In a sense, he’s not wrong.
The problem is that nobody’s personal freedom is absolute.
It’s restricted every day in scores of different kinds of ways for reasons that are mainly practical, sometimes aesthetic (the “no shirt” part of the no shoes mantra).
The Supreme Court chimed in over a century ago as to whether public health demands came in at a higher priority than individual freedom in extreme situations.
They do.
Here’s the thing: without public health, it’s damned hard to have a real public–cities–in the post-Industrial age. All of the old 19th century urban diseases are right around the corner waiting to make a comeback.
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