The OLD Philosopher – John M. Miller
From the beginning of the worldwide outbreak of the coronavirus, the USA has had the worst record of any nation in combating the pandemic. We have had a quarter of the world’s cases, and a quarter of the world’s deaths, but we have only 4% of the world’s population. How is this possible?
To answer, we must take a quick glance at American history. The earliest European immigrants to come to the thirteen British colonies were almost all highly committed individualists. Few of them were first-born sons, most of whom inherited the entire primogeniture estate when their father died. Instead, our earliest settlers were younger sons who inherited nothing, and were willing to gamble on earning their fortunes through their own efforts in the New World. They truly believed they could become self-made people in the colonies. That is the mantra of most immigrants.
When the Constitution was drafted, it was much more concerned with individual rights than with the welfare of the whole society. Later, those who moved west during the 18th and 19th centuries were also “rugged individualists.”
There are probably three primary reasons why President Trump has never attempted to establish a national policy for combating the virus. The first is that he doesn’t like to chance any policies which might came back to bite him personally. If any policy is a failure, he could not be blamed, if it was not he who initiated it. Secondly, as it has turned out, he has been strongly blamed anyway for not determining a virus policy. He has become increasingly exasperated, because he cannot understand why he has become the COVID-19 scapegoat. Clarity of insight is not his long suit. That is because long suits are not his long suit. The third reason he avoided setting a national coronavirus policy is that his political base strongly resists the federal government (or any other level of government) telling them what to do. Libertarians are like that.
The president is keenly aware of the desires and aspirations of his base. Therefore, by default, Mr. Trump in essence has decreed that every American is on his or her own in trying to avoid the plague. The Trump Base Anthem is “I’ll Do It My Way.”
That is why so many people, especially young people, refuse to wear masks or socially distance themselves from one another. Individualists focus mainly on themselves and their own perceived wellbeing; “corporatists” (those who emphasize the good of the whole society) try to determine their behavior for the good of everyone, and not just for themselves. So with the Trumpists it’s every person for her/himself.
The United States of America is the individualistic nation above all others. Corporatists emphasize the United States; individualists emphasize the United States.
There can be little doubt that we are the sickest nation in the world from COVID-19. Our national health situation originates from our unique historical evolution. We are doomed to be the sickest virus victims. Our individualism guarantees it.
Drs. Fauci, Birx, et al have done their best to warn us of our folly, but unum wins out over pluribus every time in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
As Willy Loman said, “Attention must be paid.” - August 7, 2020
John Miller is Pastor of The Chapel Without Walls on Hilton Head Island, SC. More of his writings may be viewed at www.chapelwithoutwalls.org.