The Marshall plan, which bootstrapped the West German economy after World War II, resurrected the economies of England and France (the two largest benefactors by far), and substantially aided the recovery of 13 other European countries cost about $170 billion in today's dollars. There is no doubt or question that these countries were in dire need and under very hard times.
Today our government is spending orders of magnitude more than that to deal a situation that involves little more than a few weak financial companies and manufacturers.
