Threat and Liberty Lost

Vasily Borodin: The crew know about the saboteur. They are afraid.
Captain Marko Ramius: Well, that could be useful when the time comes.
--The Hunt for Red October

Over the past few days, running near empty streets during what is usually early morning rush hour has been a strange feeling. No school buses. No traffic piled behind neighborhood intersections. No long lines of cars pushing up Observatory Ave. A deserted Hyde Park Square.

A reminder, I think, of how readily people are willing to surrender freedom for some semblance of security when they feel threatened.

Early in my study of the Great Depression, the notion that people gladly consented to heavy-handed New Deal programs seemed incredible to me. Didn't these people realize that they were giving up liberties that would be difficult to claw back?

The phenomenon is much easier to understand after having experienced situations that elevate collective fear. 9/11. The Credit Crisis. Now the COVID-19 Pandemic.

"Give me liberty or give me death" is certainly not the common mindset in these situations. Instead, it is more like, "I will give up my liberty if you can guarantee my safety."

Unfortunately, those who do so are likely to wind up with neither in the long run.