Reply #45: been there, done that...

[tocqueville]

Europe isn't interested in a "burned down" USA

1) after all you are our children (at least most of you)
2) we share common values (at least we hope so)
3) more crass, we need you to buy our stuff. We'd rather be paid in a decent valuta than in peanuts.
4) an unstable and desperate USA sitting on 1000 nukes isn't a happy configuration

so we'd probably intervene one way or the other

PS : the Marshall plan has been either repaid or written off. It was never considered as a loan to be completely repaid, but more as an investment beneficiary to every part. Which it was, creating a lot of productive wealth in the US. So please skip that old canard.