COVID Rulebreakers: Masking for a Friend

08/31/21 • 48 min

To mask, or not to mask, that is the question...

In this episode, Bronwen tries to understand the reasons why people refuse to follow preventative measures to contain the coronavirus. By channeling her unconditional positive regard for the human condition, she looks at the situation from the "other side's" point of view. This takes her into an exploration of "rules philosophy," allowing her to ask:
How do we choose which rules to follow?
Why do we choose to follow them? Break them?
What are we to do when there are two opposing figures of authority issuing different rules?
Bronwen approaches the mask and social distancing dilemma from as many perspectives as possible in a single episode -- human nature, social psychology, constitutional scholarship, moral philosophy, and integrated threat theory -- and comes to a surprising conclusion.
Key Points from this Episode:

What the most basic definition of a rule is and different reasons we follow them.
The two phases to using rules.
Why rules need to be flexible, but not too flexible.
The cultural influence of collectivism vs. individualism in following or not following mask mandates.
How perceiving the virus s a realistic or symbolic threat influences our willingness to follow public health guidelines.
Why social distancing hits us in our humanity.
The conditions upon which individual liberties are guaranteed by the US Constitution and why the First Amendment doesn’t offer protection from mask mandates.
The ruling in Jacobson v. Massachusetts and what four standards it set that must be met for governmental health measure to permissible restrict individual rights.
The instinct of psychological reactance and how it informs our reactions to criticism.
The fears dividing society any the risk too much fear poses to social cohesion.
How politics became the most important factor in predicting whether or not we follow the rules.
The commonalities of human nature and how our instinct to survive made us all react rationally to our perceived threats, regardless of science.
The charged subtext of mask enforcement.
What the “broken window theory is” and how its hypothesis is helpful in understanding why former rule followers are now becoming rule breakers.
Why we are seeing more American flags everywhere.
The difference between morality and ethics.
What “negative liberty” is and what role it plays in our federal government.
The definition of “rule consequentialism” and what flavor of this theory we see in America.
What the predominant theory of morality is and how both sides of the political divide are acting accordance with it, despite different perspectives.
How the Milgram Experiment can shed light on how Donald Trump became president of the USA.
The dangers of moral hypocrisy.
Realistic steps we can all take to mitigate the volatility in the mask debate.

LINKS

Threat Perception Study from UNCFOLLOW THEM'S THE RULES: || WEBSITE || INSTAGRAM || FACEBOOK || TWITTER ||

To mask, or not to mask, that is the question...

What the most basic definition of a rule is and different reasons we follow them.
The two phases to using rules.
Why rules need to be flexible, but not too flexible.
The cultural influence of collectivism vs. individualism in following or not following mask mandates.
How perceiving the virus s a realistic or symbolic threat influences our willingness to follow public health guidelines.
Why social distancing hits us in our humanity.
The conditions upon which individual liberties are guaranteed by the US Constitution and why the First Amendment doesn’t offer protection from mask mandates.
The ruling in Jacobson v. Massachusetts and what four standards it set that must be met for governmental health measure to permissible restrict individual rights.
The instinct of psychological reactance and how it informs our reactions to criticism.
The fears dividing society any the risk too much fear poses to social cohesion.
How politics became the most important factor in predicting whether or not we follow the rules.
The commonalities of human nature and how our instinct to survive made us all react rationally to our perceived threats, regardless of science.
The charged subtext of mask enforcement.
What the “broken window theory is” and how its hypothesis is helpful in understanding why former rule followers are now becoming rule breakers.
Why we are seeing more American flags everywhere.
The difference between morality and ethics.
What “negative liberty” is and what role it plays in our federal government.
The definition of “rule consequentialism” and what flavor of this theory we see in America.
What the predominant theory of morality is and how both sides of the political divide are acting accordance with it, despite different perspectives.
How the Milgram Experiment can shed light on how Donald Trump became president of the USA.
The dangers of moral hypocrisy.
Realistic steps we can all take to mitigate the volatility in the mask debate.

LINKS

Threat Perception Study from UNCFOLLOW THEM'S THE RULES: || WEBSITE || INSTAGRAM || FACEBOOK || TWITTER ||

Previous Episode

War Zone Etiquette: Please and Tank You

What are the do’s and don’ts of proper warfare?
Just like hosting a formal dinner party, hostile conflict must be proper, well-planned, and scrupulously compliant with customary codes of behavior.
In this episode, Bronwen is joined by Major General (R) Allen Harrell to discuss the strict rules of the battlefield—and the challenges presented by modern warfare. With historical analysis and anecdotal evidence, they tackle the rules that help nations balance military interests with the moral values of civilized persons, examine the breaking point between necessary and unnecessary suffering, and discuss the principles behind (and the consequences of violating) the law of war.

Key Points From This Episode:

Hear about how the “law of war” came into being.
What important role The Hague Conventions played in establishing modern warfare.
The five principles of the law of war and how they are practically applied combat
How targets of military value are determined and what types of properties are off limits.
The reason behind the “shock and awe” campaign in Iraq.
The difference between jus in bello and jus ad bellum.
How the US military practices the Golden Rule in combat.
The necessary steps taken prior to employing a weapon system.
JAG officers: who are they and what do they do?
The gray area of “military necessity.”
Why modern warfare makes it harder to distinguish a combatant from a noncombatant, and how the US Army decides when to attack.
What actions a soldier’s right to self-defense allows and prohibits.
How the laws of war were upheld in the Nuremberg trials and why the Nazi Generals’ arguments of defense were destroyed.
The ways in which a soldier can intervene if given an illegal order.
What the implications of dishonorable discharge are on a former solider’s life.
Why you’re wrong about the Vietnam War.
How the press amplified the psychological trauma experienced by returning veterans.
The protected rights of a prisoner of war and how they are different from detainees.
What procedure soldiers follow when an enemy is captured.
How proportionality is determined, and what to do about collateral damage.
The four elements of national power.

**Major General (Retired) Allen Harrell is a retired member of the U.S. Army. The contents of the podcast are based on his own personal experiences and the views expressed are not intended to reflect the official position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Army.

LINKS

Conduct in CombatLaw Reports of Trials of War Criminals

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Next Episode

Pirate Code and Democracy: It Takes a Pillage

We owe the humble pirate a depth of gratitude.
Sure, they terrorized the seas for hundreds of years—pillaging, plundering, raping, torturing, and murdering—but violent legacy aside, they gave us the foundation for democracy!

In this episode, Bronwen uses historical record to contextualize pirate code, breaking down the complicated economic situations of the 17th and 18th century to find newfound empathy for these “ruthless barbarians.”
Despite their lengthy criminal rap sheets, pirates were victims, too. With crews largely formed of refugee sailors fleeing abusive autocratic rule, these men sought to build egalitarian societies with institutional mechanisms to protect individual freedom and prevent leader predation—over a hundred years before America’s Declaration of Independence.

FOLLOW THEM'S THE RULES: || WEBSITE || INSTAGRAM || FACEBOOK || TWITTER ||