Throughout the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us have tried to understand the reactions of those who essentially threw caution to the wind, ignoring calls of public health experts and epidemiologists to wear masks and practice social distancing. The viral images (pun intended) of armed, maskless men shouting at police at the Michigan State Capitol are the tip of the iceberg, as we go about grocery shopping and doing other necessary tasks only to see those ignoring mask mandates and one-way aisles and markings on the floor at the checkout line.
In an excellent op-ed piece in the Washington Post, columnist Megan McArdle discusses the dichotomy between those who are seeking normalcy in their own way. She writes: "One group wanted to feel as safe as they had before a virus invaded our shores; the other wanted to feel as unfettered." She discusses the attitude that causes people to ignore the hurricane evacuation warnings, or grab one's carry-on bag when ordered to evacuate the airplane. And her analysis is fine as far as it goes.
But I believe that 2020 shows us a different dynamic at work. We have all observed the mob mentality, or cult-like behavior, of those who support Donald Trump. We are aware of the different communications channels, from talk radio to news networks to now a new social media thing called Parler. And we see how misinformation spread there becomes gospel.
It's not like folks are simply ignoring the fire alarm calls to evacuate the building because of some personal sense of "freedom." It's like there's a different loudspeaker altogether, telling them that the fire is "fake news" and that they should stay at their desks to "save the economy."
All while the building, or our constitutional democratic republic, is burning down.
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