https://www.proz.com/kudoz/english/government-politics/6986465-it-has-all-had-to-be-paid-for.html
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Expectations were not managed in the euphoria that followed the fall of the wall
"a high point in turbocharged of 1.5-liter inline-three and two electric motors"
Jul 28, 2021 08:10
2 yrs ago
32 viewers *
English term

it has all had to be paid for

English Social Sciences Government / Politics History
The context is how the West Germany put efforts to improve environment and living condition in the East for example clearing up Nuclear plants, making air cleaner.


Now the air is cleaner. Life expectancy, a reliable guide to economic differentials, has narrowed. It has all had to be paid for.

Does it mean, they made all people who have to pay pay? Who is "it" ? Believe me, there is no further context.


And Is "life expectancy is narrowed" a good thing? Does it not mean that we live shorter? Forgive me for being so blank.
Responses
4 +7 The changes all have to be paid for by somebody
3 +3 the costs all had to be covered
4 +1 There are no free lunches.
4 +1 it will come out of taxes
3 +1 It has all had to be paid for by West Germany
References
From the book Why the Germans Do it Better
Votes to reclassify question as PRO/non-PRO:

Non-PRO (2): AllegroTrans, Yvonne Gallagher

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Discussion

Yvonne Gallagher Jul 29, 2021:
@ Asker once again you are agreeing with answerers and appear to have 2 profiles. This is against the rules

Responses

+7
24 mins
Selected

The changes all have to be paid for by somebody

The cost of improving the environment by carrying out all these measures is high, and somebody has to pay for it all. This is generally the consumer in the end, since the costs that are initially paid by those who do the work are passed down to those who pay for the services concerned - in the long run, ordinary people.

And because the air is cleaner, everyone benefits, not just the rich. So the gap between a higher life expectancy which is the norm for richer people, and a lower life expectancy for poorer people, has narrowed.
Peer comment(s):
agree Shilpa Baliga : Or if we are just talking about this case, "had" to be paid for somehow.
2 hrs
Thank you.
agree philgoddard
6 hrs
Thank you.
agree Tina Vonhof (X)
6 hrs
Thank you
agree AllegroTrans : "somehow" would be clearer
6 hrs
Thank you.
agree sereejanejir (X) : Oh now I see it. Thank you very much for all answers! You are gem!
8 hrs
Thank you.
agree EirTranslations
8 hrs
Thank you.
agree Yvonne Gallagher
15 hrs
Thank you.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you ssoooo much. Sie sind super!!!"
+3
31 mins

the costs all had to be covered

The information explains that the environmental cleansing operations were expensive and had to be paid for. In other words someone had to pay for the work efforts. It's not a good thing if our life expectancy is narrowed as it means we can expect to live for less time.
Peer comment(s):
agree AllegroTrans : Yes, but you have misunderstood the notion of life expectancy having narrowed. Try reading Kiet's explanation.
3 hrs
agree Orkoyen (X) : ...had to be borne
5 hrs
neutral philgoddard : This is the same as the previous answer.
5 hrs
agree sereejanejir (X) : Thank you so much! You helped me a lot!
8 hrs
Something went wrong...
+1
31 mins

There are no free lunches.

The meaning, in this context, is that there are always social costs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There_ain't_no_such_thing_as_a...
Peer comment(s):
neutral AllegroTrans : Not sure whether this is a good explanation for a non-native En-speaker, too informal
6 hrs
Thanks. You have a point.
agree sereejanejir (X) : it is okay. I can use it. Thank you sooo much!
8 hrs
Something went wrong...
+1
5 hrs

it will come out of taxes

I think the short answer is that whatever is done will be paid for by citizens either by increased taxes or by cuts to other services.
Peer comment(s):
agree sereejanejir (X) : So clear and precise. Thanksss a lot!
3 hrs
neutral AllegroTrans : Quite probably but that's not the straightforward, simple meaning
21 hrs
Something went wrong...
+1
8 hrs

It has all had to be paid for by West Germany

West Germany was the richer part of the country, and therefore had to pay for the cost of reunification.

The difference in life expectancy between East Germany and West Germany has narrowed. Life in East Germany has improved.
Peer comment(s):
agree sereejanejir (X) : Thank you soo much. It does make sense for me now
1 hr
You're welcome.
neutral AllegroTrans : True enough but that's not the straightforward, simple meaning
19 hrs
Something went wrong...

Reference comments

4 hrs
Reference:

From the book Why the Germans Do it Better

The amount that has been spent overall in the past thirty years is staggering. Aufbau Ost, Rebuilding the East, has seen an injection of €2 trillion into infrastructure projects. No country has seen such a long-term shift of funds and resources – a modern-day equivalent of the Marshall Plan. That is only right and proper, given that their Western counterparts benefited from American largesse straight after the war. Roughly a fifth of the total has gone on cleaning up the East’s environment, closing unsafe nuclear plants and reducing reliance on brown coal. Anyone who lived in the East remembers their towns disfigured by above-ground pipes and shrouded in black smog. Residents would use damp cloths to wipe the soot off window sills. Now, the air is vastly cleaner. Life expectancy, a reliable guide to economic differentials, has narrowed. It has all had to be paid for.
https://tlgur.com/d/G7o1wMEG page 84
Peer comments on this reference comment:
agree AllegroTrans
2 hrs
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