Although not from the UK, I grew up listening to my grandfather and my older relatives retelling the years of rationing during the great war.
First things first, it wasn’t equal, as who had money would find ways to get more food to their houses. My grandmother often mentioned the pantry in the houses she served at were always stocked, regardless of rationing.
The average citizen would get their ration of goods but although you could live on it, you would be somewhat uncomfortable if you didn’t had any way to suplement your diet. Rasing pidgeons in the city became common fare, more than what already was, and many people started raising rabbits, that can sustained on hay, to eat and sell.
Gardens in every space available became common, to put more vegetables and potatoes on the plate.
It was in the country where people felt the rationing less, being accostumed with surviving from what they farmed, raised and collected. And these were people used to hard work, hand labour. The basis for their day to day living was made up of large quantities of vegetables, dry salted fish (cod), salted and/or cured meats from the yearly pig families would raise, eggs and olive oil and bread. Fresh meat was an event often reserved for special occasions.
Let’s learn and teach how to eat. No need to ration; we already produce more than what is really necessary.
Half of the people in the USA doesn’t believe your statement. Among those that agree with your statement, most wouldn’t be willing to take that drastic of steps to combat it.
Rationing would destroy the farming world financially. Supply stays the same, but demand is reduced by government mandates.
The cost of meat and dairy would drop which would bankrupt many farms. They can’t just switch crops, most beef is raised in ranches where there isn’t enough water to grow consumer crops. Then there’s the issue that about 35% of US corn production is fed to livestock. Limiting meat would also cause the price of corn to drop. Causing further chaos in the farming world.
There is no point in individual rationing until the 7-10 largest impact corporations are brought to heel first. If they are going to guarantee that we are all fucked, then I’m going to enjoy myself while I can.
Can you shut the fuck up? My god, those poor CEOs need all that extra money, otherwise they would be embarrassed when their rich buddies learn they can’t afford a seventh mega yacht.
Yes but more importantly they don’t have to contribute anything to the other eu nations! Cutting the nose off to spite the face always works out for the owner of said face after all
Wait, wait. I’m worried what you just heard was, “Give me a lot of bacon and eggs.” What I said was, “Give me all the bacon and eggs you have.” Do you understand?
I’m assuming they got carbohydrates elsewhere? That hardly seems like enough calories to last a working adult for a week. Also that’s a ton of sugar it’d take me at least a month to go through that amount but also I don’t drink tea like the Brits do.
Bread wasn’t rationed but the only bread you could get your hands on was “the national loaf”, which my grandmother informed me was “saltier than unwashed seaweed”.
Potatos and carrots were abundant so lots of people learned to make potato scones and potato dumplings to make their flour stretch further.
The ministry of food developed recipes to help people make their rations last.
Woolton Pie is one that stuck around because it was so versatile.
Bread wasn’t rationed but the only bread you could get your hands on was “the national loaf”, which my grandmother informed me was “saltier than unwashed seaweed”.
lmao
Makes one grateful to live in a more plentiful age!
I would assume most of that sugar is going into cakes and puddings. If you’re only getting one egg a week, it’s probably put to more use in baking than eating straight up.
I get it. I made a concerted effort to stop using sugar in foods, and I’ve been quite successful. Carrots are a great way to add sweetness, so I go through a ton of those orange beauties.
Depends at what point during rationing, but it wouldn’t be too hard to get coffee at all. And even then you had the lucrative black market. You would obviously be worse off than your peers who liked tea though.
Yeah, rationing was easily one of the most hated things on the British home front. Rationing continued several years after the war and more or less directly led to the Labour government losing to the Conservatives over the issue of continuing rationing.
Things that were less obvious to the general public were rationed until 80s, maybe even early 90s. Certain types of fluids for machinery hydraulics, certain types of alloys, a large number of purified chemicals for a wide range of industries and uses.
Basically the Americans went back to their pre-war policy of fucking over and undermining the British whenever possible. To make sure the British Empire dissolved and America was to secure its place as the new super power.
They were very harsh on Britiain and France for post war depts, meaning Britian had to spend what little money it had paying off the Americans instead of feeding people, and the Americans also withdrew thir direct food support that hey had sent during the war that made things even worse.
All of this while they were investing heavily into building Germany back up as a buffer to the Soviets.
A couple points to help clarify why these actions were taken:
The British (and French) owed the US for WW1 and the Nazis were financial trolls who didn’t pay back Anglo or French debts because they wanted to fuck over the lenders (who they felt were Jewish).
The US had lent out over a $1T to the Allied powers for WW1 and that’s why FDR supported England while the US was neutral - losing that much money would ruin any country in 1940.
The cause of the rise of fascism in Germany after WW1 was determined to be the austerity enforced on the Germans in order to pay back the reparations. Investing in Germany was mandatory to eliminate the rise of another populist dictator.
This was the second war Britain got into that it could defend itself abroad without the US (Singapore was an embarrassment for Britain and the Burma campaign is underreported but showed the English were still fighting in their colonial style of using poorly trained irregulars that repeatedly cost them supply and initiative). It became clear to the US that the British could not afford another war and we’re in no position to rebel against any judgement imposed on them.
Britain was also losing her own colonial nations that had nothing to do with America. India was never going to remain a British occupied region. Huge swaths of Africa were decidedly outside her grasp. Most of the middle east was also anxious for their own independence so Britain never stood a chance of being their Victorian size for long.
I mean… that’s not quite right. The combined food board stopped in 1946, which certainly didn’t help, but the Labour government made many choices that didn’t help the cause combined with bad luck. Wikipedia certainly doesn’t agree with your assessments.
Lend-lease repayments didn’t start til 1951. That repayment plan was 50 years at 2% interest. The US lend-lease plan involved the US giving the UK $31B, that’s the equivalent to $500B today. How that could be anything by a gigantic gift between allies I’m unclear.
That’s a lot of money. I’m sorry you think it was harsh - but it doesn’t read that way to me at all.
More importantly, the US was the one leading the rebuilding of Germany - France and the UK were still trying to dismantle German heavy industry until 1950 or so. The UK (but more especially France) spent more time repressing the German economy post-war (just like post WW1…) than trying to build it back up.
Then there was the Marshall Plan, which the UK received 26% of the total funds from (about $200B today - and 3% of the GDP of the countries aided).
This whole comment skirts around the issues i mention in my comment while also garnishing it with praise for tangential acts the US did during the war.
Yes the US were rather generous DURING the war. My comment never says otherwise, but its the Post-war actions of the US that I mention. You even try to gloss over this with your line
The combined food board stopped in 1946, which certainly didn’t help, but the Labour government
which goes straight into some classic whattaboutism that you dont even directly describe, just trying to throw the blame to the labour government to diminish the impact of the US withdrawing food support.
And then on top of withdrawing that support they wanted repayments for loans started immediately after the war and had to coerced into a 5 year grace period so the UK could attempt to gather up the funds.
The UK (but more especially France) spent more time repressing the German economy post-war
Almost like Germany was the agressor and loser of a horiffic war and decimated UK industry in the process or something.
Then there was the Marshall Plan
Which is you read your own link:
which means an increase in GDP growth of less than half a percent.
you’ll see did basically nothing.
Then thats not even going over things like the US betrayal on technology sharing, specifically on nuclear programs and jet technology.
Or to cover the reverse lend lease project.
Or to start the conversation that had the US joined the war earlier there would not be as much of a need to rebuild these countries.
Or had the US not spent the early 20th century undermining the UK at every turn, the UK would have been in a much better position financially at the start of the war.
Or about how post war the US used its financial power over its European allies to dictate their foreign policy to the benefit of the US.
Basically, your view is quite biased and aims to paint the US as charitable saints instead of war profiteers.
which goes straight into some classic whattaboutism that you dont even directly describe, just trying to throw the blame to the labour government to diminish the impact of the US withdrawing food support.
The US didn’t withdraw food support - it was just reorganized and curtailed somewhat. In terms of the Labour government’s culpability, there were a variety of worker’s strikes - including dock workers - that resulted in tons of meat and fish going bad. The Labour government eventually ordered the Army to break the strike.
And then on top of withdrawing that support they wanted repayments for loans started immediately after the war and had to coerced into a 5 year grace period so the UK could attempt to gather up the funds.
No - the loans were issued then. The lend-lease was basically entirely forgiven. The loans always had a 5 year grace period.
The UK was bankrupt. You got loans from the US, Canada and others that you wish were gifts to stay afloat. At absurdly good rates - and additional aid in rebuilding from the Marshall plan.
you’ll see did basically nothing.
A half percent of GDP growth. It was 3% of the GDP of the countries. Did nothing is highly debatable.
Then thats not even going over things like the US betrayal on technology sharing, specifically on nuclear programs and jet technology.
Probably not the reason you had to ration in 1953 still, and I’m not sure what betrayal you’re referring to.
Or to cover the reverse lend lease project.
This was netted out from the lend-lease that was forgiven. You also got to keep all the equipment for rebuilding.
Or had the US not spent the early 20th century undermining the UK at every turn, the UK would have been in a much better position financially at the start of the war.
Do you have examples of this?
Or about how post war the US used its financial power over its European allies to dictate their foreign policy to the benefit of the US.
You make it sound like the UK was bankrupt because of their own mismanagement. They were basically repelling an invasion for years while being the USA’s stepping stone into the European theatre.
Acting like it’s noble to build up the country of the destroyed enemy, but not assist the ravaged ally in the same way is really odd.
We did assist that ravaged ally after, with an emergency loan with a very low interest rate, and the UK was the largest beneficiary of the Marshall plan dollars.
France was #2.
I don’t know where this revisionist animosity is coming from, but it’s not reflected in reality.
If you had kids in the household, you got more eggs on your ration cards, same with milk when it became rationed. Housewives would find ways to combine the entire households rations to feel like more for everyone. One egg and a rasher of bacon per person doesn’t fill anyone, but if you have a family of 4, suddenly four eggs and 4 rashers of bacon, in a potato bake/ flour stretched quiche is a filling meal, and you might get 6-8 serves from those 4 peoples rations.
Add comment