Question

from \2011 george c. marshall foundation award recipient’s speech\ by secretary hillary clinton

1. now many of us think of the marshall plan in concrete terms, literally. the allies won the war with guns and valor, and the marshall plan won the peace with bricks and mortar. but there was more to the plan than constructing buildings and bridges. marshall knew the importance of economic growth to build stability, democracy, and security, not only in europe but everywhere. and he knew that the people of europe needed economic opportunity to rebuild their livelihoods, recover their dignity, and reset their destiny. by spurring the market economy, rebuilding the agricultural base, modernizing industry, and training european business leaders, his plan helped 17 nations including germany and italy take the lead in their own revitalization.
2. now the cost of the four - year plan was $13 billion, which translates into more than $120 billion today. i often think about whether we would today be able to summon that kind of vision of a future that would be in america’s interests but would require continuing sacrifice. now my father, who served for five years in the navy during world war ii, came out of service like so many men of that generation and was committed to making up for lost time with his family, with his business, trying to seize as much of the american dream as he possibly could. and here was president truman and general marshall saying, well, you’ve sacrificed a lot during the last years. we defeated enemies that were putting at risk everything we cared about. and yes, you’ve earned the chance to turn inward and think about all that makes life worth living and wars worth fighting. but we’re going to continue to tax you. we’re going to continue to require you to help us rebuild the very enemies that you have spent years trying to defeat. it’s almost unimaginable that the case was made, that the political environment accepted that case and understood what it meant for us.
3. we can look back now and see how the investment reaped dividends in so many different ways. it prompted european governments to denationalize their industries and strengthen their labor

part a
how does the author develop her perspective of the marshall plan?
the author clarifies how the marshall plan’s enactment negatively affected the daily lives of the american public.
the author describes how the marshall plan’s implementation strained relations with communist countries.
the author establishes a connection between the marshall plan’s commitment to assisting europe and the current american policy towards war - torn countries.
the author stresses the marshall plan’s financial burden on american citizens and the impossibility of adopting something like it today.

Explanation:

The passage discusses the Marshall Plan's economic aid to Europe, its cost to American citizens, and its long - term impact. The author connects the Marshall Plan's goal of assisting Europe to current American policies towards war - torn countries. There is no mention of its negative impact on American daily life, straining relations with communist countries, or the impossibility of a similar plan today.

Answer:

The author establishes a connection between the Marshall Plan's commitment to assisting Europe and the current American policy towards war - torn countries.