We are a soft, feckless nation now. We couldn't muster even a fraction of the national will we exhibited in WW2. The idea of something as basic as a draft would be met with widespread riots. Not to mention the rationing, taxes and price controls that were put in place in the 40s.
I thought the idea was to prevent the vicks from getting all over your bed and pillow. Mom would apply the vicks, then she would take a red bandana and fold it in half diagonally and tie it around my neck. Some dude named Sim wore one, she said, and so we called the bandanas "Sim rags". Haven't...