I have been driving 300 kilometres per hour all my life and now I meet an accident at 30 per hour. Surely that is godawful. - Jean-Pierre Van Rossem

Launching the Marshall Plan was certainly not as philanthropic as it was presented. The reconstruction aid was first and foremost inspired by the fear that without it, another war with the Soviet bloc would be inevitable. Moreover, the Americans knew only too well that in Western Europe the reconversion from a war economy to a normal economy was still in full swing, so Europe did have to import massively from the United States, which of course greatly benefited the US trade balance.

I did learn in the meantime that there are two categories of people: those who are for me and those who are against me. I don't think there is a middle species.

I am no longer afraid of death. A longing for death even arises. Still, I would like to be able to say before the end of the year: enough is enough.