Coronavirus
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Why Does Reopening Polarize Us?
The divide over lockdowns reflects deeper differences in attitudes about risk, liberty and morality.
By
Dan Crenshaw
May 18, 2020 7:03 pm ET
The debate over reopening the economy has a peculiar characteristic: It breaks down almost entirely along political lines. Liberals emphasize the dangers of an open society, shaming those who want to go back to work. Conservatives argue the opposite. Red states are steadily reopening, while most blue states lag. House Democrats believe it isn’t safe for lawmakers to go back to work, while the Republican-controlled Senate is back in session.
It isn’t obvious that such a debate should be partisan, yet it is. Why? One popular explanation is that all roads lead to President Trump. Whatever he says, the left will say the opposite.
Geographic distribution has also been proposed as a factor. Liberals tend to pack into crowded cities, where the virus spreads more easily, while conservatives populate the more rural, safer regions. This explanation is neat but fails to explain the divide within cities, where Republicans support reopening more than their Democratic neighbors.
Another factor is that the economic fallout has harmed working-class, high-school-educated Americans far worse than the liberal-leaning college-educated. It is easy to “prioritize public health” when you work comfortably from home.
Finally, the far left is treating the lockdowns and the consequent economic devastation as an opportunity to “restructure” America into a socialist utopia. So they’re in no rush.
These factors contribute to the partisan divide, but I believe a complete account would take us deeper, into the realm of psychology and morality. Liberal and conservative brain function has been shown to differ considerably during exercises in risk-taking. These differences led researchers to conclude that socially conservative views are driven, at least in part, by people’s need to feel safe and secure. While liberals present themselves as more open to experience and change, conservatives seem more likely to protect that which we know. This divide appears to apply to multiculturalism, traditional institutions and financial risk, but not all unknown risks.
Today conservatives are the ones ready to confront risk head-on. That’s consistent with my experience in the military, where the overwhelming majority of special operators identify as conservatives. Recent data confirm my experiences, indicating that high-risk civilian occupations tend to be filled by those who lean right. If conservatives show more brain activity when processing fear, they also seem better at overcoming it.
Liberals are also more comfortable with a government that regulates more behavior and provides more services. They often say, “You can’t be free if you don’t have service X, Y and Z.” Such statements sound nonsensical to conservative ears. The conservative emphasis on personal responsibility leaves less room for the government micromanagement we’re witnessing now.
The divide over lockdowns reflects deeper differences in attitudes about risk, liberty and morality.
By
Dan Crenshaw
May 18, 2020 7:03 pm ET
The debate over reopening the economy has a peculiar characteristic: It breaks down almost entirely along political lines. Liberals emphasize the dangers of an open society, shaming those who want to go back to work. Conservatives argue the opposite. Red states are steadily reopening, while most blue states lag. House Democrats believe it isn’t safe for lawmakers to go back to work, while the Republican-controlled Senate is back in session.
It isn’t obvious that such a debate should be partisan, yet it is. Why? One popular explanation is that all roads lead to President Trump. Whatever he says, the left will say the opposite.
Geographic distribution has also been proposed as a factor. Liberals tend to pack into crowded cities, where the virus spreads more easily, while conservatives populate the more rural, safer regions. This explanation is neat but fails to explain the divide within cities, where Republicans support reopening more than their Democratic neighbors.
Another factor is that the economic fallout has harmed working-class, high-school-educated Americans far worse than the liberal-leaning college-educated. It is easy to “prioritize public health” when you work comfortably from home.
Finally, the far left is treating the lockdowns and the consequent economic devastation as an opportunity to “restructure” America into a socialist utopia. So they’re in no rush.
These factors contribute to the partisan divide, but I believe a complete account would take us deeper, into the realm of psychology and morality. Liberal and conservative brain function has been shown to differ considerably during exercises in risk-taking. These differences led researchers to conclude that socially conservative views are driven, at least in part, by people’s need to feel safe and secure. While liberals present themselves as more open to experience and change, conservatives seem more likely to protect that which we know. This divide appears to apply to multiculturalism, traditional institutions and financial risk, but not all unknown risks.
Today conservatives are the ones ready to confront risk head-on. That’s consistent with my experience in the military, where the overwhelming majority of special operators identify as conservatives. Recent data confirm my experiences, indicating that high-risk civilian occupations tend to be filled by those who lean right. If conservatives show more brain activity when processing fear, they also seem better at overcoming it.
Liberals are also more comfortable with a government that regulates more behavior and provides more services. They often say, “You can’t be free if you don’t have service X, Y and Z.” Such statements sound nonsensical to conservative ears. The conservative emphasis on personal responsibility leaves less room for the government micromanagement we’re witnessing now.
Just posted first half
Last part:
Conservatives understand basic morality differently, too. Research shows that among the five moral foundations—care, fairness, authority and tradition, in-group loyalty, and purity—liberals prioritize care and fairness, while conservatives engage all five about equally. The liberal weighting means that far more emphasis is placed on a single consideration—“If it saves even one life . . .”— to the exclusion of others, such as the costs to society. Liberals equate those costs with simple monetary hardship, easily replaced by a government check. Conservatives realize economic devastation may affect lives for years, altering their entire trajectories.
The liberal approach betrays a lack of imagination. Just because you dislike Mr. Trump doesn’t mean he must be wrong here. Just because you can work remotely doesn’t mean others can, too. Just because you don’t want to confront risk doesn’t mean others should be prevented from doing so. Just because you have a single-dimensional view of “caring” doesn’t mean we can afford to ignore the consequences of economic devastation.
It is time to reopen America in a smart and deliberate fashion and stop calling people murderers because they want to get back to work. The American people are responsible enough to live free and confront risk. Let them do so.
Mr. Crenshaw, a Republican, represents Texas’ Second Congressional District.
Conservatives understand basic morality differently, too. Research shows that among the five moral foundations—care, fairness, authority and tradition, in-group loyalty, and purity—liberals prioritize care and fairness, while conservatives engage all five about equally. The liberal weighting means that far more emphasis is placed on a single consideration—“If it saves even one life . . .”— to the exclusion of others, such as the costs to society. Liberals equate those costs with simple monetary hardship, easily replaced by a government check. Conservatives realize economic devastation may affect lives for years, altering their entire trajectories.
The liberal approach betrays a lack of imagination. Just because you dislike Mr. Trump doesn’t mean he must be wrong here. Just because you can work remotely doesn’t mean others can, too. Just because you don’t want to confront risk doesn’t mean others should be prevented from doing so. Just because you have a single-dimensional view of “caring” doesn’t mean we can afford to ignore the consequences of economic devastation.
It is time to reopen America in a smart and deliberate fashion and stop calling people murderers because they want to get back to work. The American people are responsible enough to live free and confront risk. Let them do so.
Mr. Crenshaw, a Republican, represents Texas’ Second Congressional District.
OUBubba
5,000+ Posts
I bet he's not taking it. He's serving up a distraction.
Trump is a germophobe. If he's not taking this then he's taking something else.
Risk is an interesting topic. It seems to me that when attacking "the rich," the rate of return achieved (or pursued) by "the rich" is never balanced in Liberal minds against the risk taken by the entrepreneur. That risk does not "deserve" an out-sized rate of return (or wealth). The initial risk and unknown of the future prevalent at the time the doors were opened is completely downplayed when the reward is achieved. Many people fail as entrepreneurs because the risk became a reality. But those who overcome that risk are suddenly seen as taking more than their fair share.
Why is that?
Why is that?
But what if he is?
Clean
5,000+ Posts
The WH doctor was interviewed on Fox news. He's taking it.
What is the sincere view of those who wish to maintain the shelter-in-place? Is it,
"Every life matters even if it's only one?"
What is the cyncial view? Fostering dependency on the government? Political ammunition against Trump (he's killing people)?
There are a whole lot of really fat women in that clip. Yikes!
Girls Gone Wild: The Sweat-Hog Edition.
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OUBubba
5,000+ Posts
More power to him. It's not supposed to be taken prophylactically to my understanding. I'm sure the same doctor who allowed him to grow an inch or two in his 70's to stay off the obesity chart will give him sound medical advice.
OUBubba
5,000+ Posts
Lupus and RA patients take it at a relatively low dose. The COVID folks think there's a place for low dose effectiveness. The high doses are what caused the problems. You also can take a Zpack when you're acute but you can't take it preventatively.
OUBubba
5,000+ Posts
I can honestly say that I've never had Joe on my television.
OUBubba
5,000+ Posts
I'm not a huge maintain guy. I think we have to open up to some extent. That said, I thought every life was precious to the right? Is the Dow more important than lives now?
LH, Cavuto is one of a very few Fox reporters afflicted with TDS. He hates Trump.
Until I see detailed data to suggest otherwise, I believe the VA to be flawed, perhaps intentionally. Here’s a clue:
“About 28% who were given hydroxychloroquine plus usual care died, versus 11% of those getting routine care alone.”
This data point is absurd. It claims that patients taking HCQ (in the study) were 2.5 times more likely to die. Do you really believe that?
I’ve watched doctors from all over the country and the world mention many, specific success cases. My doctors here believe in it and wouldn’t hesitate to use.
As I have said before, at some point — when the anecdotal evidence is ubiquitous— it’s no longer anecdotal.
Your mind won’t change. I get that. But perhaps even you might concede that a study stating that those taking HCQ have a 2.5 multiple risk of dying might be questionable.
And there's as many minority hosts, commentators and regular guests on Fox as there are on any other channel. And most of them are conservative or libertarian.
That's exactly what I said in another post. Liberals don't have the analytical skills to see beyond the superficial consequences of an action to understand sometimes there are no good options, only the least bad option.
Even in an extreme cases such as the rise of Nazism there we plenty of liberals in Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium who believed it was better to let the Nazi's rule than fight back because people would die. They ended up just as dead as those who fought back.
And is it even constitutional? I mean if the constitution were still relevant today.
4th_floor
Dude, where's my laptop?
It's not really about the DJI. It's about every small business owner keeping their business and keeping their house, their car, etc. Every week you are closed puts you a week closer to losing the business. You certainly lose your best employees when you are closed. The ones that come back are the ones you were carrying until you could fix them or get rid of them.
Also, I don't believe that opening has and will cause a spike in cases. The spike that happened on May 1 was due to infections that happened before May 1. My county (~ 800 K population) has had no new cases for the last couple of days in a row and has had no new deaths for several days more. No reason to bring back the lockdown.
PS: My behavior has changed. I avoid shaking hands. Saw a friend out and about. He offered his hand and I shook it. I had some anxiety until I could get back to my car to use hand sanitizer. I'm no Joe Biden, but I touch friends on the shoulder or hug them hello when I see them. Now I find my self standing about 6 feet away and hoping a fist bump will do. I fist bumped a couple of women friends recently. Weird.
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I haven't found anything that backs that up. If you have a link please share.
OUBubba
5,000+ Posts
From a discussion with my good doc friend. He thinks there’s some promise because it may be to covid as tamiflu is to influenza. It lessens the symptoms. He was saying that some of the worst outcomes seemed to be from chloroquine and not hydrocholorizine. He’s interested but not real optimistic about it being a huge deal.
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