Coronavirus and Altruism

By Dr. Valdemar Malin

Metaphorically speaking, if altruism is a coronavirus-2019, then socialism is a COllectiVIst Disease (COVID-19) caused by altruism.

How do you stop the pandemic? Do you sit out or go out?

You are probably sick and tired of hearing the endless debates about reopening the US economy during the pandemic or about the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causing the respiratory disease COVID-19. But there is another, even more deadly disease that you hear nothing about. It is caused by another invisible virus that is danger to your mind rather than your lungs. And yet, no one seems to care about this particular virus or is rushing to make and distribute mind-protecting masks that could save people and the society from this disease.

What people are arguing about today is how to extinguish the fire caused by the coronavirus (CV) pandemic as soon and as safely as possible in absence of vaccines or remedies. There are two opposing views on how to solve the problem.

1. An artificial (man-made) solution born in the human mind. The idea is to coerce people to stay at home or shelter in place with the goal to flatten the infection-rate curve. The hope is that the man-made solution may achieve this goal safer and faster. But shelter in place is hard on people and disruptive to the economy, which is dangerous for our health too. This approach may not put out the fire completely, but, instead, may inflame it later again and end up prolonging the pandemic.

2. A natural solution that follows the recommendations of Nature. This solution allows the virus to take its course until more than half of the population is infected and achieves “herd” immunity. The goal is for the fire to eventually go out after depriving itself of incendiary materials. This may not be the quickest or safest way, but it may lead to the permanent end of this pandemic. In addition, it is less difficult for people and far less destructive to the economy.

This debate is fierce, but rather academic because the results of either solution (or their combinations) cannot be accurately predicted, modelled or tested in a laboratory. The only predictable outcome in this health-oriented debate is politics. Predictably, those on the left of the political spectrum are the staunchest supporters of the man-made solution. Why is that?

You may think that, by shutting down the US economy, the left will create chaos that may help them to defeat President Trump in November. This may be true, but it doesn’t offer the complete picture. In Europe and everywhere else, the left of all colors, red and green, prefer the man-made solution, as well.

You may argue that the socialist Sweden prefers the natural solution. But Sweden is not a socialist country, it tries to save their prosperous free-market economy. So, perhaps defeating Trump may just be a desirable by-product, but not the intended goal. The goal is invisible and is rooted in the heart of the leftist ideology.

In the mid-nineteenth century, a French philosopher Auguste Comte (1798 – 1857) developed a philosophical concept destined to change the world. He named it “Altruism” to serve as an antipode of egoism. In the name of fairness and equality, altruism calls for everyone to live for others. Literally, it means that I live for you and you live for me. Comte realized that to achieve equality by such chaotic, unregulated scheme was not practical and even possible in real life…unless a State (that is government) steps in. Then everyone is obligated (if not voluntarily, then by force) to live for the government in exchange for its promise to take care of everybody.

In practice, to “live for others” means that you have to allow the State to control almost every aspect of your life—products of your labor and your material well-being, your education and health care, your rights to own property (among other individual rights), your freedom and even your life. In exchange, you receive what you need virtually free of charge. And of course, given the laws of supply and demand, rationing will be needed to avoid shortages and inequitable distribution.

In theory and at first glance, it may look like a bargain, but in reality, it is a steep price to pay. Altruism is an artificial (unnatural) product of a human mind. This fantasy is foreign to human nature.

When a virus invades a human body, it causes the body to defend itself by raising its temperature to resist the foreign invaders. Similarly, altruism creates discontent and resistance when it takes over a human society. Therefore, altruism does not come alone, it brings along the reinforcement—coercion and dictatorship. Unfortunately, only those who lived under and experienced socialism first hand can understand its full meaning, implications and consequences.

It is no wonder, the original concept of altruism that coerces everyone to live for others (for a government or state, a party or ideology) has always been a vital part of any collectivist ideology, including Marxism, Fascism, Leninism, Stalinism or Maoism.

Metaphorically, if altruism is a coronavirus-2019, then socialism is a COllectiVIst Disease (COVID-19) caused by altruism.

Viruses in nature keep spreading until the infected population reaches the “herd” immunity. Then, after having ruined everything on its way, they fade away. Same with altruism.

In the 1st half of the 20^th century, altruism infected almost half of the world population, but in the 2nd half, it disappeared after a catastrophic collapse of the socialist, communist world, which had been suffocated by altruism for over 70 years. In its wake, it left tens of millions of unmarked graves. No virus can ever match such deadly efficiency.

But, like a virus, altruism did not die. It just disappeared from the public discourse taking safe refuge in the sanctuary cities of academia, mainstream media and Hollywood. There, professional virologists from departments of sociology, from editorial boards and film studios, turn the discredited virus of altruism into a different strain to make it almost unrecognizable.

It no longer intimidate you by demanding that you “live for others.” It now politely asks you just to demonstrate your “selfless concern for well-being of others.” It received even a new name—“real” or “true” altruism. It is claimed by the left to be new, more cordial and appealing altruism—“modern altruism” for the modern generation.

But if modern altruism is new and different, then why the modern altruists are marching under the old banners of equality and self-sacrifice. Why do they demand free stuff, like free housing and college education, health and child care, etc? Because these ideas are just the new branches of the same tree—the original live-for-others altruism. Modern altruism is a fig leaf covering the original altruism. It is the apple given to Snow White by the witch—attractive outside and poisonous inside.

Today, apologists of altruism distribute the poisonous apples of altruism at schools and universities, in print and on the silver screens in order to confuse and manipulate the minds of the young and ignorant. In fact, the treacherous modern altruism, as the Trojan horse, is a decoy hiding the nefarious and deadly original altruism.

So, what does altruism have to do with coronavirus pandemic? Or with the shelter-in-place policy? Or with the debate regarding the reopening of the US economy?

It’s no accident that leftists are the most passionate advocates of the shelter-in-place policy that forces everyone to stay home. On the face of it, they claim to be moved by selfless concern for well-being of others. They claim to be worried that those, who might go to work, may infect others who are at risk. In this respect, they behave as genuine modern altruists. But this is just a façade… the attractive red peel of the poisonous apple.

Do they force everyone to stay at home? Of course, not. There are heroes—farmers and food producers, grocery store workers and truckers, doctors and nurses, manufacturers of PPE and other providers of “essential” services and goods. Unlike everyone else (the “non-essentials”), these people go out, work on the “front line” and battle the invisible enemy against all odds.

So why don’t the leftists force them to stay home. Why do they encourage them to go out and work taking a serious risk to their health, instead? Because the heroes supply the vital necessities to sustain the life and existence of the people sheltering in place. The heroes may even risk their lives—the ultimate sacrifice for a human being to make.

In this respect, the left are revealing their true nature—they act not as the modern, but as the original altruists. They coerce the heroes to risk their lives and, thus, virtually live for others. These are the morals and behaviors that are required in the future altruistic society. This is precisely the poison inside that altruistic apple.

You may argue that the heroes are not coerced to live for others; that they are selflessly motivated and volunteer to do so. This may be true, as some people choose to behave selflessly during a calamity. But it does not change the fact that the heroes were chosen and allowed to work by the government; that they are compelled to work to support their families rather than being unemployed and dependent on government stimulus paychecks.

These choices and privileges are not extended, though, to those who are forced to stay at home. Such coercion is typical for the original “live-for-others” altruism that does not care about your noble motives as long as you live and sacrifice for the government.

The left is observing the disaster created by the CV pandemic with high hopes to use it for their advantage. After all, they can’t let a crisis of this magnitude go to waste. It is a rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to enforce the ideals of the original altruism, even for a short time and even if it does not apply quite to everybody.

Still, it is good enough because, for the most part, workers are forced to live and work (or not work) by the government mandate and under its control; freedom and individual rights are suspended; population is wholly dependent on the government aid.

This valuable experience may become useful in preparations for the final stage of the altruistic drama—the power grab when the time is right. And COVID-19 is their serendipitous ally.

Such opportunity comes when the main goal of the original altruism is achieved—when the entire work force is coerced to surrender permanently to government mandate and control. Altruism cannot exist when even a small number of people are independent and support themselves without government handouts. That is why the left is so eager to shut down the entire economy. Under the cover of a life-threatening pandemic, it is much easier to seize the power and to force everyone to live for the state (under the guise of saving the lives of others) and sacrifice everything for the left ideology.

Historically, it has happened during times of extreme hardship and chaos, wars and revolutions, famine and suffering. This is precisely how altruism took over communist Russia, Fascist Italy or Nazi Germany. Similarly, this COVID-19 pandemic is also a time of extreme hardship, which has already provoked chaos and calamity.

The coronavirus is invisible. Unnoticeably, it replicates and takes over a human body striking at its respiratory organs until it kills the host. The original altruism acts very much the same way. It takes over a society, indiscernibly at first, and is slowly asphyxiating it. It prevents the society from breezing on its own without the help of oxygen and ventilators.

But guess who supplies the oxygen and ventilators? The government, which takes “from each according to his abilities” and gives “to each according to his needs” until there is nothing left to take and, therefore, nothing to give. That’s why and how altruism suffocates societies. If you cannot imagine this scenario, take a closer look at what is happening to Venezuela.

That’s why altruism is more dangerous than the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2—it infected and killed many more people. Watch out!

So, how do you stop the pandemic? Do you sit out or go out? It’s a pity that we do not know the answer to these questions, yet. But the answer to the question of how to stop altruism is simple and natural: go out… and VOTE in November! So that no one could force you to live for others at the expense of yourself, your own family and your own values.

You can read more about altruism in “Altruism, the Bad, the Good and the Ugly” by Valdemar Malin on Amazon.com/valdemar malin.

Текст В.Малина на русском языке – https://kontinentusa.com/koronavirus-i-altruism/