I agree with Russell for the most part, but this is a serious error:
Modern technique has made it possible to diminish enormously the amount of labor required to secure the necessaries of life for everyone. This was made obvious during the war. At that time all the men in the armed forces, and all the men and women engaged in the production of munitions, all the men and women engaged in spying, war propaganda, or Government offices connected with the war, were withdrawn from productive occupations. In spite of this, the general level of well-being among unskilled wage-earners on the side of the Allies was higher than before or since.
That's completely wrong. In the U.K. the general level of well-being was maintained at a high standard because the British were being supported by the efforts of American workers. Their food, tractors, railroad equipment, building equipment, gasoline and much else came from the US. (At first it was paid for out of British reserves, and later it came under lend lease.) Given the fraction of the British population that was diverted into the war effort, if it had not been for the tremendous mountains of material goods coming from the US, the British people would have starved in large numbers, and they would have been living in dire poverty, and freezing to death in winter. The convoys leaving the U.S. were full, and they came back empty. This was the most unbalanced trade in history.
Furthermore, the British prolonged the use of many material goods in ways that could not have continued indefinitely. For example they established large clothing exchanges, so that adults and especially small children wore hand-me-downs for the duration. You can stop manufacturing clothing for 5 or 10 years, but eventually clothing will be reduced or rags and people will be naked. The British also ran automobiles and other equipment ragged, and they postponed maintenance. Another five years and there would not have been any working civilian automobiles, refrigerators, or hot water heaters left in the country.
Meanwhile, back in the US, the general level of well-being and material prosperity was greatly reduced. Automobile sales, for example, ended abruptly a few weeks after Pearl Harbor. Not a single automobile was sold to any civilian until late 1945. The entire stock of completed automobiles available in January 1942 was held for use by the military. Many other goods and commodities were rationed, such as cigarettes and beef, or they were completely unavailable to civilians, such as zippers and automobile tires.
Of course this was entirely justified, but my point is that Russell's arithmetic is wrong.
- Jed
