The Social Compact

Human beings are social animals.  But our sociability to others, outside of our family group, is based more on creating a pleasurable association than on creating any sort of social obligation or support structure.  We love to have friends and acquaintances with which to share experiences, but when there is a call for help, we quickly start to put limits in place and rationalize the boundaries.

The current pandemic, COVID-19, is a fascinating, high octane study in the dynamics of our social compact.  But it also brings into sharper focus a general question that we have been nibbling around the edge of for years.  What is our obligation to other human beings? 

Americans think of themselves as being very generous.  And it is true that there is a lot of charitable giving in the U.S.   We are also quick to help out when there are disasters such as tornados, hurricanes, tsunamis, wildfires, famine and other short-lived times of need.

But Americans are reluctant to support longer term sacrifices for the general good, or to share their good fortune over the long haul.  The rugged individualism that has characterized much of the U.S. since its founding is profoundly suspicious and wary of any ongoing commitments to general social welfare.

The country was relatively receptive to a short-term sacrifice to tame the surge of the coronavirus.  But as weeks turned to months a large number of Americans began to question why they should sacrifice to save the lives of the elderly or infirm.  They framed their opposition as a call to liberty from government interference and tyranny, but the unavoidable fact is that most Americans have a limited willingness to accept any curtailment of their good fortune for the benefit of others.

This wariness of social sharing also manifests itself in a general distaste for government safety nets, universal healthcare and higher taxation on the wealthy.  Many Americans blame the poor for their plight and feel that any so-called ‘entitlement’ programs only encourage slothful and opportunistic exploitation of government handouts and further bad behavior.

Americans justify their distrust of social policies by labeling them ‘socialist’ or ‘communist’ and point to the classic failures of communist nations such as the former USSR, Cuba and Venezuela.  Their disdain for government is at the center of their political thought, along with an unbridled faith in the free market’s ability to solve every problem.

Compare this to the ‘social democracy’ that is prevalent in European countries.  People in these countries are willing to pay higher taxes and accept greater government involvement in social and financial policy to ensure that there is social harmony and a reasonable level of economic equality.  These are capitalist nations that celebrate entrepreneurship and hard work just as much as the U.S. does, but do not see social obligation and government refereeing as contradictory or at odds with economic progress.

The pandemic puts our social compact in stark terms, though there are certainly nuances in the way that each nation will attempt to return to normalcy.  If indeed a full return to business-as-usual will overwhelm health systems and cause many needless deaths, are Americans so selfish that they will rebel against a longer-term cautionary approach?  We have already seen that the U.S. has suffered a harsher penalty than most nations because of its slow response and narcissistic leadership.

America will soon have to confront its conflicted relationship to the social compact.  It is ironic that the self-proclaimed most-Christian-nation is probably the least Christian in its response to the need for sacrificial behavior.  Will this pandemic ultimately bring out the best in America, or will it demonstrate to the whole world how bankrupt our values really are?