Re: Rant - What Happened to Personal Responsibility in the USA?
... the person had added a disclaimer about not being a medical professional ...
Where is the personal responsibility in the USA?
(I have a loosely related rant about leftists failing on this front and will put this at the end)
If I read a blog here or elsewhere... regardless of what the writer is saying or even if they openly encourage readers to apply their advice...
It is MY CHOICE.
Why is it any different than if I watched someone across the road doing something and tried it for myself? Again I made the choice to watch, I made the decision to try it, I took the action to do it.
So, I think the issue comes up when people speak authoritatively about any topic, and the disclaimer about "not being a medical professional" is how the speaker takes responsibility for what they're communicating.
It is downright irresponsible to act like you know what is right for other people and speak authoritatively on it if you're speaking from your own personal experience.
That being said, readers also should take some responsibility too, and we should be thinking critically and leading with some skepticism, at least when it comes to randos on the internet. Personally, if I see some medical advice online, I'll ask my doctor about it during our next visit. I think this is good.
And the speaker's disclaimer is NOT proof that I'm gullible or don't take responsibility for my actions. It is proof that the speaker takes responsibility for their position. You do have a responsibility to be transparent and honest, especially if thousands, or sometimes millions of people will hear the shit you say.
Why is it different than if I was in a restaurant and I overheard some people talking about doing something in a certain way and I tried it for myself?
Because people online do often speak authoritatively about their experience and prescribe that experience for others to try. Over-hearing someone in a restaurant is decidedly NOT that.
Places that still have enough common sense that if a kid touches a hot stove burner and gets burned the parents do not blame the stove manufacturer.
Well, if the oven has no indications that it is hot, no indication that it is on, then the stove manufacturer does deserve some blame. Yes, the kid should still learn from the experience and approach more carefully next time. But ALSO the stove manufacturer should take responsibility for their design and communicate that the stove is hot.
All that being said, we are a fairly litigious country, and disclaimers help protect from legal liability. I suspect that has some contribution. But my biggest issue with your perspective is the assumption that people are not taking responsibility for OUR own actions. The "I'm not a medical professional" disclaimer actively encourages people to take responsibility for their own actions.
Now my rant. First of all, I am a socialist and when I hear leftists (and often-times liberals) advocate for policies, I agree about the policy goals.
BUT the political left (at least in America) does seemingly care very little about personal responsibility, and I find this rather frustrating. One example of this is with concern about voting laws and voter suppression. Absolutely, YES we should have voting laws that make it easier for people to vote. We should not create barriers that prevent people from voting.
BUT ALSO people are fucking grown ups and we should encourage our people to overcome those barriers when they exist. Often, rhetoric around these issues comes off as ... patronizing. As if it's impossible for millions of people to navigate the barriers that republicans want to put up. Like, I completely disagree with the voting law proposals that would require married women (who take their partner's last name) to provide birth certificates in order to vote. It is stupid, and it is voter suppression. BUT ALSO, I believe women are capable of overcoming that barrier, and when I've listened to people talk about it, it seems infantalizing.
This is just one of many examples where I 100% agree with the policy position, but I DON'T agree with the patronizing rhetoric.
The right has us completely beat on personal responsibility. But they also want the government help promote white supremacy and make it harder for people to challenge white supremacy. We (the left) should BOTH champion personal responsibility - You can do it, here's how - AND work toward policy that lowers burdens and improves access.
Another area where I feel leftists fail on responsibility is personal finances. Yes, wages are low, yes billionaires make too much, yes housing and food and other goods are too expensive. Yes, these are real problems we should fix through policy. BUT ALSO, we should advocate for people to spend responsibly, within their means, to avoid using debt, to live in smaller homes, to buy fewer cars, to cook more meals at home, to cancel subscriptions, to use your library, to lean on food banks if you're really poor, and to step up and provide mutual aid if you have the means. (there is talk of mutual aid, but it too can come off as patronizing.)
Health is another arena, but I think you're getting the point. Better healthcare access is good. But ALSO exercise and healthy eating are important to your health, REGARDLESS of healthcare access.
blah blah, you get it. And I could do another whole extensive rant about why it's actually really fucking hard to exercise and eat healthy. I'm not discounting that. I'm just saying those criticisms don't help anyone RIGHT NOW. Encouraging people to be take personal responsibility can have immediate results. Policy takes time and may never come. We must work within what we have, not within what we want.