Steve on "the anti-maskers"

I haven't been tracking the US situation closely enough to know how much this is a thing, but my liberal-leftie buddy Dr. Steve has just written an essay about "anti-maskers" who, I assume, are Americans (probably conservative, given Steve's liberal leanings) who refuse to wear masks in public during the pandemic. Steve concludes, in wild-eyed liberal fashion, by asking whether we're living in a cult. Go give his post a read if you dare.

As far as I know, there's no anti-masker movement here in Korea. We pretty much all wear masks if we know we're going to be inside public transportation or inside buildings; many Koreans wear masks even when they're outside and walking along the bike paths (although from what I've seen, many also don't in such situations). I started off not wearing a mask, but I've changed my mind since then, and I wear a mask now as a way to (1) keep my fellow citizens from fearing me and my selfishness, and to (2) do my part to cut down on the droplet problem (masks are more effective than you might think in that department; see the video I recently highlighted). So, yes: I've bowed to the quiet but relentless social pressure here to mask up. The mask itself is an annoyance, and I'll be happy to be rid of it whenever we get the word that it's safe to do so (assuming such word ever comes).

Steve argues that masking up is a restriction on freedoms along the lines of obeying traffic laws or following other legal obligations. Basically, he's saying that we already unquestioningly follow rules, laws, and other restrictions all the time, so what's up with masks? A possible (and obvious) counterargument is that masking up is a response to an emergency situation, so you can't expect people to accept emergency protocols for extended periods of time. At some point, the masking-up and the lockdowns become unreasonably stifling, and they impinge on our sense of liberty precisely because they are such in-your-face burdens. At the same time, I have to acknowledge that a people's collective tolerance of an emergency protocol is at least partly determined by culture. East Asians, millions of whom live in disgustingly polluted cities, have been masking up for decades, so asking them to wear masks in a pandemic will produce little more than a shrug as a reaction. Americans, less conformist, and with a national mythology that includes notions like "breathing the free air," will more naturally balk at being told to cover a huge fraction of their faces. The very thought of face-covering produces negative mental images ranging from bank robbers to terrorists. So I can see why many Americans might resent having to wear masks.

For me, wearing a mask is no big deal, and South Korea has been very reasonable about allowing people the freedom to walk around unmasked while outside (I do this on my long walks). Many Western countries, including the US, have been irrationally draconian on this score, to the point where some American states are contemplating* arresting people who refuse to wear masks while outside. My stance: it's perfectly rational and fair to ask that people mask up—not for their own protection, but to protect others—while they're in any sort of confined space like a building or a bus. It is the height of insanity, though, to ask people to mask up while at the beach or strolling through a park. People in crowds ought to mask up even if they're outside, but people who are outdoors alone or in small groups shouldn't be forced to wear masks. This isn't hard to figure out. Ultimately, I don't think Steve is wrong to point out that we should be concerned for each other's welfare. At the same time, I can see why so many Americans find their respective states' mask-related policies too restrictive. Keep your mask policy rational, and people will sort themselves out.

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*The arrests have already started.