COVID -19 and the Progressive

One of the interesting aspects (interesting may not be the right word) of the COVID-19 pandemic, but not real surprising, is how the pandemic and its response (good or bad) has further exposed the huge ideological division in the US.  One might think that a situations such as this would lead to some sort of bipartisan, "we are all Americans", "better together" sentiment that has historically happened when the US is facing a national crisis.  Former President George W. Bush was calling for this patriotic camaraderie reminiscent of days following 9/11.  Ironically, there was a good number of people on Twitter calling him a war criminal after he posted his video.  Some will say, at least many on the Left, "Welcome to the age of Trump" blaming the acrimonious discord on the President.  But our retreat to tribal warfare started well before Trump.  I personally think he is a symptom and not the disease.  But still, I am fascinated that there are two distinct opposing views in regards to the pandemic and the plans to limit its destruction.  I believe I can talk with a complete stranger about COVID-19 and in the span of that conversation determine if they are liberal or conservative with a high rate of accuracy.  When I saw the video of the "teacher" yelling at some boys in New York who were not practicing social distancing and ended with "I hope you both die a long painful death," somehow I knew she was liberal, and most likely a Warren supporter.

One reason for the vastly different perspectives is obvious and lies at the heart of most conflicts between the two political leanings.  Conservatives tend to put a higher premium on liberty than on equality and security, especially in practical matters of policy and law.  Now I know an argument can be made to show the exception to the rule, but in many ways, most ideological conservatives care less about equality than they do about freedom.  Conversely, liberals are often more than happy to sanctimoniously trade other's freedoms for "equality" and, or security.  I had a liberal friend lament after the Parkland shooting that he, "did not understand why people just couldn't give up their guns, so awful things like this wouldn't happen."

I contend, however, these differences about liberty and equality are results of other deeper psychological leanings, predispositions or inclinations that have been triggered by ideological defying events and experiences.  COVID-19 is just another event that reveals the nature of the tribal US ideologies.  In these cases it is easy to over simplify the character of this division, and both of the louder members of each side tend to do this.  A progressive will make the claim that conservatives just care about money and economy at the detriment of the health and well being of society.  Conservatives will retort that progressives want to create a more powerful central government and act as a nanny-state.  Both arguments have some merit and truth to them.  However, there tends to be more context to the views that make the simple analysis more complex.

Specifically, I want to explain why liberals and progressives tend to be more ardent supporters of lock-downs, social distancing, quarantines and such.  As I have said before and will continue to belabor the point, one of the key characteristics of progressives is their need to feel morally superior and is often displayed by their self-righteous indignation.  Listen, everyone wants be right and feel like they are on the moral high ground of any issue.  I get that.  To say that conservatives don't want to be, or think they are morally right, would be a lie.  But for progressives, they tend to make every issue a high-stakes moral dilemma.  Everything becomes a crisis, an epidemic, a life-or-death proposition, or described in some other apocalyptic manner.  I recall one time I was talking with a teacher about No Child Left Behind.  His comment was that the law was "criminal" and causing "harm" to our children.  Was the law bad?  Maybe.  Was it that bad?  No.  But to the progressives, there is a need to make almost all issues dire and stark, and often with only two possibilities to view the issue: right and evil.  By simplifying issues in those terms, their arguments appear harder to refute, and progressives don't entirely enjoy discussion, debate, or dialogue.  So with the pandemic, progressives simplify the debate by saying things like, "This is literally about life or death."  And I agree, it is about life and death. But also about much more than that.  We easily understand death, but the larger, more complicated issue is life.  

Again, I sound like a broken record, but the other key characteristic of progressives is their need to be intellectually superior.  And again, I understand that all people and ideologies like to believe that the other side are all idiots and they are the smart ones.  Progressives, though, have carefully cultivated this narrative that they are the tribe of intellect, reason, and education.  They paint conservatives as anti-science, anti-intellectual, illiterate, and easily manipulated by right wing demagogues.  I have heard, countless times from progressives and especially democratic politicians, that this is about science and we should follow the "smart people".  Liberals and progressives love to use "science" as a means to prevent any debate on the issue.  It reminds me of Pirates of the Caribbean, when Elizabeth Swan evoked "Parlay" to prevent negative outcomes.  Progressives evoke "science" to end the debate and claim they have won.  President Obama's claim regarding climate change, "The science is settled", was an attempt to say the discussion is over, so shut your mouth.  The problem is that the science is not settled on COVID-19, nor are the complicated questions that arise when trying to combat it.  Progressives just don't want to engage in the debate.  By engaging in the debate, progressives fear legitimizing the other side.  It is much easier just to hurl insults from their high horse.

There is also the whole capitalism aspect of the pandemic that is appealing to progressives.  Progressives have always been suspect of capitalism.  For most, it is their default position that has been indoctrinated to them trough out their entire education experience.  A quick side note, anti-capitalism and all its different varieties is a result of moral superiority complex already discussed.  Many progressives have relished the initial economic shuddering that has taken place.  First, it exposed the dangers of globalism  and "free trade".  However, this position has also been prevalent on the right.  Still, Progressives were quick to capitalize on the economic down turn and many called for a revamping or restructuring aspects of the economy , making it more of European model.

Or, maybe I am wrong.  Maybe the progressive mind is not that complex.  Maybe, this is all about the 2020 election and an attempt to defeat Trump and take back the Senate.