HACKER Q&A
📣 thinkingemote

Is there an increasing demand for martial law to save lives?


I've noticed that there appears to be a growing feeling amongst my peer group and HN users that our western governments are not doing enough and that, effectively, martial law should be imposed to keep people indoors. It seems to go hand in hand with a kind of labelling of others who are not following the rules as toxic and immoral.

Am I wrong in that observation? could it be my social media bubble? Could it be true? Could it be true and actually desirable if it saves millions of lives? At what stage is it worth giving up our liberties to save lives. Is it always a slippery slope?

I am feeling more anxious from seeing my friends and co-workers become what I would consider an eco-fascist than about the actual virus. Am I imagining all this?

  👤 ceilingcorner Accepted Answer ✓
No, you are not imagining it. Freedom is difficult; most people can't handle it and want an authority figure to guide them, especially in times of (perceived) threats.

"People want to be told what to do so badly that they'll listen to anyone." - Mad Men

Could it be true and actually desirable if it saves millions of lives? At what stage is it worth giving up our liberties to save lives. Is it always a slippery slope?

Yes, of course martial law would reduce virus deaths, just as it would reduce crime rates. But that's the burden of a free society: the recognition that some values are more important than life itself and that some risks are worth taking. It is indeed tragic that many people are almost begging to throw away their rights and freedoms to deal with what is essentially a minor issue, in the grand scheme of things.

👤 molmalo
Well, here in Argentina, we have an obligatory quarantine till March 31st, with some exceptions (medical and security services, essential services, supermarkets, restaurants for takeout, pharmacies, etc)... but we've seen lots of people taking these days as vacations, attempting to travel to tourist destinations. So, authorities eventually started blocking access roads to some of these places.

But in some poor areas, some people are refusing to comply with the quarantine, even attacking police cars [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO4YI8L8l30]. So, the gov is trying harder to communicate the need for isolation, but if people keep disobeying, they said they have Martial Law on the table, they just don't want to get to that point...

👤 mrfusion
As a counterpoint I’d encourage you to look back to 9/11. We lost a lot of liberty in the immediate aftermath and arguably didn’t get much safer.

It’s important to not lose sight of our fundamental rights in times of panic. The choices we make now could live on for decades or more.

And governments don’t like giving back powers after they’ve got them.

👤 mrfusion
Does anyone worry about a slippery slope in all this? Yearly flu lockdowns? What if it’s a swine flu?

Traffic stops to check your temperature?