there was a video going around twitter a few days ago of a person talking to a aggro trump antimasker guy who said something like ..

"your mask keeps me safe, and mine keeps you safe? bullshit! it's about collectivizing responsibility! _i_ keep me safe!"

and i think this is a very interesting statement for a whole number of reasons. for one, it makes it very clear that these folx fully understand the purpose of masks and the ways in which masks are not about keeping oneself safe from covid. they're not ignorant

but it also demonstrates that they're not **stupid** either: they fully grasp the reasoning and indeed fully understand that masks are one aspect of a worldview that responsibility can be collective in nature. they simply disagree with is something far deeper than the mask stuff

namely, these are people who believe that Will, above all, is sufficient for live. will as in volition, personal choices, will to act. this heavy focus on Will makes a lot of sense in the context of their ideology, which is fundamentally fascist in nature. fascism exalts Will

fascists are idolizes of Will. will to power, triumph of the will, yadda yadda yadda. and so it's no surprise that american fascist ideology also exalts will do heavily. he truly believed that the Will to be healthy all that matters

will also often ties into this like purity, essentialism, various kinds of elitism (some people are just inherently better, etc), as well as things like social darwinism. they're all very proximal, ideologically

this is also why so many of these people flip out about being asked to wear masks -- it's an accusation of being weak willed, immortal, having bad genes, etc etc

but, and this is a big but (i like them, i cannot lie):

YOU EXALT WILL TOO

american culture, not just fashy americans, are OBSESSED with will!

don't believe me? were you bummed out by the realization that working hard at school didn't guarantee you a good job? bet you were!

but that's ideology of will talking!

if you work hard, and get good grades, you'll DEFINITELY get a good job! by force of will alone!

if you work hard at your job, due good work, you'll get that raise!

if you invest for retirement, you'll be fine!

just make the right choices!

the hyperindividualism of American culture just _is_ a belief that my will suffices for anything. the belief americans have in working hard, and definitely therefore getting good results, that's Will at work

it's deeper than you realize, too

if you just protest harder, organize harder, do all the right Leftist Things revolution is assured to you! boot leather and all that! Just Leftist Harder!

the ideology of Will is deeply embedded in American culture and is hard to extricate