Yesterday I was reading a little history about public support for World War II. It is remarkable how engaged people were in the war effort. At one point, home Victory Gardens produced 40 percent of the vegetables consumed in the United States!
During World War II, the Army had a contract with Warner Brothers to produce short educational cartoons for the troops. Featuring Private Snafu, “The Home Front” (1943) seems utopian when illustrating the war effort back home.
Contrast this to today where, at the national level, all I can think of is the Treasury Department issuing patriotic savings bonds in December 2001 at the same time we were being urged to spend money to make America stronger. If anything, the war has divided the country when it could have pulled us together in some positive ways.
Imagine if the country had been called to serve in a common effort, such as reducing our dependence on foreign oil. Maybe this is only plausible in hindsight but a national conservation effort could have tied nicely into today’s anti-global warming campaigns. Strange bedfellows, but all Americans united. Could it have happened?
As for Private Snafu, he was created by Frank Capra. Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel wrote several episodes and Mel Blanc provided his Bugs Bunny voice. As noted on Wikipedia, the cartoons were risque for the time and many of the other have racist depictions (by today’s standards) of Japanese and Germans.
One Response to “Private Snafu”
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“freeze the nuts off a jeep.” nice!
I thought the voice sounded familiar.
Yes, an opportunity to unite was totally squandered. Hopefully we can join forces despite ourselves.