THIS is the Country That Beat The Axis?

 The Plague, at least in the US, should have been distant in our rearview mirror by now. Brilliant scientists and doctors came up with a wildly effective vaccine in record time, and it proved miraculously good at ending Covid. All that we, the public, had to do was get either one or two jabs, get the vaccine to poorer countries, and be past this misery. Instead, barely over half of the eligible citizens in the US have gotten the jab.

I've spoken to several of the refusers. Their reasons range from outright nuttiness (the wife of an about to be arrested Q Anon nut) to uncertainty (I don't trust something that was rushed like that).

It's funny, though. I haven't once heard the correct answer, which is that we, as members of a society, are obligated to take the small risk of the jab to keep others healthy and alive. Somehow it's become purely an individual choice.

I grew up the son of two members of the Greatest Generation. I'm pretty certain my Dad did not choose to give up his ok son of immigrants life in The Bronx to go join the US Army to fight the Axis powers -- the greatest military power in the history of the world. Yeah -- the Italians were pretty worthless, but the Germans and Japanese? Wow.

To be an American meant you thought about the nation first, understanding that only in that way could you have a decent life for your kids and grandkids. Our present citizens can't be bothered.

It's funny -- I was chatting with a Cuban friend recently about why the Castro Regime and its progeny remain in power, despite all the noise and protest. She said she blamed Cuban mothers. They weren't like American or other national mothers -- they would NOT send their sons to war, even if it was for the freedom of their nation. Oh sure, Cuban AMERICAN Moms talk tough, but you rarely see the anger and rhetoric yelled at Versailles on SW 8th Street turned into action in Havana. Instead, the anger is against President Biden: "Do something!"

Comparisons suffer, but when Israel was fighting for independence, they won their war largely because of Jews from around the world who went there, AFTER serving in WW II for the US, Canada, Great Britain, France. The entire Israeli Air Force was composed of those heroes. 

The point is -- freedom comes at a high price.

And in our pathetic nation, nearly half won't even pay the price of a couple of jabs in the arm. Even Republicans are starting to understand that -- the Alabama Governor came out and said it the other day: Blame the Refusers. Wow. Alabama.

So we'll just remain as careful as possible -- without going into the full lockdown we had during the first half year of the Plague. The jabs are quite effective -- almost no one of reasonable health who got vaccinated is seeming to die or get awfully sick.

Still -- the damned thing ought to be over. And the fact that it isn't embarrasses me more to be an American than just about anything in recent memory -- even worse than the fact that we elected Trump.