Covid-19 Exposes Kinks in Individualistic Western Societies Armor

Photo by Florian Glawogger on Unsplash

How, as a society, do we balance our civil liberties while simultaneously looking out for one another?

Of course, we have freedom in the United States, but just because we have freedom doesn’t mean you can do whatever the hell you want. You cannot drive 160 MPH on the freeway. Why? Because you would be putting everyone else around you in grave danger. You could even kill someone. 

What to Believe 

I do not believe in conspiracy theories. I am not a proponent of the fake news chanters or that journalists are the enemy of the people. I do feel that many of the mainstream news outlets have become partisan, comprised more of personal opinions than with simply reporting the news with a non-bias perspective. A far cry from the days of Walter Cronkite and his signature sign-off, “And that’s the way it is." I am skeptically cautious when it comes to believing everything I hear or read from news outlets and for good reason.

In the years leading up to the Iraq war, New York Times star journalist Judith Miller wrote several articles between 2002 and 2003, reporting that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had amassed a large stockpile of Weapons of Mass Destructions (WMDs). Miller's main source was an Iraqi scientist named Abmad Chalabi, who as it turned out, had his own ulterior motives for feeding the Bush Administration misinformation. Much of what Chalabi revealed turned out to be a blatant fabrication. 

These articles were part of a mechanism that propagated a call for war based on false allegations and profound intelligence failures. The invasion of Iraq was perhaps one of the greatest foreign policy debacles in U.S history. The NY Times had to later apologize for its misrepresentation of the truth and its editor was fired. Growing up in NYC, I always respected the journalistic integrity of the NY Times but that made me change the way I process the news.  

You have to be willing to look beyond what mainstream media news sources are feeding us. You have to think critically, being able to analyze both sides of an argument to develop your own opinion. If you are not able to think independently you are bound to swim in a large group think-tank along with all the other guppies.    

How Bad is It?

According to both the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control, the U.S has, by far, the highest mortality rate for COVID-19 out of any other country on the planet. Yet, according to a mortality analysis done at Johns Hopkins University, the U.S does not lead the world in Covid-19 deaths per capita. When you factor in population size to the death rate, Belgium has the highest with 83 deaths per 100,000 people. This fact does not negate the reality that as we approach the 4th of July weekend, the U.S is approaching almost 140,000 American deaths.

Those deaths are not just a number, they could be one of your neighbors or someone you love. The top ten countries with the highest deaths per capita are all European countries, along with the U.S.—what do all these counties have in common? They are societies rooted in a deep fundamental belief in individualism. The conviction that anyone can go out into the world and make their own way, without the burden of being weighed down by the responsibility of a collective ideology. 

It is worth exploring the possibility that this virus has exposed flaws in our social fabric. How can it be that the U.S has well over 100,000 people dead from Covid-19 and Singapore has less than thirty?

Collectivism vs. Individualism    

America was founded by Anglo-European pioneers who swept through the new world with a self-righteous optimism and a deep belief in manifest destiny. America is the place where people come to pursue their dream. It is the land of opportunity where a person from humble beginnings can work hard and make something of themselves. The Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We as Americans are not obligated to be our brother's keeper. Americans have the right to live life on their own terms, free from the pressure of communal restraint. 

This is not the case in Singapore, and many other Asian cultures. In a collective society, everyone is accountable for what is called “saving face.” You have a responsibility to behave in a way that does not violate social norms. It is frowned upon to act in a way that would bring shame on to you and your family. That is the mentality of a collected society—that community is larger than just one person and their individual needs. This could account for the fact that Singapore, along with South Korea, and other Asian countries seem to be handling the pandemic far better than the U.S.   

I believe that there are pros and cons to both social systems. I want to go on record as stating that I appreciate living in a country where I have the freedom to live my life the way I see fit. Yet, this virus has unveiled an ugly reality about individualism and our current social climate, which is that a large percentage of the U.S population doesn’t give a shit about anyone but themselves.

The U.S was founded on an enthusiastic, pioneering free spirit, but it was also founded on genocide, slavery, and the theft of indigenous lands. 

Masks as a Political Statement 

Since when did banding together to rise to the challenge of fighting this virus and taking care of each other become a political red line in the sand?

During World War II, the greatest generation was asked to cross the Atlantic to fight against Nazism. Thousands of young men sacrificed their lives to eradicate the evil atrocities that the Nazis inflicted on Europe. Now, this generation is being asked to stay home, keep six feet apart, wash your hands, and wear a mask, and we can't even fucking do that.

Most of us have seen the videos on social media of individuals walking into grocery stores without masks, mocking everyone in the store for wearing one. Or the West Palm Beach Florida city council meeting where belligerent citizens berated elected officials and doctors trying to implement policy to protect their lives. What these people don't seem to understand is that people wear masks in public because they may have a loved one at home with a compromised immune system. They may be caring for an aging parent who's not in great health. People also wear masks to protect others around them. Grocery store workers are risking their lives to keep food stocked on the shelves—how is looking out for their safety a political statement?

When I see people complaining about their civil liberties being taken away, their rights trampled on, their freedom restricted, it reminds me of a toddler weeping over a mindless toy. This may be the unfortunate dark side of individualism. That people care more about their perception of freedom than other people’s lives around them. The result is that cases are now again starting to rise, yet people cling to this notion that they rather go out undeterred than live in fear. But it is the opposite—sacrificing for your fellow citizens to keep them safe is patriotic and courageous.

What may be more ominous is this callous insensitivity that some people have towards other people's plight. It seems that we, as a society, are becoming desensitized to other's pain. We have accepted that people are going to die and that our freedom justifies their grim fate. 

Natural Selection

Denial may be the greatest human emotion. Many people are blissfully ignorant of the threat this virus possesses. Some are convinced that the whole thing is a hoax. Concocted by some shadowy new world order to control the masses. Others just don't give a fuck, until it actually affects them. I have not seen any new media outlet interview one person who has lost a loved one to Covid-19 and still believes this is a hoax. 

Whether out of apathy, a political stance, or plain stupidity, the country is bitterly divided. This reflects the nature of individualism, the every-man-for-himself mentality. The pure disdain and distrust of any government intervention. If we do not come to the unabashed reality that we are all in this together and rise above our pettiness, things will get worse. If you don't like wearing a mask, think about what a ventilator is going to be like.

Are we not willing to lose a little freedom to protect the masses? Is it that much of an inconvenience to wear a mask if it means saving someone’s life? You have the freedom to go to a bar and get drunk if you choose, but you don't have the right to get into your car and drive afterward—why? You already know the answer.  

There's an old African proverb that goes, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” We are not united as a country. If we do not get our proverbial act in gear, we could be heading for bleak times. Ask yourself if that's the kind of world you want to live in.