Todays Society in the Situation of WW2 Britain

What would we in the present day do put in the situation of Second World War Britain in relation to social situations?

Completely theoretical of course, but how would people in any society around the world react if told to turn their lights off because of potential bombing raids, would they accept rationing, invite people into their bomb shelters during air raids, take in children from the other end of the country?

To a certain extent I believe people would still comply, their community spirit shining through, though you'd be strained to find that community spirit in most places without certain pressures placed upon the community such as the threatening of a hospital closure or similar.

I would hazard a guess however that more people now than in Second World War Britain would cause a fuss, refuse to block out the light from their house, a larger scale of people getting their everyday items from black-market sources rather than putting up with rationing and generally thinking of themselves before their community.

Originally posted by Prometheus James
I would hazard a guess however that more people now than in Second World War Britain would cause a fuss, refuse to block out the light from their house, a larger scale of people getting their everyday items from black-market sources rather than putting up with rationing and generally thinking of themselves before their community.

I think you're right and the evidence is all around us. Speaking of the US, we are currently engaged in the most difficult war we have ever fought. Our mainland has been attacked by belligerent forces not just once but twice and all people can do is whine about gas prices, the possibility of a draft, and dream up government conspiracies that would put any schizophrenic to shame.

[edit on 2006/10/8 by GradyPhilpott]

There's a slight difference between then and now though

What I was thinking about was how would people react to the situations of World War 2 Britain, would they shelter strangers in their back garden air raid shelter for example.
Have we shed much of our community identity/spirit and become more individual, more worried about ourselves than those we share our community with?

I believe we have, we put ourselves before those around us, I'll raise my hand and say I'm guilty of it as well, I'll not cry and say I'm what society made me, because all of us make society.


[edit on 8-10-2006 by Prometheus James]

We in the UK are a nation that has been destroyed from within. We as a majority don't even know the people who live two doors down, let alone at the end of the street...

As for me, well im geared towards a community mind, but not in the city. Violence would be alot worse than wwII, people want want want and could not live with rationing - they will just take what they want....

we are selfish as a nation, and selfish as a world now - only the small minority would be so welcoming and spirited as they were in wwII - because, if you look at todays country, we dont even share a common language now, let alone culture and identity. It would split along ethnic lines and be very very hard for the Goverment to control; 100%.