These protesters demand freedom from public health action, which they see as a type of tyranny. But humans…

These protesters demand freedom from public health action, which they see as a type of tyranny. But humans are social animals, nobody really wants freedom. All humans form hierarchies, even scientists, shaped by what the group in question values. /1 https://t.co/Cov7JoIzHC

These protesters a clear case in point. They’re a coordinated group, with shared values and aims. Despite what they say and maybe even think, they’re not after freedom from being told what to do. They want to be told what to do by *somebody else*. /2

Like Trump’s freedom warriors. They’re not after freedom, they’re desperate to follow somebody. Trump. We have to replace the stupid libertarian idea that the default state of society is free individuals. The default state is social groups, who want to be led, guided. /3 https://t.co/pGVmNhAKpX

Not because they’re sheep or too stupid to think for themselves, but because we all delegate leadership in all areas of life to those we think have greater expertise than we do, in a particular area. I don’t do my own orthopaedic surgery, for example, I’m happy to surrender…/4

…to the judgment of that group of medical practitioners to tell me what needs doing, and who should do it. The message for the current debate on Covid public health measures? I think it’s to stop thinking this is about restrictions vs freedom. /5

The people who don’t want the measures don’t want to be any freer than you or I. They want to be led by the hierarchy of the group they’re in, who have their particular reasons for not wanting these measures (usually ‘economic’). They need persuasion to shift allegiance. /end