In article , B. Isaksen wrote:
No way; the US would have armed up against Soviet Germany the way it did
against Hitler. It feared communism long *before* it feared Hitler.
Whether it could have saved Europe from the reds is another matter.

Don't try to fool history. US did'nt arm up against Hitler, and had no
wish to do so. It armed up because of Pearl Habor.

Well, I suppose a lot of the naval equipping in the Pacific was involved
with mantaining the rather expensive base there, but the US was
certainly "arming up" before anyone got round to paying it an
early-morning visit.

I commend the Lend-Lease Act (March 1941) to your attention,
specifically Section 3 (a) (1):

"To manufacture in arsenals, factories, and shipyards under their
jurisdiction, or otherwise procure, to the extent to which funds are
made available therefor, or contracts are authorized from time to time
by the Congress, or both, any defense article for the government of any
country whose defense the President deems vital to the defense of the
United States."

and meditate on which countries recieved "defense articles" under this
Act. It may be observed that many or most of them were, at the time,
engaged in shooting wars with a certain large Central European country.
I know you may have other definitions, but passing a bill which
allocates $16bn in current dollars to manufacturing war materials for
fighting Hitler may, just may, count as "arming up".

Even after Pearl Harbor, you may want to consider the "Germany First"
policy; I know it is hard for us enlightened modern students of history
to comprehend how flagrantly FDR could hoodwink the nation, sending
troops to Europe mere days after the country had been brutally attacked
in the Pacific, but we must face these demons.

--
-Andrew Gray