I was struck by a comment I saw online in regards to Trump declaring that we should not be afraid of COVID
Besides the fact that none of us elected "public health officials", I was struck by how the reaction to this is a complete 180 from the attitude that was present in 1933 where then president FDR said the following:
So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is...fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and of vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. And I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days.
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. This used to be an ethos of America and Americans. Whatever the task, we don't accept living in fear.
That was then.
FDR also said:
...the withered leaves of industrial enterprise lie on every side; farmers find no markets for their produce; the savings of many years in thousands of families are gone.
More important, a host of unemployed citizens face the grim problem of existence, and an equally great number toil with little return. Only a foolish optimist can deny the dark realities of the moment.
Our greatest primary task is to put people to work. This is no unsolvable problem if we face it wisely and courageously.
There are many ways in which it can be helped, but it can never be helped merely by talking about it. We must act and act quickly.
FDR would be going "against the advice of pubic health officials if he made that speech today.
But that was then when popular sentiment in regards to such speech was:
"Any man who can talk like that in times like these is worthy of every ounce of support a true American has."
I'll remind the reader that at the time FDR made that speech he had been stricken by Polio which at that time had no vaccine.
The chart below shows the numbers of people who developed paralytic polio
You see that there was a peak back in 1955 or so. There were large spikes from 1910 through 1940 before the big one. Paralysis of the leg isn't death but I don't know anyone who would volunteer to get paralyzed and yet society did not shut down (They did remove children from homes and shut pools down during the summers)
Thousands of American children were paralyzed by polio, which is caused by a virus that is usually passed by the fecal-oral route (from feces to mouth), by way of food, water or poor hygiene. Some people infected with the virus did not develop any symptoms but could still transmit the disease.
In about 1 in 200 cases, people with polio developed paralysis, and although some recovered from their paralysis, many of these victims were paralyzed and confined to crutches or wheelchairs for life. Children whose breathing muscles were paralyzed were placed inside a sealed ventilator chamber known as an iron
And yet, life went on. I cannot imagine what would happen today if children started getting paralyzed at rates of 1 in 200.
So in 2020 America, living without fear, which is not the same as living without caution or awareness, is frowned upon by the Smart Set, whereas in the 1930s living without fear was a trait to be admired. Not all change is good.
