The Man with the Cigar Between His Teeth: A Thousand and One Wrongs of the Marshall Plan, illustrated by Curry
On the back of the booklet: Supplément hors-série de Rapports France–États-Unis – a special supplement of France–United States Reports, France, 1950. A caricature booklet about “The unbearable interference of the United States in European affairs.”
Published by the French Left, it was intended as a critique of the Marshall Plan – the American economic aid program to Europe after World War II (from 1948 onward) – claiming it was a means of U.S. economic domination over European countries.
Throughout the booklet, as well as on the cover, the character of “The Man with the Cigar” or “Uncle Sam” is portrayed in grotesque fashion – a stereotypical American figure with a wide-brimmed hat, an enormous cigar, and both thumbs raised, representing “the greedy American” (a caricature commonly associated with capitalism, corporations, or imperialism). In the caricatures, “The Man with the Cigar”, symbolizing America, is accused of using French weaponry as a testing ground for American arms. He is depicted as a hedonist living in skyscrapers, gorging himself all day on steaks and hamburgers. Outwardly, he appears to offer help to France, but in fact he is portrayed as having brought upon it even harsher years, deliberately preventing it from recovering and rebuilding independently. In a similar accusation, Russia is referenced: “The nobility and generosity demonstrated by Soviet Russia toward her friends is the most damning indictment…”
The implementation of the Marshall Plan lasted approximately four years (1946–1950), during which some 13 billion dollars were invested in economic aid and technical assistance to European countries that joined the OEEC (the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation, now OECD) after the war. The plan faced criticism in various countries, where it was seen as an expression of U.S. economic imperialism, an attempt to gain control over Western Europe in a manner akin to Soviet dominance in the East. In their view, the plan was a means to achieve political goals, not an act of generosity.
[28] pp. 22×16 cm. Very good condition.
