Dawson's Plenty : penicillin rebukes the plenticidal war

Henry Dawson's call of "wartime penicillin for all" is sort of hard sayings version of the famous Atlantic Charter , if you recall the striking title of that popular series of bible study books.

By contrast, FDR and Churchill's actual Atlantic Charter (the public war aims of the Allies) also promised human rights for all - but only set at some faraway time in an indefinite future.

So their wartime promise was really a variant of a very familiar sort of soft sayings : high flowing but empty political rhetoric that you never intent to fulfill.

Churchill and FDR defended their stance by the specious claim that universal human rights was far too costly luxury in the total war against Hitler.


By contrast, Henry Dawson believe that the plenitudal nature of the universality of human rights was our most effective single rebuke to the Nazis' plenticidal war.

The Hard Sayings of Henry Dawson

Dawson's call was a 'hard sayings' version of the Atlantic Charter  because he didn't just want "penicillin for all"  --- that was the sort of soft sentiment FDR and Churchill could cheaply support with empty rhetoric.

He wanted it during wartime, during a total war.

That meant diverting some money from bombers and bombs towards penicillin plants .

Above all it meant giving penicillin to people that you didn't really like : the undeserving ill, the enemy and enemy-leaning Neutral nations, for a start.

That was a lot harder for humanity to stomach than just spouting empty sentiments.

It meant walking the talk - not just talking the talk.

And that is hard , Jesus it is hard .....