Likened to wartime

[Boredsheep]

Have heard a few times now that this pandemic is like the war. (We are in a war, just can’t see the enemy type comments)

Do you think this to be true?

It's similar in that we have a type of rationing and a type of enemy and a type of silly bugger who doesn't listen/think the rules don't apply to them. There will be a new world after this. China is sort of showing us this now with their aggressive testing of people entering the country.

There is alot to be worried about. But bombs dropping on us and having to send our children away isn't one of them.

Thousands of men - husbands, fathers, sons, conscripted and sent away to fight for months at a time, too many of whom will never be seen again, bombing raids, with hundreds of people squashed together in shelters, constant fires with burning houses across cities, food and other rationing - no, it's nothing like wartime.

No bombs. No rationing. No loss of entire generations ofmen. No rushing into air raid shelters in the middle of the night.no mass of homeless bombed out of their homes. Not like war at all.

There are similarities to the wartime home front in terms of sudden national crisis, supply issues , morale, unknown timeframe, mental strain, etc.

I find it helpful to think of it that way.

Society has endured tough times and emergencies many many times over the centuries.

It is not like war time.

Talk about nuanced analysis @puds11

Sounds like being flippant, but I kind of think it is.
I'm 40 something and I've never known it not being able to go the shops and get what you need (UK)
Bare shelves.
The silly buggers still out thinking it is all A-OK definitely a thing too, seriously don't venture far from home

Just like in a world war, normal life, the economy, travel etc. has come to a shuddering halt, worldwide, and we have both front line people carrying out dangerous duties, and a huge collective effort being required from the whole population. Just like in a war, there's a national and international 'war effort' being mobilised against the virus, firms are switching production to ventilators and the like in the way firms in wartime switched production to armaments. Difficult decisions are having to be made by governments at high speed with no certainty that they'll be the right ones. It's likely to take years to get back to normal, many people will die, and no one can opt out of being affected by it one way or another. We're even getting some food supply issues.

It's very like wartime, and thinking of it like that is probably quite helpful for some people because it might help conjure up a feeling of determination and common purpose that could help them to feel less hopeless and alone.

The fact that we're not having air raids doesn't invalidate the analogy.

What it does remind me of is the post war years. Then food was still rationed so you had to be careful with everything you had and be quite imaginative and nothing was wasted. It was a constant concern and the tension around acquiring food and other essentials has been similar.

I suspect too that for some people thinking of it as a war helps them get through it.

The key difference I see is that during the World Wars, almost everyone was needed to do something towards the war effort. With coronavirus, what's needed is for most of the British population to do nothing.

The closest thing previously imagined was probably in the Cold War when we thought Britain might be nuked and we'd all have to hide in our bunkers until the fallout decayed.

The only thing I can remember in comparison is the Three Day Week. But I think this crisis is much worse than that.

From what relatives have told me about the war. No it isn't like a war but its the most serious crisis most people in the UK, who dont remember the war, will have lived through

It may not seem like a war to you all at home. But in my workplace believe me, it's like nothing we've ever seen. I would definitely describe the wards as a war zone right now

I work with the elderly and one lovely lady I was with the other day was talking about this, she says absolutely not like the war, it's worse in some way because you can't take comfort in your friends and family as we're all isolated, you can't meet up for a drink and hug and shake hands, you can't all help with each other's children.

She also so also said that witnesses rationing, they did have all the huge variety of things to lose suddenly, whilst yes there were things people couldn't get anymore it wasn't quite so big a range and there wasn't fighting over everything. everybody had the same.

She says the war was hard and scary but companionships and physical, close social contact was what got communities though, she says that now in her 80's, with her wealth and comfortable home. This is worse.

Make of that what you will.

I presume it is not like the war, this situation is absolutely unique.

But when I think that my mother lived through the first troubles in N. Ireland, followed by the depression, the war and dreaded 1950s, I've got off light.

What we’re going through is very difficult, but to compare it to WW1 or 2 is to belittle what our parents and grandparents’ generation went through IMO. They had it far, far worse.

The thread is about the current situation being likened to wartime, not saying its exactly like any particular war.

As for most of the population being asked to do nothing - months of restrictions, social isolation, job losses, business catastrophes, missed education, missed medical treatment, illness, deaths and bereavements, are not 'nothing'. No one is going to be untouched by this, one way or another.

As for most of the population being asked to do nothing - months of restrictions, social isolation, job losses, business catastrophes, missed education, missed medical treatment, illness, deaths and bereavements, are not 'nothing'. No one is going to be untouched by this, one way or another.

Yep.

Very very first thing the UK did at the start of WW2 was create a government of national unity.

So no, this is nothing like the war.

Next question please