https://time.com/5836607/reopening-risks-coronavirus/
Much of the blame for that disarray falls on Trump himself. The
President has repeatedly undermined the guidance of his own
public-health officials, fomented antiquarantine protests on Twitter and
politicized cautious positions taken by some governors. On May 7, the
AP reported that the Administration had “buried” more detailed CDC
advice to states on how to safely reopen.
Trump’s erratic political response to the
public-health crisis reflects his own leadership style, but also the
larger challenge of America’s cultural idiosyncrasies. Americans are
uniquely attached to our civil liberties. It’s difficult to imagine
South Korea’s contact-tracing program—a massive, state-run surveillance
system that tracks and records the movements of every citizen—flying on
U.S. soil. The same is true of Chinese officials’ reopening of Shanghai
Disneyland. While the first day back at the Happiest Place on Earth was
successful, attendees willingly scanned QR codes on their phones,
allowing the government to monitor their exact where-abouts in case of
future outbreaks.
There are other considerations.
ReplyDeleteOne is that once you give the government authority to violate your rights in the name of societal safety, you have to understand that once the crisis is over the government will not relinquish its new-found power. It will continue to wield it, saying that "Well there could be other crises so we're just going to continue doing this". Both Americans and Koreans realize this but while the Koreans are fine with it, Americans aren't. This crisis will pass but the danger is that the overzealous government will use their new powers for less palatable purposes.
And using China as an example is fatuous. This is a country where, if you don't scan your QR code everywhere you go, you wind up in prison. Is that what Americans want for themselves?