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I've noticed over the past couple of months that the wearing of face masks has become a very polarized left/right issue - almost similar to the situation in America.
One only has to have a look at parliament - on the government side only a handful of MPs are masked up, whereas on the opposition virtually all the MPs are masked.
I've also noticed this on my university campus - with many student groups campaigning around the university, most sports groups / nationality groups are not masked (outside!) whereas the environmental campaigners, Marxist society and LGBT groups are all fully masked.
Perhaps it's not such an issue that the right isn't wearing masks, but more that left-leaning groups are going rather over-the-top on the mask wearing.
Does anyone have any ideas as to why this is the case? I find it rather unsettling and sad to be honest.
I've noticed over the past couple of months that the wearing of face masks has become a very polarized left/right issue - almost similar to the situation in America.
One only has to have a look at parliament - on the government side only a handful of MPs are masked up, whereas on the opposition virtually all the MPs are masked.
I've also noticed this on my university campus - with many student groups campaigning around the university, most sports groups / nationality groups are not masked (outside!) whereas the environmental campaigners, Marxist society and LGBT groups are all fully masked.
Perhaps it's not such an issue that the right isn't wearing masks, but more that left-leaning groups are going rather over-the-top on the mask wearing.
Does anyone have any ideas as to why this is the case? I find it rather unsettling and sad to be honest.
I agree it’s starting to become politicised, however I’m not sure this has spilled over to the wider population, where I think we have a proportion who are obsessed with them, a proportion ardently against, and a wise section in the middle who were prepared to give them ago but have become increasingly unconvinced of their value to the point where they’re prepared to defy request to wear them (such as by the likes of Khan).
Having said that, I’m at the point of feeling that if we as a population don’t make a point of actively *not* wearing them to the maximum extent possible then we will be lumbered with them forever. Likewise it does send a signal to politicians of being prepared to accept restrictions, which isn’t something we should be doing readily.
Completely agree. I am left centre but do not wear one myself, though I am not horrified by the sight of people wearing them as some seem to be. However it is definitely political as a whole.
I think it has become very politicised. I think it is easy to think it is a left / right issue but I would dispute that.
I consider myself pretty left of centre politically but I am able to see that face covering may cut down transmission a little but not to the extent that so many claim. I would not on the other hand to claim to be anti-mask like many 'right wingers'. The reason I don't wear one now is that wearing one is a sign of abnormality and they also cut down effective communication between people. Many of my left leaning friends feel the same.
The does seem however to be a correlation between those that dismiss evidence for various subjects so, for example, covid deniers, anti-vaxxers are often the same people with views that are extreme right wing (Trump supporters even in the UK), supporters of Brexit and anti-BLM.
My impression is that while the vocal elements of the left/right have indeed strongly taken these positions, they are not aligned with the people they represent. Left-wing London has pretty low mask wearing as compared to rural places, especially considering that the latter are less crowded anyway so there is less imperative.
Pretty much every Labour and SNP question is why we're not forcing people to wear masks, and a good proportion of them are about why we don't have vaccine passports yet, and how much better everything would be if we were doing those things.
Conversely, not a single Conservative question is positive about masks.
At this point, I'm really not sure if the Labour party in particular has gone entirely insane, or whether I've been entirely wrong with my political beliefs for the past 40-odd years. I certainly don't see myself ever voting Labour again.
It's because there's a strong overlap between the kind of people who worship the NHS and who think we should all wear masks everywhere for all eternity. Those people tend to be on the left.
It has probably become more extreme since masks became voluntary. When they were mandatory, nearly everyone wore one, so it could never have become politicised to the same extent. But now only some people wear them, it's inevitable that various divides will open up.
My impression is that while the vocal elements of the left/right have indeed strongly taken these positions, they are not aligned with the people they represent. Left-wing London has pretty low mask wearing as compared to rural places, especially considering that the latter are less crowded anyway so there is less imperative.
Yes on social media/online I think it's very left/right, but I would hope in public it isn't. I'm on the left but have tried not to wear them where possible.
I do think though those against masks will get much further talking less about the issue of "freedom" and more on issues like all the environmental pollution/waste they're causing, and also how they impair communication in the form of facial expressions being unrecognisable (body language "talks" more than words as well). Given also that more on the left vocal about needing masks are also passionate about the environment, I'd be very interested to hear how that goes down.
Whatever the case, the toxic divisive media and political systems in this country have divided the country so much that a rational debate on anything, including masks, is nigh on impossible. If we actually debated properly and listened to each other's views maybe an effective compromise solution can be made.
If the Government's policy on face masks - including qualifying exemptions and police enforcement - was amongst the toughest in Europe, then the anti-Government line to Tweet would be how the policy was illiberal and discriminatory, and typical of this dangerous authoritarian regime (etc). Martyrs aplenty would be found, who had been fined or imprisoned unjustly. Statistics would be quoted to demonstrate the policy was bearing-down disproportionately on minority communities. YouTube would be full of footage of 'the fedz' dragging mask-less folk off Tube trains, and petitions would be started on university campuses.
As it happens, this (English) Government is one of the few to abandon mask mandates, so the line to Tweet is that they are reckless and consigning thousands to early deaths, unnecessarily.
That's politics, and it would have been similar if Corbyn or anyone else was PM.
All of these countries, all of these experiments, and still the only things they say they work are low quality mechanistic trials… they are more a dystopian symbol of the pandemic, than an effective public health measure.
An easy thing to throw to your critics to placate them; political expediency always trumps scientific evidence.
I've noticed over the past couple of months that the wearing of face masks has become a very polarized left/right issue - almost similar to the situation in America.
One only has to have a look at parliament - on the government side only a handful of MPs are masked up, whereas on the opposition virtually all the MPs are masked.
I've also noticed this on my university campus - with many student groups campaigning around the university, most sports groups / nationality groups are not masked (outside!) whereas the environmental campaigners, Marxist society and LGBT groups are all fully masked.
Perhaps it's not such an issue that the right isn't wearing masks, but more that left-leaning groups are going rather over-the-top on the mask wearing.
Does anyone have any ideas as to why this is the case? I find it rather unsettling and sad to be honest.
I think one factor is that some on the right in the US and here have chosen to adopt opposition to masks (and other measures, including vaccination) as a unifying characteristic.
The OP mentioned LGBT groups and they're absolutely right but it's interesting that the LGBT community at large is in favour of government mandates on masks, lockdowns, passports etc. I feel that being gay myself is what really cemented my anti restriction views because it's opened my mind to how insidious governments can be when they go authoritarian and dictate things and people's lives that really should affect nobody. Knowing that 50+ years ago, people like me were subject to authoritarianism has really put me on the libertarian side of just wanting to let people be. Do they really think, knowing their own history, that a paper's please society is a particularly good idea? It makes me uncomfortable.
I also think it's a disgrace that many LGBT people have chucked youth under the bus by promoting lockdowns whilst these youth are stuck with homophobic parents.
As others have said it has become political because people particularly on social media need to nail their colours to the mast
So if you are vocally on the left you have to oppose Boris and the government at every turn which means demanding masks
Ironically many of them don’t wear a mask because they aren’t compulsory but want them bringing back, but don’t wear one voluntarily. Yet at the same time don’t care in general for much Boris says but still go along with his mandate. All very odd.
If there is supposedly a public demand for mandatory mask wearing, then why is a large majority of the public not already wearing them?
Even on TfL where mask wearing is a condition of carriage, the majority do not bother.
If there is supposedly a public demand for mandatory mask wearing, then why is a large majority of the public not already wearing them?
Even on TfL where mask wearing is a condition of carriage, the majority do not bother.
Most of the public are probably pro-making masks a personal choice (so if you don't want to wear one that's fine, but if you want to you can as well). I think I'm in this space at the moment (but generally err towards wearing one, on a personal judgement-based basis)
It's just (as always) the shouty pro-masks and no-masks-ever minorities dominating the debate.
If there is supposedly a public demand for mandatory mask wearing, then why is a large majority of the public not already wearing them?
Even on TfL where mask wearing is a condition of carriage, the majority do not bother.
Also because those most likely to be supportive of mask wearing are also the least likely to be out there on public transport. Both stay-at-homers, and the (easy to forget) sizeable proportion of the country that has a private car and no need to ever use it.
I've noticed over the past couple of months that the wearing of face masks has become a very polarized left/right issue - almost similar to the situation in America.
One only has to have a look at parliament - on the government side only a handful of MPs are masked up, whereas on the opposition virtually all the MPs are masked.
I've also noticed this on my university campus - with many student groups campaigning around the university, most sports groups / nationality groups are not masked (outside!) whereas the environmental campaigners, Marxist society and LGBT groups are all fully masked.
Perhaps it's not such an issue that the right isn't wearing masks, but more that left-leaning groups are going rather over-the-top on the mask wearing.
Does anyone have any ideas as to why this is the case? I find it rather unsettling and sad to be honest.
I agree it’s starting to become politicised, however I’m not sure this has spilled over to the wider population, where I think we have a proportion who are obsessed with them, a proportion ardently against, and a wise section in the middle who were prepared to give them ago but have become increasingly unconvinced of their value to the point where they’re prepared to defy request to wear them (such as by the likes of Khan).
Indeed; these polls done by the sort of people who have a lot of spare time at home who are very keen to say what they think ordinary hardworking people should be doing.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
If there is supposedly a public demand for mandatory mask wearing, then why is a large majority of the public not already wearing them?
Even on TfL where mask wearing is a condition of carriage, the majority do not bother.
The only time a majority wears them is where there is an expectation that the majority will be wearing them and that they will stand out by not wearing them. But as more and people realise that flimsy loose fitting masks don't cut the mustard and make no difference to infection rates, the numbers are dropping which in turn gives others the confidence not to be masked.
The pro-maskers are hopping mad right now; they are infesting social media going on about how few people are wearing masks and therefore we should all be told to wear them.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
As it happens, this (English) Government is one of the few to abandon mask mandates, so the line to Tweet is that they are reckless and consigning thousands to early deaths, unnecessarily.
There are numerous others abandoning masks. Hungary, Norway, Denmark. Sweden never mandated them. Places like the Netherlands have mostly abandoned them with only a few settings remaining. Even mask-mad Portugal (where masks are seen as a panacea and no social distancing or any other measures are done, based on my last visit) is dropping mask requirements in many settings with more expected to follow.
Of course Drakeford wants to continue with masks because a) he is a loony left authoritarian and b) because it is the opposite of what the Conservatives have done. I find it most amusing to see Wales has really high case rates.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
It's because there's a strong overlap between the kind of people who worship the NHS and who think we should all wear masks everywhere for all eternity. Those people tend to be on the left.
My impression is that while the vocal elements of the left/right have indeed strongly taken these positions, they are not aligned with the people they represent. Left-wing London has pretty low mask wearing as compared to rural places, especially considering that the latter are less crowded anyway so there is less imperative.
I agree; London is a predominantly left leaning place but it is also libertarian leaning and masks are more about authoritarianism than the left; indeed masking is not a sign of 'the left' at all as the vast majority of centre left people I know are against mandatory masks.
All of these countries, all of these experiments, and still the only things they say they work are low quality mechanistic trials… they are more a dystopian symbol of the pandemic, than an effective public health measure.
When I see someone wearing a low quality standard mask of the flimsy, loose fitting kind, I think they are either:
- mislead/misguided
- afraid of being judged if they do not wear a mask
- a virtue signalling authoritarian
Of course there is no way to know which of these applies, but the fact we are in such a position is very regrettable.
In contrast if I see someone wearing a tight fitting effective FFP2/3 mask, I assume they are immunocompromised and want additional protection on top of the vaccines, which is understandable.
Indeed. The topic of masks is one example of left and right bending around to such extremities that they meet each other. Although our domestic political parties have fairly clear cut stances, masks are not a simple matter of left v. right.
Not a problem in the EU. I just came back from Spain and Portugal after three weeks riding trains. Masks are required in both countries, everybody complies, and the trains are well used. Frankly I think the Spanish, residents of a bizarrely macho culture that still permits bullfighting as a cultural expression, would laugh at you if you started trying to tell them why certain British influencers get so exercised about masks.
After a week of returning to the UK I got a stinker of a cold. I can only conclude the masks must be doing something.
I venture to suggest that your conclusion may be erroneous: given that stinkers of colds are equally viciously doing the rounds in Wales, where the majority of people only have eyes on show in public places too.
Not a problem in the EU. I just came back from Spain and Portugal after three weeks riding trains. Masks are required in both countries, everybody complies, and the trains are well used. Frankly I think the Spanish, residents of a bizarrely macho culture that still permits bullfighting as a cultural expression, would laugh at you if you started trying to tell them why certain British influencers get so exercised about masks.
After a week of returning to the UK I got a stinker of a cold. I can only conclude the masks must be doing something.
Not a problem in the EU. I just came back from Spain and Portugal after three weeks riding trains. Masks are required in both countries, everybody complies, and the trains are well used. Frankly I think the Spanish, residents of a bizarrely macho culture that still permits bullfighting as a cultural expression, would laugh at you if you started trying to tell them why certain British influencers get so exercised about masks.
After a week of returning to the UK I got a stinker of a cold. I can only conclude the masks must be doing something.
Interesting. When I was in Spain last month although masks were worn on public transport, they were certainly not worn with much diligence, often moved pulled down, covering only bits of the face. And in restaurants and bars it was only ever staff that tried to use them.
A lot of political obsessives on twitter mainly on the left/centre left seem obsessed with masks from what I've seen. I am on the left as well but I sort of agree that it is possibly virtue signalling (or a misunderstanding about science) From my experience there's still 80-90% compliance across the board in Edinburgh in shops and on public transport. In England on the other hand in the shops I've been in a month ago in Whaley Bridge, Glossop and Hale Barns, it's predominantly the elderly who are universally wearing masks and little use of masks among everyone else.
Personally I didn't mind mask use in 2020 but I'm surprised people still believe in them in 2021. Personally in Edinburgh I wear the same old type of disposable mask on the bus but pull it down on the top deck. In England on the other hand I do not bother wearing masks at all in the shops.
I'm not sure what mask wearing is like in other countries. I was under the impression that Germany was pretty strict.
Not a problem in the EU. I just came back from Spain and Portugal after three weeks riding trains. Masks are required in both countries, everybody complies, and the trains are well used. Frankly I think the Spanish, residents of a bizarrely macho culture that still permits bullfighting as a cultural expression, would laugh at you if you started trying to tell them why certain British influencers get so exercised about masks.
After a week of returning to the UK I got a stinker of a cold. I can only conclude the masks must be doing something.
Most of the customers in my antique centre still wear masks. even when told they do not need to.
My personal observation is that mask wearing in shops is divided more by education/social class than politics - with well educated English the most likely to wear them, and east Europeans (we have plenty of them here, despite Brexit) the least.
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