Executive orders and coronavirus. What’s the limiting principle?

“Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign!”

The Five Man Electric Band didn’t like being told what to do and not to do. And while those weird hippie folk might have gone a bit far, it’s very American to resist orders from the government.

However, in the last 30 years or so, we’ve seen more and more executive orders, and now they’re flying fast and furious. Wear a mask. Don’t by seeds for your garden. Don’t take your kids to the park. Don’t go for a private run on the beach.

How are we going to restrain this?

There are crisis situations where we need the public to act a certain way. But does that have to be an order? Can’t we appeal to people and ask them to act responsibly?

Also, it seems un-American to give one person power without giving someone else the power to hold them in check. We seem to have missed that part.

Pigweed and Crowhill discuss.

One thought on “Executive orders and coronavirus. What’s the limiting principle?”

  1. QUOTE: There are crisis situations where we need the public to act a certain way. But does that have to be an order? Can’t we appeal to people and ask them to act responsibly?

    Generally, people will rationalize not abiding by a “request” by thinking it’s not important. If it were, the government would have issued an order. So, when the government doesn’t, people don’t take the request seriously nor change their behavior. Given the lack of response…you know what comes next.

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