This pandemic is a war.

The “enemy soldiers” on the other side are microscopic, but they are still a very powerful enemy. And unlike prior world wars, it is being fought on American soil as well as in the rest of the world.

We need a leader who not only tells the hard truth but is able to inspire people to action.

Washington Post: Americans may not be willing to sacrifice for long periods of time to defeat COVID-19

[See WaPo Twitter Thread]

What [pandemic] experts have not always made clear is that by applying all that downward pressure on the [COVID-19] curve — by canceling gatherings, quarantining the sick and enforcing social distancing — you elongate the curve, stretching it out over a longer period of time.

It is unclear whether Americans — who built this country on ideals of independence and individual rights — would be willing to endure such harsh restrictions on their lives for months, let alone for a year or more.

Practicallefty Replying to @washingtonpost on Twitter:

But we did it for YEARS during World Wars I & II. Food and fuel were rationed, and consumer purchases of any raw materials or finished products required for the war effort were banned. Everyone with even a tiny plot of land was encouraged to grow a “Victory Garden.”

People grumbled about it and sometimes violated the rules, creating black markets. But mostly they cooperated.