Face masks must be worn in the UK on public transport (to begin with) by order of the State. We will explore the reasons why people might comply or resist this diktat. What reasons are there to wear a face mask, do they make sense and what does our compliance or resistance say about us?© engin akyurt / Unsplash
The State Is A State Of MindThe State is a belief system. It is a faith, rather like a religion. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with faith. It doesn't necessarily mean the belief itself is
"wrong." Faith can be a powerful force for good. It all depend upon what the belief is.
If your faith dictates that you treat all with love, compassion and respect then your belief is
"right." If you live in accordance with your faith then you are living in
the truth, regardless of which deity you follow.
However, if your faith teaches you that you are better than
"non believers," that yours in the only true way and that those who don't follow your beliefs, or your deity, deserve to be punished, you are
"wrong." You are not living in harmony with
the truth. People who believe in the State are called statists. Those who don't, broadly come under the umbrella term anarchists. For statists, the anarchist is despised. Life without their State is unimaginable, therefore those who wish to live without it must be evil. The anarchist has long been reviled by statists as the dangerous subversive.
Comment: This is a perfect allegory for the history of communist/socialist states in the 20th century. There will always be fellow travelers willing to ignore the totalitarianism, choosing instead to see the socialist utopia of their dreams, even if it kills them.