Libertarianism>Anti-Statism>Racism

This is an interesting interview with a public health professor about whether America is too "libertarian" to properly fight off Covid-19. The missing ingredient in this analysis is the overlap between libertarianism or even classical liberalism, anti-statism and racism.

There is a case to be made for classical liberalism's focus on individual liberty. Liberty IS important, and under normal circumstances should be one of (but not sole) guiding principles of public action. However, libertarianism is a hothouse theory that rarely survives contact with the outside world. States exist because they work. On a practical, day-to-day level, they work.

Anti-statism is a virulent strain of libertarianism that simply rejects the idea of the state. There isn't a role for the state to play. We can see this in the Ammon Bundy group or sovereign citizens and many of the camo wearing lunatics brandishing AK-47s on state capitol grounds across America.

Like libertarianism, anti-statism is a hothouse theory (anarchism is it's obvious end point). This strong belief is not mirrored by the realities of the world at large. In fact, many libertarian/anti-statist groups and individuals are actually surprisingly OK with state action as long as it benefits them or people like them.

The breakdown of trust in the state among more than a fringe few (John Birchers) expanded when the state decided to treat black people like equal citizens.  Every effort to expand the role of a benevolent state founders on fears of helping "them." That was why the ACA was called Obamacare by its detractors. The point was to associate universal health care with the first African American president.  Short term, it worked to help fuel the Teanderthal movement in 2010.

It will be interesting if we get a best case scenario of a Democratic trifecta in 2021 (with some way of overcoming the filibuster and the Courts). If Joe Biden dramatically expands the benevolent state, the fanatical fringe of the 20% will still oppose it, but would a white man expanding benefits play better that a black man doing it?  Possibly.  FDR was a living god to many Americans, but Harry Truman - who proposed universal health care but also civil rights legislation - was vilified during his time in office.

Americans will trust a government that gives them goodies and takes care of them.  They are suspicious of a government that gives goodies to people who don't look like them.