.

[@SDSOne]

NYC Subway system

[@GeorgeVCohea-dw7ou]

@@CosRacecar 1 mile out of 5 is supposed to be straight for potential makeshift military aircraft use during war. The original plan was to be able to quickly block off strategic sections of interstate as required. There is doubt that this early feature will ever be needed or utilized though. I suspect that this was just a concept to get the law passed and roads built without much protest, and considering how immensely popular Interstate highways have become, it would take a serious SHTF event for enough people to accept what has to be done. Technology and other aviation improvements have pretty much rendered the concept infeasible, regardless. There are actual airports and landing strips already properly equipped and set up within visual range almost everywhere in the continental US. A deep dive into the history, reception and early plans is definitely worth a video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJ-cc5iEbbN1l6M

[@theemissary1313]

Someone at disney: Captain America first avenger is seeing huge increase in views...

[@davedujour1]

Everyone searching for a 3 second shot near the end of the movie. Almost a blink-and-you-miss-it scene.

[@agent_meister477]

He could do it all day ⭐

[@ignitionfrn2223]

3:35 - Chapter 1 - From 1945 to 1948 6:05 - Chapter 2 - The plan 10:45 - Mid roll ads 12:30 - Chapter 3 - Soviet reaction 13:40 - Chapter 4 - Did it really help ? 15:15 - Chapter 5 - A continent rebuilt

[@janhanchenmichelsen2627]

Don’t worry, Simon. The Marshall plan definitely qualifies as a Mega Project. The importance can’t be underestimated.

[@richardkenan2891]

And it really does qualify in scope and scale as megaprojects. Rebuilding the industry and economy of an entire continent (or half of one anyway) is no small endeavor.

[@dianapennepacker6854]

Japan was the country that always suprised me. McArthur my grandpa said they loved him, and helped restore a decimated country to what is today. How true that is will be beyond me. America isn't perfect, but no one country is perfect. We are still recovering from everything from WWII. Splitting up old the colonization of places, and that. No doubt The USA came out on top. Let us just hope WW3 will never happen and drag all countries onto a sh*t pile. It probably won't happen in my life, but I don't want generations of people being killed.

[@Silver_Prussian]

Importance in terms of its useful as an american propaganda tool, real life impact on the economics of europe thou, is absolutely nothing

[@Silver_Prussian]

​@@richardkenan2891Except there was not rebuilding of an entire or even half or 1/3 of a continent as the whole thing was just a massive propaganda peace for the americans. Yup it was all a carefully crafted narrative of the yankees being charitable bros or whatever, majority of funds went into france and britain which were largely effected by the war small percentages went for the far more damaged germany, the rest went to the cia for propaganda in europe, yup you can look at how the recources were used

[@augustolpr9567]

My grandmother was born in Italy in 1944 and always tells us about what the Marshall project did for the country

[@wizkid2000]

Well apparently it was just the US being selfish and greedy colonizers according to this video.

[@alterado541]

@@wizkid2000 Like a misogynistic man after a beautiful woman... Yes it had her favors, yes it fucked her many times,... She acted like a professional, used wisely the money, never felt in love and did the best she could to saveguard her independence. Nowadays they call themselves good old friends.

[@presumedeagle10]

@@wizkid2000 it can be both

[@MortenKvale]

Project Iceworm - An entire town constructed by the US underneath the ice of Greenland, powered by a mobile nuclear reactor. It was originally a top secret US army program from the cold war, designed to make nuclear missle launch sites under the ice of Greenland. It was all covered up by another project called "Camp century" - a town built inside an icesheet. The US lied to Denmark about their intentions, claiming to only study construction techniques in polar climates and explore the use of a mobile nuclear reactor to power the town. Turns out ice melts and shifts alot, makin it a giant headache to construct in and requires constant maintenance. The US eventually abandoned it, leaving the entire town behind freezing back into the ice.

[@BillyBDosio]

Woah what in the fuck Cold War America

[@FIRSTNAMELASTNAME-zt4kf]

Huh neat. Hope they see this it would be an awsome video.

[@yourfriendlyneighborhoodcl4824]

@@BillyBDosio Lol

[@shinkicker404]

Suggestion: Snowy Mountain Hydro Scheme in Australia. Multiple dams and turbines (much of which is under the mountains), and small towns that were built specifically for workers. Also brought a huge amount of workers to Australia after WW2.

[@commercialfree]

I guess this qualifies as a mega project, the planning and implementation is of great scale. If you think carefully I agree that the Marshall plan is for the US to help stop the spread of communism in Europe as well as help the nations to rebuild. For sure it's not the sole reason europe recovered but it did really help as a catalyst of growth.

[@keithprice4711]

I certainly agree, of course we didn't just do it out of the kindness of our hearts, slowing the spread of Communism was a big reason for it but it still was a grand gesture to our European neighbors to help rebuild and certainly countries like Germany and Greece were helped majorly. In today's climate, I could not imagine our gov being able to help other nations with so much money.

[@kasession]

I'm a huge WWII fanatic. Thanks for this. as an aside... You were an Extra in the 1st Captain America!!! Cool!!!

[@joshuajoe1419]

Same, I’m also intrigued that he was an extra.

[@mammuchan8923]

Did I hear correctly he said he was a child playing a policeman?

[@TheHeretic435]

He also did the voice-over for an awful mobile game called Battle Bay.

[@emmamariacasalena8006]

I like hearing present day values. It really shows how inflation has arisen over the years. 54 billion is a lot bigger than 5 billion.

[@wilhelmquodsolitarius8169]

Simon! They're your channels. Ollie, I'm in. The whole thing sounds fascinating. You guys never disappoint

[@erictroxell715]

U r CORRECT As a history teacher u need today's dollar value to show reality. Well done

[@CaptainCalculus]

The Marshall plan isn't stretching the definition of 'megaproject'...it is absolutely a megaproject

[@oldenweery7510]

Yep, I agree: the Marshall Plan was definitely a Megaproject by its very definition. As the elders of my family would say, "A project is a project." (It's hard to believe that Hitler and Naziism still have their supporters after the hell those maniacs created out of Europe.) Good video! Stay safe, everyone.

[@Lords1997]

The Marshal Plan.. the height of American leadership & cooperation.

[@anarchyantz1564]

Megaproject Suggestion. Longest deep bore ice core in Antarctica. Took years, loads of drama with it and they found some cool stuff like a fresh water lake under the ice containing previously unknown lifeforms. Would go Well with the other hole projects that are popular Speaking of deep holes, how about the Kidd Mine as well?

[@--enyo--]

Seconding like always.

[@anarchyantz1564]

@@--enyo-- Appreciate it! Maybe Simon should do another channel just on large holes, mining projects and digging. Taking a cue from Elon Musk who created the Boring Company he could call it "Boring Projects" :)

[@dotter8]

Hey, if Belt And Road counts as a megaproject, so should the Martial Plan. Simon, what about the Canadian Pacific Railroad? (Like the Trans Siberian, it was a single project.)

[@ericmcconnaughey2782]

Marshall, named for George C Marshall. Not martial, as in military.

[@dotter8]

@@ericmcconnaughey2782 Oh, sorry.

[@thesmuggest6680]

Wait the Belt n Road initiative counts as a megaproject? I call BS

[@ryderhook]

My father explained to me that an essential factor for the growth of Germany was that the victorious powers had also dismantled machines through the reputation. Especially Russia, France and England have cannibalized a lot of fabrics and took away what wasn’t nailed down. As a result, the factories had to buy new machines that were up to date with the latest technology, while the old machines were still used by the victorious powers.

[@mingming9604]

ironic isnt it? lol...

[@acepilot1]

My great cousin lives in Germany and lived through the Marshal Plan, I asked him about his view on it and what it did for west Germany... he told me it was viewed as a benevolent act that solely prevented future German aggression and is responsible for Germany’s fervent anti-nationalism

[@hawkdsl]

Well.. we know how the other way turned out.. so.

[@chickenfishhybrid44]

Yeah well, they fucked up and bad. It's over now though so tell him they can quit being such pitiful simps over there. Anti-nationalism is at an all time high throughout the West.

[@nocturnalrecluse1216]

Without it you wouldn't have a country.

[@lunalu3]

@@nocturnalrecluse1216 Are you referring to Germany as in "have a country"? My german roommate always brags to me that Germany only got a very small check from the USA, and that Germany is a powerhouse now because of the strong will and hard work of the German people, not the help of the Marshal Plan. He emphasizes that the Germans were extremely hardworking, efficient, committed, genius, united, determined, non-corrupt, honest, goal-oriented and dedicated, and list goes on and on. He often claims that the German engineering is second to none. Any thoughts on his continuous nagging and bragging? I am very exhausted and drained :( Are the Germans truly superheros with supernatural powers as he puts it? I am planning to move out once this semester ends, but as soon as he knows about my plan he accuses me of running away and being intolerant, narrow minded, and unable to handle his facts and views... My grades are suffering tremendously :(

[@nocturnalrecluse1216]

@@lunalu3 They sound every bit as disgustingly ignorant as those on the far right here. Without the Marshal plan, they wouldn't have a damn country and their share was among the highest because their country was the most ruined.

[@katherinekinnaird4408]

In the 1950s a dear loved one of mine was living and working in Germany helping to rebuild or in some cases, certain assignments, and with the help of Corps of Engineers personnel and brought back many pictures and stories to tell me over the last 20 years. Even that many years after the end of WW2, people were still having children and then not being able to take care of them and the children were then adopted by other countries the United States being one of them. You hit the nail on the head. Thanks.

[@tomschmidt381]

I think you did a great job describing the Marshall Plan, nether romanticizing nor demonizing the US. Nice when actions in your own self interest end up helping everyone.

[@chungusmaximus526]

We took that continent out of the muck. A little romance is in order.

[@jayjones9125]

I love Simon’s advertising. So sincere! I’d buy Raid Shadow Legends from him!

[@TheHeretic435]

He did the voice-over for an ad for a really shitty mobile game too. Battle Bay I think it was called.

[@njabulombuyazi5132]

Watching this in South Africa and I'm thinking a similar model / loan plan would go a long way in aiding and resolving our problems......Then I quickly remembered the amounts of loans we have taken from the IMF which have all disappeared under a thick cloud of wasteful spending, Corruption and looting.

[@user-xedwsg]

Please note: "Form of Aid: The aid came mostly in the form of grants and some loans. About 90% of the aid was grants, which did not need to be repaid, making it fundamentally different from typical loans. The remaining 10% was provided as loans that needed to be repaid. The aid was not just financial; it included goods, raw materials, and food."

[@timw.8135]

Sorry in advance if these were already suggested for a Mega Project: - The St. Lawrence Seaway - the CN Tower - Hong Kong Airport

[@TitusLeung]

I guess CN Tower has been done by this channel, as follow: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZfZnpKvpZh9m9U

[@rj795w6]

ya he did the cn tower already

[@timw.8135]

Thanks everyone!

[@becsterbrisbane6275]

ohhhhhh, you'd need at LEAST an hour for the Hong Kong airport! All the politics, the Handover, even the train to the airport & its islands that were built, then the physical dredging of the waters itself. Been to Hong Kong airport countless times, never ceases to amaze me!

[@deaniej2766]

Megaproject or Side Project suggestion: England's canal system.

[@pamelamays4186]

Two suggestions: How Japan rebuilt and bounced back after WW2. The Reconstruction Era- how the South was rebuilt after the Civil War.

[@Ayoutubeaccount3]

second this

[@baronvonjo1929]

I dont think the south ever really got rebuilt until recently. Source: I live in the south

[@lordgarion514]

A good part of it was the 2.2 billion dollars (about 18 billion today) America spent between 1946 and 1952.

[@bobdobbolina8376]

Gigantic plans for the reengineering of societies, economies or governments absolutely qualify as megaprojects. If anything, they are more ambitious, more complicated and less predictable than mechanical & civil engineering projects as the laws of human behaviour are not as absolute as the laws of physics and chemistry. Case in point, steel, bricks, mortar & concrete have never risen up in revolution against a megaproject. Also, no type of engineering project suffers from the stigma of bad press and misunderstanding the way social engineering does. More of these, please.

[@PeterJohnson1289]

I learn so much more from Simon than from school

[@TheHeretic435]

With a bit of luck he may read story books to you in drag, same as they do in school.

[@PeterJohnson1289]

@@TheHeretic435 what?

[@economicsinaction]

Same Shirt Simon is BACK!

[@ltournay]

In Belgium the port of antwerp receive a big part of our Marshall plan money, it is now the second largest port in Europe (and one of the biggest one in the world)

[@bretondgod]

Simon! Do a mega project/biographics about yourself/your KZbin channels! We’d like to know your history that got you here

[@anonymousgmr8000]

I love seeing your personality develop positively the way it has over the last few years, keep doin you my dude and stay awesome 🤙 😎

[@highlanderknight]

Nice to hear the details of a program that worked so well after WW2.

[@RichardBaran]

Thank you! I've always heard of it but never had an explain.

[@zacharydieterle2499]

Love these videos. Learn something new each time.

[@bocadelcieloplaya3852]

There was a massive famine across europe at the end of the war. The Marshall plan kept millions from starving to death. That following winter was one of the coldest on record. It's amazing how quickly peeps forget the value and impact of the help they receive.

[@omegalightning5715]

We forget a lot of things about our past, and when we do, we risk repeating.

[@wewowe95]

@@omegalightning5715 that part 👀👉👉

[@wizkid2000]

No it was selfish American imperialism didn't you watch the video?!?!

[@bocadelcieloplaya3852]

@@wizkid2000 , I'm afraid I was stuffing too many Freedom Fries in my mouth to here that part.

[@ninetailedfox579121]

@@wizkid2000 Sorry dude, I can't hear you over all this freedom and liberty.

[@nickdanger3802]

Lend Lease Act construction and what was actually paid.

[@markjensen7091]

I have a mega project for you. The California Aquaduct. I would look at all the various aspects of the project and not just the main Aquaduct. You have a whole mix of local, state, and federally funded systems. To sum up the project is this "Moving water from the Rural Northern Portion of the state to the dry and arid Southern Portion of the state." I would suggest breaking it into 2 parts: the actual system that brings the water from the North, and then the Positives/ negatives/Political ramifications with the whole project etc...

[@dv7533]

The combination of the Marshall Plan with the Bretton Woods system put the western world on the path of recovery, economic growth and interdependence, but also cemented US hegemony. Like already mentioned, it wasn't purely selfless for the United States, they had built up a huge industrial capacity for war production, now they needed customers for peacetime production or else they'd have to close plants and raise unemployment. So it fixed the economies of the recipients of the Marshall Plan aid, but it also kept the factories back home running. A win-win situation.

[@MrLeemurman]

Video suggestion: Terraforming Mars I liked the Dyson Sphere video and would like more “hypothetical” projects to be shown. Thank you for the good channel.

[@stipe3124]

Or Moon, much closer and not so impossible

[@guyincognito9708]

Your pronounciation of "Deutschmark" is incredibly accurate.

[@wilhelmquodsolitarius8169]

Very interesting. I'm glad we covered this. Seriously.

[@thepoultrypeople]

I still have some tooling in my workshop that came over under this scheme, good tools, still in use

[@jaylowry]

I wish you would have included the genesis of the plan. Marshall's Harvard speech in June, 47 was amazing and out of the blue. British Foreign Secretary Ernes Bevin was in bed listening to the BBC when the speech was reported on air by their Washington correspondent, Leonard Miall. Bevin immediately jumped out of bed, ran to the Foreign Ministry, and got the French Foreign Minister, Georges Bidault on the phone. This led to the Paris Conference in July which had its own drama with Molotov refusing aid and walking out with all the Eastern Bloc leaders.

[@kdids]

ive seen it in a few videos now, but i freaking LOVE that shirt dude! And also these numbers are insane! Just the sheer size of the dollars involved are hard to wrap your head around, so yes, adjusted for inflation is key.

[@sebmorrell]

Megaproject Idea: Loess Plateau Watershed Rehabilitation Project.

[@jamesk370]

If we want to know what the economic recovery in western Europe would have looked like without the Marshall Plan, a look at Spain's after their civil war might gives some clues. It took Spain nearly two-decades for it to reach its same economic output levels it had before the civil war. Heck, for years after their civil war, they were dependent on outside food aid from the UK and USA (one of the reasons Spain chose to remain neutral during the conflict). By contrast, western Europe was (economically) on a solid growth track five-years into the Marshall Plan.

[@MilesBellas]

Maybe add a Tunnels playlist ? Tunnels, especially long ones, would be great for escooters and ebikes in the UK.

[@badluck5647]

I swear when Simon started telling a random story from his life, I thought I watching Business Blaze.

[@alexmackay9685]

Mega project ideas? The Berlin Wall, Washington D.C., the Houston Sea Wall, Hadrian's Wall, or Hadrian's projects in general, Yucca Mountain nuclear waste depository, The Human Genome Project, The Manhattan Project, the Israel National Water Carrier, the Hague Sophia, the World Trade Center (first construction, clean up, an rebuilding).

[@realdanksta2237]

You should make a video about the Lend Lease Act

[@TheWatz05]

What about the Berlin airlift and the insanity of cargo transported during that?

[@craigw1379]

Another brilliant video. Insightful yet entertaining, I even enjoyed the advertising! 😆

[@davidkugel]

I read that Truman and Marshall told the Netherlands that it had to give up Indonesia as a colony if it wanted Marshall Plan money. That put the Netherlands in a difficult place. Indonesia became a new country and the Netherlands got American money.

[@crystalmiller1997]

That’s true. The US did the something similar to the UK. We didn’t make them give up their colonies but we made them stop adding new ones and took some of their power over current colonies away. It’s why their empire started to fall apart

[@muznick]

Megaprojects: The B-29, St. Louis Arch and of course, the Great Pyramid.

[@AKAHEIZER]

The German Marshall Fund Bank mentioned is the KfW "Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau / Credit Institution for Reconstruction". With a balance sheet total of EUR 500 Billion, it is one of the biggest Banks in Germany and still used for supporting small and medium sized businesses, and for construction projects in foreign countries supporting the common good. For example health service, renewable energy transitions, renaturation, access to clean drinking water, energy security and so forth.

[@EthelredHardrede-nz8yv]

Megaproject suggestion - Los Angeles Aqueduct lots of stealth land purchases were involved.

[@anumeon]

From Stettin in the Baltic. To Trieste in the Adriatic. An iron curtain has decended across the continent... Dark times

[@theshadowman1398]

No it wasn’t. Iron curtain was great.

[@sidoftheid496]

Megaproject suggestion: I was absolutely fascinated by your video on 'The Dyson Sphere' and was wondering, seeing as we were entering the realms of science fiction/fact, what would it take to make all of this; yes, the entire known universe, (including Milton Keynes), a holographic projection or computer simulation? Some scientists firmly believe that we do actually exist in one at the moment? (Quick shot of 'The Matrix' here). How about that for a Mega-mega project?

[@petargregorovic7137]

3 flak towers of Berlin would be cool. The size of them is insane and their role in defense of Berlin cannot be ignored.

[@paulrouth5997]

I remember repelling from one of them (our whole company did) when I was stationed in West Berlin (DEC '71 - JUNE '74). I loved West Berlin and Germans from West Germany; they were friendly to us when no one else was.

[@damienhanly3749]

Can you please look at the Naval Communication Station Harold E. Holt. It has huge antennas and is the largest VLF transmitter in the southern hemisphere

[@sweetroscoeful]

I suggest doing the Panama Canal....Suez Canal could be a good one as well. Erie Canal is a lesser known canal that could make a good topic. Hmmm....I'm heavy on canal's today.

[@sandybarnes887]

He's done both of those. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnW7YqOvlNmVj6c

[@sandybarnes887]

Here's the Panama Canal. kzbin.info/www/bejne/foqbgpeujLd2rbc

[@sweetroscoeful]

@@sandybarnes887 Ah, so neither were featured on Megaprojects, but Geographics.

[@joshuacosta8928]

Simon Whistler! You're fantastic, bud!

[@Craftlngo]

Could cou make a Video about the Berlin Airlift? This was for sure a Megaproject

[@Averagecanadian1984]

The Coquihalla hwy in bc Canada.....they call it the hwy through hell and made a tv show about it ....I have the pleasure of working on the hwy this year putting up hwy fence.....was definitely a mega project to build I hear...right up and through a bunch of mountains from the Fraser valley to the desert of Merritt

[@Averagecanadian1984]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooCtkmV-YtKSf6c

[@ChineseKiwi]

Megaproject suggestion: Snowy Mountains Scheme! (sixteen major dams; nine power stations; one pumping station; and 225 kilometres of tunnels, pipelines and aqueducts that were constructed between 1949 and 1974.)

[@mariohendriks1]

The locomotive shown at @8:22 is now on display in the Dutch railway museum. One locomotive of this series is still on active duty.

[@billtreusch]

Great subject for a megaprojects video!!!!

[@Tingobill]

Suggestion for future episode. Aricebo Radio Telescope in Puerto Rico. Featured in a Bond Movie and the Movie Contact.. Its built into a valley man!! gotts be a good story

[@darkpepsi]

Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. That could be a good Mega Project video.

[@georgegiannakaras4359]

Mine suggestion for future video is a race track. Especially Volkswagen's test track in Ehria-Lessen. It was a secret cold war training base and it was in a no flying zone.

[@cainsy8124]

There you go, the Marshall Plan. One of the biggest and the best.

[@cainsy8124]

@The governor Oh no, it isn't!

[@aljazluzar126]

You should do a mega project on a Harrier jump jet.

[@stephjovi]

Pretty sure there's a Simon video about that. Bc I hadn't heard of it I only recognise the name bc of Simon

[@veritasenigma2805]

Do Denver Airport!

[@bensontenson1512]

megaprojects idea: the Salesforce tower (leaning tower of sf) in san Francisco. had a problem with uneven sinking in the foundation that led the tallest tower in sf to lean one way.

[@jmanj3917]

The fact that the USA had direct control over how Americans' dollars were spent should not be surprising to anyone, IMO. I mean, how many of you have received a loan for a home or an automobile? And how many banks do you think would allow you to take the money which was specifically lent to you for a home or auto, and go do whatever the hell you wanted to do with it? The answer is None of Them Would, Ever.

[@ddark0077]

We owe the Yanks more than a debt in money.We are them they are us our brothers and sisters.An ally who has seen us right through thick and thin.

[@jetsons101]

I'm to young to have been exposed to the Marshal Plan but I always thought of Europe as family. One day I hope to make it to Europe and spend a year or so.

[@Zalor666]

not sure if mega enough but the Quebec Olympic stadium in montreal. took em 10 years just to put the roof on it and it leaked. went wildly over budget and never had a genuine use. kind of an hilarious shortsighted failure

[@deathincluded3706]

Third time i raise this but Mega project idea: THE SPACE SHUTTLE

[@thedarkonestaint6105]

What about giant working machines? Like those massive tractors. Or the platform that moved the space rocket.

[@phodisophatshwane3711]

Africa needs something like this.

[@thomaswilliams6413]

Yes please

[@abbofun9022]

Would African countries accept the accompanying level of control and influence? Additionally in many cases the main problem for African countries is poor government, not sure if that could be resolved by a ‘Marshall’ plan.

[@demoniack81]

@@abbofun9022 Yep. The only way to actually get such a plan to work in Africa to put it back under european/american control. I'm not quite sure the africans actually want that. They seem to have a thing for the Chinese now.

[@abbofun9022]

@@demoniack81 , the problem with the Chinese is that they don’t care how a country is ran, they simply buy off those in power and start stripmining for resources. Not that the West always was so much better but at least they’ve learned and now try to encourage good governance but that is not very popular with those in power in Africa.

[@kasession]

No they don't. They need to clean up their corruption.

[@jordanwhitecar1982]

its fascinating to see how the rest of the world views the marshall plan, in the US, we were taught that the whole thing was a purely benevolent act, meant to help europe recover, setting the stage for the US's current post-war activities of trying to rebuild the middle east. i dont know how schools teach it now, but that was how it was taught to us in the early naughties.

[@Iskelderon]

Fiscally, it was a stroke of genius, because the purchases of materials and services from the UK and the continuing trade resulting from the resurging industry spilled many times that money back into the US, in addition to the repayment. Of course, not everybody in Europe used the money that intelligently (e.g., Simon's example of use in Britain vs. Germany).

[@johnreid2851]

From what I can gather it's likely from the Soviet point of view the western allies reneged on the Morganthau plan agreed to by all the allies during the wartime conferences...

[@mustafaemad3614]

Megaproject suggestion: Bar Lev Line - Sinai Peninsula. Costing around $300 million in 1973

[@joeottsoulbikes415]

The importation of american machinery to europe for rebuilding industry ended up resulting in strange things for the bicycle, car, boats, airplanes and other industries. Like bicycle crank bearing tubes in the bike frame. The diameter and length of the tubing was manufactured to nice even measurements in metric but the thread pitch on just about everything was in imperial/standard measurements. So a road bike bottom bracket is 68mm wide and 46mm in diameter but is threaded at 24 threads per inch instead of being measured in millimeters. Tool facings on everything was made in metric but again thread pitches in imperial. When american manufactures started making cars in europe it got really crazy with metric and standard being mixed everyplace from the motor assembly to body fit.

[@bigbangtheory7369]

Idea for a future video. AT&T stadium in Arlington Texas home of the Dallas Cowboys. Beautiful place and is top of the line in the new age of football stadiums being built.

[@loupiscanis9449]

Thank you

[@carepackageman]

Talking about the amount of debt makes me think of my student loans. My grants are going towards the debt!

[@JC-ks3yk]

Europe: "We're not sure that the Marshall Plan was much of a help at all." The US: "You're welcome (you ungrateful bastards)."

[@DacLMK]

Half of Europe didn't even receive those aids.

[@nathanhough8156]

watch the video again

[@christopherconard2831]

Europeans had a solution way back in 1917. STOP ATTACKING EACH OTHER!. WWII was WWI, The Really Bad Sequel. Once Germany figured out that Germany stops at the French boarder, and England and France made nice with each other there was an amazing period of prosperity. Cities stopped going boom, and millions of citizens stopped falling over dead. Admittedly Russia took a bit longer to figure it out. But if they could see logic easily, they wouldn't have been Communists to begin with.

[@nathanhough8156]

@@DacLMK because Russia refused

[@DacLMK]

@@nathanhough8156 The Balkan isn't Russia mate.

[@lukasgoosen8957]

Came here from business blaze were you mentioned the nuclear powered Russian ice breaker ship hope you wil make a video on it!

[@loudnoise4690]

What is likely the biggest plus of the Marshall Plan was that it provided jobs for both the victor and the defeated. In America, companies that ramped up employment during the war didn't have to layoff (make redundant) millions of workers because there was work to be had. In Europe, there was plenty work just removing the rubble and then rebuilding. Just rebuilding the ports and railroads, something that had to happen before reconstruction could begin, employed tons of people. If you are looking for something in a similar vain check out the first G.I. B

[@terryr.1243]

One idea for Megaprojects: Battleship Island (Hashima Island). ALSO: MIR (The Russian space station). Flak Tower bunkers in Germany at the end of WW2.Clipper flying boats. Airships.

[@bharatramchintapalli6650]

Simon! video on CERN - world's largest particle physics laboratory

[@Markle2k]

So, in retrospect, the Marshall Plan was a win-win for everybody.

[@Sir_Glass]

How about the berlin airlift?

[@Kenzie.Avrahm.Fraser.Gelbart]

OMFG DO JACQUE FRESCO AND THE VENUS PROJECT!!!

[@Adrian-zd4cs]

Well the cost comparison was eye opening 😳😳