The Operation Was A Success
“The operation was a success,” begins the old joke. “But the patient died.” It’s a humorous (sort of) way of asking a very important question: When does the cure become worse than the disease?
It’s just food for thought, really. Because I certainly don’t have an answer, especially when it comes to our current situation…facing down the COVID-19 coronavirus.
It is unlikely that there is anyone left in the country who is unaware of the beginning stages of the societal and economic impact of this outbreak, so I’m not going to try to detail it to you. But what I would like everyone to think about is the political aftermath, once this threat is defeated (and it will be).
Consider the possibility that the virus fizzles, and the predicted piles of bodies do not materialize. Should that be the case, expect that credit will be given to government-imposed travel and business restrictions and closures. “See? We told you that all of this was necessary, and it worked.” This will be the justification for similar government interventions in the future.
And if the virus ravages the nation and kills thousands (or more), it will be blamed on tepid government response. “See? We told you that the government should have exercised even more power!” That line will then be used as justification for you to surrender even more liberty to the government in the future, along with the promise that it will keep you safe.
I fear that the real danger posed by this crisis is the loss of liberty. Whether the virus turns out to be a big nothingburger or kills us all, the case will be made that it was government power…or the lack of it…which created that particular outcome. There is no scenario which does not result in your “betters” using it as an argument for greater authority over your life…for your own safety.
Whether this operation is a success or not, the patient…your liberty…may not survive. I’m not saying that there should not be steps taken to fight the pandemic, and I’m not saying there should be no government action. I am saying that once this is done, the call is going to come for greater government authority in the future, and we should think long and hard if we want to go under that particular knife.
