MUSINGS

Our country gradually but steadily has moved to war footing to battle an unseen enemy, a virus. Around the world countries have begun to close borders, shutter businesses, demand citizens stay indoors when not working, not cluster in groups and so on. Our government, slow on the uptake but increasingly less so, has invoked a 1950s law that empowers President Trump to force industry where possible to vastly increase production of wartime supplies needed by the medical community, including masks, gowns, and respirators very much like President Franklin Roosevelt did as we moved into war against Nazi Germany. Back then though, private citizens did their bit. They bought war bonds to help finance the struggle. They recycled materials in short supply like paper. Neighborhoods held scrap drives collecting copper and brass, often in the form of pots and pans, for use making artillery shells. Families saved fat drippings from cooking to make soap at government request. There were numerous..