NO MERCY NO MALICE

Covid-19 Has Now Cost Us Nearly as Much as WWII

But instead of spending trillions fighting the enemy, we’re making sure the Nasdaq doesn’t decline

America’s involvement in WWII lasted 3 years and 9 months, and 405,399 Americans perished (297 per day). U.S. forces have been fighting in Afghanistan for 19 years, and we’ve lost 2,285 servicemembers (one every three days). In WWII almost a third of fruits and vegetables were harvested from “Victory Gardens” planted in people’s backyards. You couldn’t find chocolate or nylons. Diapers and food staples were rationed, and you could be kicked off a plane to make room for servicemen.

Despite the formidable financial stress of wartime, households were asked to dig deeper and buy war bonds. Within three weeks of Dec. 7, 1941 Ford, Fisher Auto Parts, and Goodyear Rubber were turning out B-24 and B-25 bombers, using fabricated auto parts. Kelvinator, which made refrigerators, was told by the government to stop and start making propellers and army helmets.

Fast-forward to 2020: Americans don’t want to wear masks and expect the government to send them more money. We’ve been unable to produce cotton swabs and personal protective equipment. Most Covid tests still take 5–7 days to yield results, while other…