Empathy, the Coronavirus, and Political Polarization
The recent controversy over when or whether to restart the economy considering the coronavirus epidemic prompted me to examine the role of empathy in political polarization. Trump apparently prompted by arguments made by some business and investor interests publicly articulated his view that social or physical distancing, with some exceptions, should end by Easter to restart the American economy. Public health officials and related scientists suggest that such a move could endanger the health of many Americans, making the epidemic much worse.
These differing viewpoints often reflect the political polarization in our country. Republicans, with some exceptions, tend to support the restart view, especially as developed via the Fox news network.… Read the rest
Political polarization, the pandemic, and mask-wearing (1A)
This is the first post dealing with political polarization within the COVID-19 pandemic. This post focuses on the influence of right-wing populism and the fight against mask-wearing. The next post in this series fleshes out many of the themes and contexts developed in this post.
Why do many if not most Trumpists/Republicans refuse to wear masks remains for me one of the imponderable facets of the coronavirus pandemic. Wearing masks not only protects others from being infected but also, according to recent research, probably helps the wearer as well. Wearing masks in nearly costless and a minor convenience but remains a significant action that reduces the rate of infection.… Read the rest
Recent Comments