What happened to the Blitz spirit? (Lighthearted, honest!)

[StuckBetweenDarknessAndLight]

I am donning my hard hat because I am preparing for a flaming here.
However. When Brexit was being debated and people were warning things would be tough, it was all Blitz spirit this and two world wars that. Now here we are facing the greatest medical emergency in a generation and there is panic buying and frothing about BoJo not doing enough.
I'm not comparing the two situations but the reactions to. Where have all the British stiff upper lips gone?

Hate to break it to you but there was also talk about Bojo not doing enough and perhaps not panic buying, but certainly stocking up being done in the run up to Brexit. I wasn’t around during the two world wars so can’t comment on what the talk and shopping behaviours were then.

There was actually a big upsurge in crime during the Blitz, looting, black market, robbing bodies of jewellery etc

Coronavirus topic, the threads are almost entirely only

"OMG Plague is coming for me!"
&
"I hate the govt for letting this happen!"

I'm surprised that's all folk have to think about the situation.
I would like to find a volunteering opportunity if I'm banned from going to work.

I think we just look back wistfully and people tell the nice stories rather than the reality

Don't Panic. I've ordered a crate of Spam and it's on its way. That will solve everything.

My friend's grandparents were in London during the Blitz. They told me it was all thieving and black-marketeering, as 24hoursfromtulsa said.

I occasionally point out that the Red Army fought off the Whites after WW1 and during the Spanish flu, but my family are Not Impressed.

The Blitz spirit was a PR exercise. The Government knew the people in London were very close to breaking towards the end of the Blitz.

DM had her formative years in the Blitz.

She wouldn't have been panic buying because she always kept a good stock of essentials - loo rolls, tinned goods etc.

There's also a significant psychological difference between a unifying enemy, and an invisible killer.

Phew, I'm glad you've understood the meaning of the thread. I thought after I posted that I would be flamed for making light of a terrible situation. I'm not, honestly. I'm scared and hoped for some "we've got this" replies! And thank you @longwayoff, a tin of spam is exactly what we should be stockpiling

We've been steeped in neo-liberal individualism for too long now. The Blitz spirit died with our grandparents.

I do wonder how the 'blitz spirit' would have played out if there had been social media at the time - or even the sort of 24 hour rolling news coverage that we're all used to now.

I also think the nature of a pandemic is different; it's quite hard to maintain a sense of community spirit if you're self-isolating. No getting together in the bomb shelter for sing-songs here, and many people face their leisure activities being curtailed - which sounds flippant, but long term will have a significant impact on morale and mental well-being.

I'm starting to see people trying to be practical and work things out for themselves without expecting the government to magically do 'adulting' for them. Thank goodness and hope it continues

This is the Blitz spirit: every man for himself and fuck every one else!! As PPs have said, crime was really high and there was very little actual pulling together unless there was a real, tangible event in front of people like a house on fire. However, some of that was self-preserving too: I don't want my house burning down!!

How do the sick, elderly and vulnerable do their "adulting?" Governments are responsible for the welfare of their citizens.

Agree that there was no "blitz spirit" at the time. It was every man for himself. It was a very successful or exercise jointly by the gov and media.

And remember the people who were there and are alive now we're very young then and 1) probably didn't see or understand a lot of the rubbish stuff and 2) everyone looks back at their childhood with a certain amount of rose tinted glasses.

MN are a special breed. My local FB pages have the community organising and mobilising to support those who need it and a special interest group I'm part of is far more supportive the government's stance in following the science and delaying a shut down for as long as possible. It's recognised that "the spirit of the Blitz" will be tough to maintain and that communities need to carry on as usual for as long as possible.

It is very interesting to see that where there is dissent it seems to be the same people who only a few months ago were certain that Britain would be better off making it's own decisions than following the rest of Europe.

We've spent decades living dog eat dog, individualistic lifestyles where many are only breaking even financially and emotionally. This mentality isn't going to change in an instant however dire circumstances may be.

Blitz spirit was nothing but propaganda.

During the four months of the London Blitz from September to December 1941, a total of 4,584 cases of looting were heard by the Old Bailey court. In just one day in November, 56 of the cases to be heard by the courts involved looting.

When the Cafe de Paris, which was a very expensive and exclusive nightclub in London was bombed every dead body was looted for its jewellery and watches.

My mother was in London during the Blitz. She said it was the worst time in her life, not because of the bombings but because of the terrible behaviour of everyone. It was like "we're going to die anyway , so do what you like". The "blitz spirit " didn't exist except on the newsreel screens.

" it's easy enough to talk about blitz spirit
When you're not holding the roof up and knee deep in it"

Wise words from frank turner

I'm part of is far more supportive the government's stance in following the science and delaying a shut down for as long as possible. It's recognised that "the spirit of the Blitz" will be tough to maintain and that communities need to carry on as usual for as long as possible

Thats what Italy did... ignored it, carried on as if no tomorrow - worked well!
What science? govt appointed lackies? the majority RoW scientific community doesn't support the UKs stance on this nor does the WHO.
Are the chinese stupid? why did they clamp down as hard as possible as soon as possible ? (once danger realised)

Spirit of the Blitz... what utter crap, great pity you couldn't speak to my late Gran and Grandad...they'd tell you about the women who cheated on their soldier partners, the looting, profiteering, smuggling, draft dodging.
The UK should be working with all countries, especially european ones but Brexit will ensure that won't happen... lets see if the UK takes part in the european leaders conference call.

We're making plans.

We want to protect ourselves but our immediate neighbours include two ill people and an older person.

I'll clean and bake for them if they get ill. DS usually clears snow for them in bad weather and does basic gardening for them too.

One day this will be over. I doubt we'll look back with fond memories but I'll be damned if I'll look back in shame for not helping.

I'll clean and bake for them if they get ill. DS usually clears snow for them in bad weather and does basic gardening for them too

Bake/cook/gardening/clear snow etc yes but you shouldn't be going in their house to clean, you'll get it and then spread it, cleaning can wait.

One has stage 4 cancer, if his carers can't get there he can't live in mess and dirt. Open to any suggestions of how I could help in that scenario.