“Star Trek” actor George Takei’s tweet asking Americans to endure paying a little more for food and gasoline as a result of sanctions President Biden imposed on Russia since its invasion of Ukraine caught fire on Twitter Saturday — and that fire is as hot-headed as you probably suspected.
“Americans: We can endure higher prices for food and gas if it means putting the screws to Putin,” Takei tweeted Friday. “Consider it a patriotic donation in the fight for freedom over tyranny.”
Twitter users flocked to Takei’s tweet to express their opinion of his suggestion, with many bashing his perceived wealth in a “HE can endure higher prices” but the average working-class American cannot kind of way. On the opposite side of the argument, Takei’s supporters pointed out that he and his family were sent to Japanese internment camps in Arkansas and California during WWII, so he knows the repercussion of people remaining silent when they should be speaking up.
“Everyone who is slamming George Takei for this tweet can get stuffed,” one user wrote. “He and his family endured internment in a Japanese camp in the US. He knows what happens when people look the other way, make excuses.”
Several others expressed support in the same vein.
“Guess what Americans?” another user tweeted. “We made plenty of home front sacrifices during WW2. Rationing, working in dangerous munitions factories etc. People were proud to do their patriotic duty. Now we whine about gas prices, not having Doritos on the shelves, wearing a mask. George Takei is right.”
Here are some more tweets in support of Takei:
Those who disagreed with Takei called attention to the history of oil and its connection to Putin, as well as Takei’s celebrity status and income.
“There wouldn’t BE any need to “suffer” high gas prices if we hadn’t ended the Keystone pipeline, etc.,” a user tweeted. “The West MADE Putin a key source of oil in the past couple years, when we stopped being one ourselves. Think about it.”
“The definition of trading your humanity for patriotism. George will be fine with higher food and gas prices, he’s worth $14 million,” another user wrote. “The poor and lower working-class in both countries want no part in wars, especially if it’s gonna add to the financial stress they already feel.”
And then there were those that disagreed with Takei’s thoughts altogether: