By Billy Liggett
If you set aside, for just a moment, that decade’s rampant sexism, segregation, racism and polio epidemics … then, yes, the 1940s were a great time to be an American. We saved the world by beating the Axis powers, our war-time and post-war economies thrived and, without a doubt, fashion in the U.S. was at its peak (this isn’t up for debate).
In fact, many of your red MAGA hat-wearing Trump supporters will point to this era when referring to the America they want to make “great again.” The men and women of this time earned their title of the Greatest Generation (again, ignore all that bad stuff … the Japanese internment camps, Jim Crow … these are rose, white and blue-colored glasses we’re looking through here).
The word that defined that generation is “sacrifice” — whether you’re talking about the 16 million Americans who served (roughly 11 percent of the population at the time), the 407,000 who died in the war or the millions who sacrificed their livelihoods on the homefront to “help the cause.”
It’s that latter group that holds relevance to what we’re going through today. Consider the abrupt change in the way Americans lived their lives the moment the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor:
They were asked to ration. Everything. Sugar, milk, butter, gas, meat, rubber, fuel, firewood, shoes, nylon … even coffee. Taxes skyrocketed — before the war, 7 percent of Americans paid an income tax; that number rose to 64 percent by 1944. Those who made more than $200,000 a year were subject to a 94-percent tax rate (President Roosevelt famously said that at a time of “grave national danger, no citizen ought to have a net income of more than $25,000 a year.”)
There was dissension, of course. But for the most part, Americans supported the cause. There was honor in their sacrifices — not only were they rationing and taking pay cuts for their boys overseas, they were doing it for the “greater good.”
World War II lasted four years.
We’re entering the third month of a global pandemic.
So much was asked of them.
So little has been asked of us.
Stay home. Wash your hands. Maybe wear a mask when going out for the “essentials.” Take a break from your sporting events, concerts and movie theaters. If you’re fortunate to have a “non-essential” job, do it from home.
Sacrifice some of the freedoms we’ve enjoyed for 243 years so there’s less of a chance of contracting and spreading a potentially deadly, highly contagious virus. Heed the advice of highly trained health care and public health doctors and officials. Listen to the scientists when it comes to science.
This is what’s been asked of us. And, yet.
The most vocal of our modern day dissenters are many of the aforementioned red hats who are yelling in the face of science (literally) and gathering en masse in cities across the country, demanding the economy “reopen” at the expense of “the weak.” (Sacrifice the weak is a real poster seen at some of these events). That they caved so soon, so angrily and so ill-informed is embarrassing.
Easy for me to say, right? I haven’t lost my job. I’ve had the luxury of working from home these past seven weeks. I live with people I enjoy being around.
But I know people who’ve lost work and wages, yet understand this is a sacrifice. I also know people in the health care industry — some of them working in cities hardest hit by COVID-19. I believe them when they say our “stay home” orders have helped, despite more than a million cases in the U.S. and nearly 60,000 deaths as I write this.
I’m not a “patriot” for supporting this fight.
And you’re sure the hell not a patriot for resisting it.
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Billy Liggett is a co-founder of The Rant. Tell him your well-researched hoax theories by emailing billy@rantnc.com.
Billy, excellent well written post! Agree with it all! Yes, many of us do not know or understand a true sacrifice! Thank you for passionately expressing!
Fantastic Blly!
Billy,
From your comfort chair and food on the table, what have you done to help the case of those out of work, the hungry children here in Sanford? Remember you are preaching to only those who can afford a computer at home.
One in every crowd
I think he is doing what has been asked of him by our government. quarantining and practicing social distance. There have been expansions in unemployment, a stimulus check and food services for children at schools. If more is needed, protest that. Don’t protest a plan backed by science to put america back to work.
VERY well said. Thank you.
THANK YOU!!!! Such wisdom!
I heard that the CDC adjusted that 60,000 deaths figure down to 37,000. Is this true?
This has been debunked.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/cdc-death-figures/
Very well put. Sincere and thought provoking. I agree wholeheartedly. I have be labeled an essential worker at my job. I have been “preaching” to my family and friends to put away money and necessities for years now for just the time as we are going through now. It doesn’t take much, $5 a week, and extra can or two when you grocery shop. If you don’t learn or can’t take care of yourselves, I guess you will be the group that waits around for the government to take care of you, well good luck with that! I hope we all have learned something through all of this. Waiting for round two.
Great writing and well said! Thank you!
Not exactly an apples to apples comparison with WW2 and a pandemic. No one is writing about the socioeconomic factors that will cause inadvertent deaths. No one is writing about hospitals that will go bankrupt because of all the elective procedures that pay to keep them running are not happening. Not to mention the health issues that will stem from prolonging treatment. No one is talking about the small businesses that will not survive this shutdown. Newsflash! Not many businesses have seen any money yet and most can’t get through the red tape to even apply. I have elderly parents, with underlying conditions, and I am protecting them by staying away. We can be smart about starting back up. We don’t have to put the more at risk people out there. As for the young and healthy, Have you been to a Lowe’s hardware? No one is social distancing there. This virus will be around until we build immunity. We can’t go in lockdown multiple seasons. Our economy will not survive. Socrates summed it up when he said we should use common sense and not to rely on the rhetoric of leaders. I am not some extremist that goes around waving a Trump flag. He is not righteous, but he may be right. See both sides
I agree with Jeff, Billy’s rant had a liberal bias. COVID doesn’t care what party you are affiliated with. The RANT usually sticks to the facts and should keep it that way because that is what makes it worthwhile reading.
Well said Billy!! Divide and conquer has forever been a strategy of marauders. We are stronger together than apart. If in fact we as a nation and society wish to remain great, we need to come together and make it happen!