Decision One History

What actually happened?: FDR developed a policy dubbed "lend/lease." He did not want to send troops or participate in the war, but he decided to provide England with weapons, ridiculously claiming that they were just being "lent." He famously compared what he was doing to lending a neighbor a garden house:

"Let me give you an illustration: Suppose my neighbor's home catches fire, and I have a length of garden hose four or five hundred feet away. If he can take my garden hose and connect it up with his hydrant, I may help him to put out his fire. Now, what do I do? I don't say to him before that operation, 'Neighbor, my garden hose cost me $15; you have to pay me $15 for it.' What is the transaction that goes on? I don't want $15--I want my garden hose back after the fire is over."

Did you make the same decision or a different one? If yours was different, do you think yours was better or worse than FDR's?

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