When I asked whether the virus had interfered with his lifestyle, Bret laughed. Oh, Im going to the shooting range tomorrow, he replied.
Was he worried that his friends might disapprove if they found out?
No, he told me, around here, I get much more of people saying, Why dont you go Saturday so I can go, too?
Terry Trahan, a manager at a cutlery store in Lubbock, Texas, acknowledged that a certain toxic tribalism was informing peoples attitudes toward the pandemic. If someones a Democrat, theyre gonna say its worse, he told me, and if someones a Republican, theyre gonna say its bad, but its getting better.
As an immunocompromised cancer survivor, Trahan said hes familiar with commonsense social-distancing practices. But as a conservative, hes become convinced that many Democrats are so invested in the idea that the virus will be disastrous that theyre pushing for prolonged, unnecessary shutdowns in pursuit of vindication.
Among experts, there is a firm consensus that social distancing is essential to containing the spread of the virusand they warn that politicizing the practice could have dangerous ramifications. This is a pandemic, and shouldnt be played out as a skirmish on a neighborhood playground, Dina Borzekowski, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, recently told Stat. (For the moment, at least, the scientists seem to have brought the president around: Yesterday, Trump announced he was extending social-distancing guidance until the end of April.)
Read: The four possible timelines for life returning to normal
Of course, not everyone who flouts social distancing is making a political statement. Many have to work because they cant afford not to; others are acting out of ignorance or wishful thinking. Beyond personal behavior, there is a legitimate debate to be had about how to balance economic demands while combatting a global pandemic.
Still, the polarization around public health seems to be accelerating: In recent days, Republican governors in Alabama and Mississippi have resisted calls to enact more forceful mitigation policies. Polling data suggest that Republicans throughout the U.S. are much less concerned about the coronavirus than Democrats are. According to a recent analysis by The New York Times, Trump won 23 of the 25 states where people have reduced personal travel the least.
Some of this is likely shaped by the fact that the most serious outbreaks so far in the U.S. have been concentrated in urban centers on the coasts (a pattern that may not hold for long). But there are real ideological forces at work as well.
Katherine Vincent-Crowson, a 35-year-old self-defense instructor from Slidell, Louisiana, has watched in horror this month as businesses around her city were forced to close by state decree. A devotee of Ayn Rand, Vincent-Crowson told me Louisianas shelter-in-place order was a frightening example of government overreach.
It feels very militaristic, she said. Im just like, What the hell, is this 1940s Germany?
But when we spoke, she seemed even more aggravated by the self-righteous people on social media who spend their time publicly shaming anyone who isnt staying locked in their house. It really reminds me of my kids who tattle on their siblings when they do something bad, she said. Im a libertarian I dont really like being told what to do.
We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.
Read this article:
The Social-Distancing Culture War Has Begun - The Atlantic
- Ayn Rand Quotes (Author of Atlas Shrugged) - Goodreads [Last Updated On: June 13th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 13th, 2016]
- Ayn Rand Wikipedia [Last Updated On: June 19th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 19th, 2016]
- Who Is Ayn Rand? - The Objective Standard [Last Updated On: June 19th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 19th, 2016]
- Ayn Rand Wikipdia [Last Updated On: June 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 21st, 2016]
- Ayn Rand Institute - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: June 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 21st, 2016]
- Ayn Rand - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre [Last Updated On: June 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 21st, 2016]
- Ayn Rand (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) [Last Updated On: June 24th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 24th, 2016]
- Ayn Rand Quotes - The Quotations Page [Last Updated On: July 5th, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 5th, 2016]
- Ayn Rand Institute eStore : Ayn Rand [Last Updated On: July 5th, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 5th, 2016]
- Ayn Rand | American author | Britannica.com [Last Updated On: July 8th, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 8th, 2016]
- The Fountainhead - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: July 8th, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 8th, 2016]
- Frequently Asked Questions | The Ayn Rand Institute [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2016]
- Ayn Rand - Uncyclopedia - Wikia [Last Updated On: July 31st, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 31st, 2016]
- Ayn Rand's Ideas - An Overview | AynRand.org [Last Updated On: August 16th, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 16th, 2016]
- Ayn Rand - Wikipedia, den frie encyklopdi [Last Updated On: August 19th, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 19th, 2016]
- Ayn Rand - IMDb [Last Updated On: August 19th, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 19th, 2016]
- Ayn Rand Wikipdia, a enciclopdia livre [Last Updated On: August 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 25th, 2016]
- Ayn Rand - Salon.com [Last Updated On: September 2nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: September 2nd, 2016]
- Objetivismo, la filosofa de Ayn Rand | La Rebelin de Atlas ... [Last Updated On: October 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: October 25th, 2016]
- The One Argument Ayn Rand Couldnt Win New York Magazine [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2016] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2016]
- Voices for Reason Blog | The Ayn Rand Institute [Last Updated On: November 10th, 2016] [Originally Added On: November 10th, 2016]
- Ayn Rand Predicted an American Slide toward Fascism ... [Last Updated On: November 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: November 25th, 2016]
- Ayn Rand Student Conference 2016 [Last Updated On: December 2nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 2nd, 2016]
- Ayn Rand - The New York Times [Last Updated On: December 2nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 2nd, 2016]
- Ayn Rand Was Wrong about Human Nature - Evonomics [Last Updated On: December 4th, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 4th, 2016]
- Media, morality and the neighbors cow: When did Ayn Rand ... [Last Updated On: December 12th, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 12th, 2016]
- How Ayn Rands theories destroyed Never Trump conservatism [Last Updated On: December 15th, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 15th, 2016]
- Fountainhead of bad ideas: Ayn Rands fanboys take the reins ... [Last Updated On: December 15th, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 15th, 2016]
- Ayn Rand's Progressive Readers are Misguided | National Review [Last Updated On: December 15th, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 15th, 2016]
- The Daily 202: Ayn Rand-acolyte Donald Trump stacks his ... [Last Updated On: December 15th, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 15th, 2016]
- The scary ghost of Ayn Rand looms over the Trump cabinet [Last Updated On: December 16th, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 16th, 2016]
- Ayn Rand and the Invincible Cult of Selfishness on the American Right ... [Last Updated On: January 25th, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 25th, 2017]
- Humor: School book club loses funding after asking Ayn Rand to come speak - The Aggie [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Making Ayn Rand Relevant in the Era of President Trump - Huffington Post [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Ayn Rand Novel - Long Speeches + Narrative Drive = Speculator - Forbes [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- The Ayn Rand scene Sajid Javid reads every year - Spectator.co.uk [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- The Ayn Rand in Donald Trump: The Virtue of America First | The ... - American Spectator [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- Would Ayn Rand Have Cast President Trump As A Villain? | Zero ... [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2017]
- Jerome Tuccille, Author of It Usually Begins With Ayn Rand and More, RIP - Reason (blog) [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2017]
- Donald Trump & Ayn Rand | CLUSTER B [Last Updated On: February 19th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 19th, 2017]
- Ayn Rand Contra Nietzsche - The Objective Standard [Last Updated On: February 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 22nd, 2017]
- Judging Milo Yiannopoulos, ft. Ayn Rand (Episode #24 of MY PODCAST) - ChicagoNow (blog) [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- How Much Ayn Rand Is There in Trump's 'America First' Foreign ... - American Spectator [Last Updated On: March 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 1st, 2017]
- Ayn Rand's Intellectual Development - The Objective Standard [Last Updated On: March 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 8th, 2017]
- Who Is Ayn Rand? - The Objective Standard - The Objective Standard [Last Updated On: March 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 8th, 2017]
- Cheer Up, Justin Amash! There's No Need to Cry Over One Missed Vote. - Slate Magazine (blog) [Last Updated On: March 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 11th, 2017]
- About Harry Binswanger - The Objective Standard [Last Updated On: March 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 12th, 2017]
- Paul Ryan channels his inner Ayn Rand: Health care is neither a right nor a privilege - Raw Story [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2017]
- Ayn Rand's policies losing power - arkansasonline.com [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2017]
- Ayn Rand would be proud of GOP approach to health care - The Herald-Times (subscription) [Last Updated On: March 19th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 19th, 2017]
- To understand Trump read Ayn Rand | Troy Media - Troy Media [Last Updated On: March 27th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 27th, 2017]
- Joy Reid goes off on Ryan's Ayn Rand ideology: He is 'fine' taking eyeglasses from children to pass a bill - Raw Story [Last Updated On: March 27th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 27th, 2017]
- Ayn Rand individualism vs. JFK patriotism - Fort Bend Herald [Last Updated On: March 29th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 29th, 2017]
- Ayn Rand's objectivist philosophy is now required reading for British teens - Quartz [Last Updated On: March 29th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 29th, 2017]
- Ayn Rand Included on A-Level Curriculum in UK - The Objective Standard [Last Updated On: March 29th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 29th, 2017]
- Ayn Rand on A-Level Curriculum in United Kingdom - PR Newswire (press release) [Last Updated On: April 2nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 2nd, 2017]
- Adam Smith Institute's Eamonn Butler Extols Ayn Rand - The Objective Standard [Last Updated On: April 5th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 5th, 2017]
- How Ayn Rand's 'elitism' lives on in the Donald Trump ... [Last Updated On: April 5th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 5th, 2017]
- No sympathy for the poor: How Ayn Rands elitism lives on ... [Last Updated On: April 5th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 5th, 2017]
- How Ayn Rand's 'elitism' lives on in the Trump administration [Last Updated On: April 5th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 5th, 2017]
- Ayn Rand, Trump and Silicon Valley [Last Updated On: April 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 12th, 2017]
- Ayn Rand's neoliberal legacy is seen today - The Guardian [Last Updated On: April 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 14th, 2017]
- Ayn Rand's selfish gene is out of date - The Guardian [Last Updated On: April 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 17th, 2017]
- Elon Musk and Amber Heard spotted hanging out together in Australia - Fox News [Last Updated On: April 25th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 25th, 2017]
- Ayn Rand's Counter-Revolution - The New York Times - New York Times [Last Updated On: April 25th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 25th, 2017]
- Uncle George or Ayn Rand? It's our choice - The Citizen.com [Last Updated On: May 2nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 2nd, 2017]
- The Toast - Ayn Rand Rewrites [Last Updated On: May 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 8th, 2017]
- Vox Populi: 'All high schools should have Ayn Rand plus George ... - Savannah Morning News [Last Updated On: May 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 17th, 2017]
- Uber's CEO is just so misunderstood - CNNMoney [Last Updated On: May 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 23rd, 2017]
- Casey Neistat's First Selection for His Book Club May Surprise You - Entrepreneur [Last Updated On: May 26th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 26th, 2017]
- MOTIVE FOR MADNESS - Canada Free Press [Last Updated On: May 30th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 30th, 2017]
- Digital Life: Tech in a nanny state or Ayn Rand wonderland - Kansas City Star [Last Updated On: May 30th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 30th, 2017]
- Surprise, no one wants to be Ted Cruz's Secret Santa - Mashable [Last Updated On: June 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 1st, 2017]
- Review: 'I, Daniel Blake' - Silicon Valley's Metro [Last Updated On: June 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 1st, 2017]
- Elate's Revival of Ayn Rand's NIGHT OF JANUARY 16TH Opens 6/3 - Broadway World [Last Updated On: June 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 1st, 2017]
- LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Draining the safety net ensures poor get poorer - Delaware State News [Last Updated On: June 3rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 3rd, 2017]
- The Fountainhead: As Long As It's Black - Patheos (blog) [Last Updated On: June 3rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 3rd, 2017]
- Unhinged Liberal Media? New York Magazine Calls Koch Brothers 'Far Right Cranks' - Accuracy In Media (blog) [Last Updated On: June 5th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 5th, 2017]
- Caligula in the White House, Eichmann on Wall Street - PoliticalCritique.org [Last Updated On: June 5th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 5th, 2017]
- Mick Mulvaney's snake oil: A blend of bad science, bad math and really bad politics - Salon [Last Updated On: June 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 6th, 2017]