I see the “R” state or “D” state thing. There is no denying there is politics at play.
But I also see something deeper here. On it’s face you could call it political, but I think it is actually deeper in our psyche than that.
There is an inherent belief in some- in human responsibility. Good and bad. Give people the information, hope they understand it, and most will do the right thing. They are willing to take the good with the bad so long as they have a high degree of freedom and liberty.
There is an inherent belief in some in government responsibility. It is safer feeling..it doesn’t leave much room for interpretation in times like these. Manage human behavior on a more micro level, and you don’t have to worry as much about taking the good with bad.
I am NOT passing judgement on either side...I just don’t see it as right or wrong. heck, I find myself feeling both at different times and different situations.
And it is not just about government. In the corporate workplace or society in general, I have seen many many people that are much more comfortable in one environment over the other- and are happy to share how they feel and why they fit better in certain jobs for their comfort level.
And you can see how it might be effected by, or actually cause, metro versus rural. And you can see how it could deeply impact the situation we are in and why such great debate about where to go next.
Those who want to open things up, truly want to do it in a way they feel is safe. They feel that we have learned enough and can contain better than before. They believe they can be creative in how they run their business- and make the changes they need to make to mitigate risk. They also feel the risk is worthwhile for the reward, for themselves and their sphere and for the country.
The more structured side truly feels that what is best for them and for people they care about - is to control the environment, including the people. They might trust themselves but they don’t trust that others can pull it off, and are nowhere near willing to risk it. They are very comfortable in a controlled, structured environment where freedom is relative.
Not sure how well I articulated it, but that is what I see.