How Will We Go Forward?

For almost a year, the United States has experienced the horrors of the COVID-19 virus. From the hundreds of thousands of lives already taken, to the questioning of America’s leadership, this year has been nothing short of chaos. As we look forward, there is still a high level of uncertainty and anxiety amongst many. With a new president comes new policy; president Joe Biden took immediate steps in trying to overcome the pandemic that has already proved to be destructive. As one of his first presidential actions, on January 20, 2021, Biden implemented an executive order to require anyone who is working for or with the Federal Government or in a Federal building to wear masks and maintain social distancing. These orders were put in place to “halt the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by relying on the best available data and science-based public health measures,” showing that this new administration is using scientific evidence to back their policies (The White House, 2021). While this may help certain parts of the United States, Section 3 “Encouraging Masking Across America” merely provides a suggestion to the American people. There should be more local and state-level intervention to mitigate the spread of the virus. As of March 29, 15 states have no restrictions with the use of masks. Moreover, there are six states that sometimes require masks (The New York Times, 2021). Although there are not clear trends with states with no-mask policies having higher COVID-19 cases, it is clear that this inconsistency across the country reveals the differing values between states, but also the United States’ values.

The United States has maintained a negative liberty mentality throughout history. This describes “the absence of obstacles, barriers or constraints” which is also reflected in the capitalist economic system of the United States (Carter, 2016). Within the market-dominated capitalist system, corporations can dominate the economy and even gain political support through lobbying. The relationship between corporations and government shows that the system helps those at the top stay in power. This makes sense since the United States favors the least amount of government intervention; just enough to provide stabilization, help during recessions, and provide some aid to poor people. This favored system of having few limits in the economy has also extended to how people react when told to wear masks; they do not want the government telling them what they should and should not be doing. It is interesting how these values have been instilled in the country for so long since its establishment. 

These longstanding American values have been exposed through the refusal to wear masks during a global crisis that has taken 546,704 lives as of March 29, 2021 (CDC, 2021). It is clear that a portion of Americans do not wear masks due to the belief that it is an infringement of their freedom. This may also be why multiple states such as Florida and Nebraska choose to have no restrictions on masks. This is a distinct example of negative liberty; Americans do not want the government to tell them what they want to do with their lives, even if it means threatening the safety of fellow citizens and those at risk. When comparing the response to the coronavirus outbreak, other countries took immediate action. According to the Wall Street Journal, Taiwan was ranked best for their early action plan where they stopped flights and expanded the production of masks. Ultimately, the country was able to get the virus under control to limit the number of deaths nationwide. As of January 1, 2021, the U.S. “has more cases and deaths every 5 minutes than Taiwan has had all year” (Frieden, 2021). This could show a different set of values and the role of the government. It shows that the people of Taiwan are more compliant with their government and may have more trust in the government. In contrast, the United States has shown that they are not compliant with government regulations. It is important to consider that Taiwan has the advantage of being an isolated island which may have contributed to the ability to limit the spread. A flaw in the response form the United States was that there were no regulations around the use of masks from the start of the pandemic, leaving many Americans with the option to wear them rather than a requirement. Everything that has transpired from the pandemic is reflective of the American culture in comparison to the culture of other countries. America’s negative freedom ideology of believing in the omission of barriers has been amplified through the course of the pandemic. While the country has proven to show resilience and strength, it has also shown its ignorance of the wellbeing of others. 

This situation brings up an important question: If some people are choosing not to wear masks, will they also not choose to receive the COVID-19 vaccination? How will small businesses and restaurants function again if the pandemic is prolonged? Will the United States change its attitude towards the virus soon? There is too much on the line to ignore the facts, we must take steps forward to allow for the economy to repair itself. 

Works Cited 

Carter, I. (2016, August 2). Positive and Negative Freedom. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Archive. https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2019/entries/liberty-positive-negative/ 

CDC. (2020, March 29). COVID Data Tracker. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#cases_casesper100klast7days 

Frieden, T. (2021, January 1). What Countries Have Responded Best to Covid-19?. The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/which-countries-have-responded-best-to-covid-19-11609516800 

The New York Times. (2021, March 29). See Coronavirus Restrictions and Mask Mandates for All 50 States. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/states-reopen-map-coronavirus.html 

The White House. (2021, January 20). Executive Order on Protecting the Federal Workforce and Requiring Mask-Wearing.https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-protecting-the-federal-workforce-and-requiring-mask-wearing/