The Link Between Workism and The Anti-Stay At Home Protests

For the past few days, Americans (many of them armed) have been showing up all over the country to protest the stay-at home orders that state governors issued to “flatten the curve" of COVID-19 transmissions. “Operation Gridlock" in Michigan had hundreds of protesters storm the state capital. Similar protests took place in several other states, even New York, which is particularly hard hit by Coronavirus. And many of these protesters expressed a desire to return to work.

While I am horrified and angered by these developments, I can’t say that I am surprised by them. Nor am I surprised by the fact that the majority of the protesters subscribe to right-wing ideology . Nor am I surprised that the Michigan Conservative Coalition, Michigan Freedom Fund, The Proud Boys, Oregon Uniting for Liberty, the Dorr brothers of Pennsylvania, and even members of state level Republican parties have funded, organized, and/or attended the protests. The right-wing call to “reopen the economy” and to allow people to return to work (despite the ongoing pandemic) is on-brand. And their acceptance of more Coronavirus deaths in exchange for the economic revitalization is simply the logical conclusion of a conservative belief system that has pertinaciously glorified the cult of work.