I am not sure if any politician can address this problem of the lack of collective responsibility. In the western world, politicians and philosophers have championed the ideology of individualism, which some have naively interpreted as the right of every individual to do as they please. Consumerism is built on the belief that one can purchase identity. The myth of individualism appears to apply if one works within set ideological principles. This belief is most pronounced in the United States and England. In England, you have a government shouting that the Brits will not tolerate politicians telling them what to do (Britains shall never be slaves*). At the same time, the government is trying to persuade the public to get vaccinated, which the majority have. However, the politicians are now framing this message within the economic consequences and not about saving one’s life. The business community has decided that economics takes precedence over human life, the message of pragmatism.
Individualism and consumerism beget each other; they exist in a symbiotic relationship and are the foundations of Capitalism. In consumer-centric cultures, the advertising and marketing industries tell the populous that consumption is the predominant way of shaping one’s identity and individualism. One can speculate that those on the Left are fearful of the message that they have to take a vaccine to immunize themselves.
The Left believes in collective responsibility when adhering to its political doctrines, but they also believe in the sanctity of individual freedom: good luck in squaring that one up. The Right believes in individualism within a rigid moral framework, i.e. wholesome Christian values. They value collectivism only in the fight to preserve their values.
In the United States, you can interpret the law as you want or make it up as you go along. You have a president who believes in the American people’s collective goodness whilst large sections of the population are exposing the opposite value.
A noble policy is the exemption rule. However, the exemption policy can only work if those not exempt follow the rules and wear a mask and take the vaccines. Until this happens, those who are exempt might have to exercise caution. However, this appears not to be that case, with some aggressively defending their exemption rights, even when entering crowded spaces with people not wearing masks. So, yes, the fault lies with those refusing to get vaccinated or taking other precautions, such as wearing masks. However, we all need to take individual action to promote collective responsibility.
