Tucker Carlson and the Twisted Politics of “Owning the Libs”
A tirade against mask-wearing reveals how people like Carlson have emptied popular conservatism of substance
H.L. Mencken famously defined Puritanism as “the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.” With the Covid-19 pandemic entering (we hope) its final stages in the U.S., hardcore conservatism seems increasingly to be defined by the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may still be worried about Covid.
That, at least, is what’s suggested by this week’s bizarre attacks from people like Tucker Carlson on anyone who might consider wearing a mask outside (or having their children wear a mask outside). Rather than adopt the libertarian position that one might expect from purported supporters of individual freedom, Carlson instead decided to accuse outdoor mask-wearers of encroaching on his happiness, and and to call parents who have their kids wear masks child abusers.
So, in his show Monday night, Carlson deemed mask-wearing “purely a sign of political obedience,” and said that getting people to stop wearing masks was necessary to “restore the society we were born in.” He instructed his viewers to walk up to people who were wearing masks outdoors and ask them to take the mask off, while saying, “Your mask…
