The scariest part of America's reckless reopening

The great 'can' vs. 'should' test

A man on a ladder.
(Image credit: Illustrated | iStock)

There is a useful metaphor in ethics about a ladder. It can be thought of a few different ways, but I like the version paraphrased from ethicist Christopher Gilbert by Quartz the best: "On the lowest rung, you think only of yourself. Past the middle rung, you're thinking of the decision's influence on some. And on the highest rungs, you're wondering how every choice impacts all affected by it."

It seems intuitive that, under normal circumstances, we should strive to reach the highest rungs of this ladder whenever we are able. But we are not living under normal circumstances: even as the United States careens toward overtaking its previous coronavirus peak, the country is throwing caution to the wind. Movie theaters, hair salons, amusement parks, and restaurants are fast on their way to reopening — if they haven't already. And with discretion left largely up to the consumer, it is on us, then, to decide if, just because we can access these luxuries, we should be enjoying them. The answer, largely and discouragingly, seems to be yes; while Americans continue to express fears about the disease to pollsters, cases are nevertheless ballooning. In failing our "can" versus "should" test during the nation's reopening, Americans are proving that ethical consumption at all might be a pipe dream — because if we can't even care about our own imperilment, how will we ever care about other's?

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.