The Coronavirus Chronicles -Three Strikes You're Out

[baxtercat_imp]

Stichill is expressing a political philosophy. Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, when we were colonies and then a big, empty country, the idea of manifest destiny encouraged us to rebel against collectivism and assert our individual rights. But today we no longer live on the frontier--we live in a world where a great many people must live next to and get along with other people. Our fates are all more connected than ever before, and we must accommodate ourselves to the fact that one person's expression of freedom can impinge on others, without their even being aware.

When we are compelled to get a license or insurance to operate a motorcycle, we are living with collectivism. My premium pays for your accident. When we follow the rules of the road, we are living with collectivism. When hospitals treat us for anything, we enter a collectivized system. My point is that it's the 21st century, and we can no longer afford absolutist slogans about individual rights and "protecting our freedoms." We must be realistic about other peoples' rights--which cannot simply be about suing for them in court. . We have to balance individual freedoms with collective needs. The pandemic is making the real complexity of that balancing all too clear, but a dialogue like this--as Guth suggests--is helpful.