[The Editors' Verdict] Anti-Intellectualism Created by COVID-19

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Il-kwon] 'Who should we trust between experts and leaders?'

The novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) crisis has posed a difficult dilemma to the global community. There is a contradiction arising from the sharp conflict between quarantine experts insisting that real-life lockdown measures are inevitable to block transmission and national leaders defending their stance to prevent economic shocks. The confrontation between experts and leaders has been shaped as a result of COVID-19.

Of course, this confrontation is not new. A former prime minister once revealed his inner thoughts during a meeting with experts, saying that when asked to "give advice," it was truly embarrassing for a layperson to order something in front of experts who know the matter better than anyone else.

Until now, if the issues faced by leaders or experts were such that they could generously accept each other's opinions, the level of confrontation has intensified in the COVID-19 crisis. This is because it is a matter that involves everyone worldwide and is directly related to life. Experts who must stop the epidemic need to save lives, and political leaders who must revive the economy need to care for the people's livelihood. Neither side can easily concede. The conditions are set for the confrontation to escalate to the extreme.

In this confrontation, the side raising the offensive is the leaders. U.S. President Donald Trump has shown a strong will to reopen the economy but has been passive in accepting the opinions of quarantine experts. When the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that the virus could resurge in winter, Trump publicly forced an explanation in front of him, and some experts had to stake their positions due to their candid remarks. Even though the White House COVID-19 response coordinator remained in place, the absurd remark about "considering injecting disinfectant into the human body" was undoubtedly the highlight. In Brazil, the president pressured to lift lockdowns amid citizens' protests prioritizing economic recovery. In Europe, where the spread was judged to have peaked, leaders advocating for reopening economic activities began to take center stage in public opinion when faced with the paradox of "lockdown and reopening." Experts' warnings that "the end is far away" have vanished without a trace.

This reality resembles so-called "anti-intellectualism." As the name suggests, it is an ideology against intellect, appearing in forms of distrust or ridicule of intellectuals. Experts aim for the best solution regardless of the majority's wishes, while leaders consider various factors such as people's livelihoods. This structure stimulates anti-elite sentiments.

The problem is that the atmosphere of rejecting expert opinions is spreading rapidly worldwide, almost as fast as COVID-19 itself. A typical example is the phenomenon in major countries, including the U.S., where expert opinions are deliberately downplayed to be mindful of votes.

If this repeats, a situation may arise where people no longer trust correct information. Also, experts may comply with leaders' claims rather than their own convictions. This has already become a reality. CNN in the U.S. evaluated the situation of quarantine experts in the Trump administration as "trying to balance between misinformation and science." Especially, anti-intellectualism often appears when political dissent is suppressed in authoritarian regimes rather than democracies. Therefore, it is worth considering that it may grow further in conjunction with the "big government theory" that emerged due to COVID-19.

The feelings as countries face May, when they have firmly decided to reopen their economies, are thus complex and subtle. The power struggle between experts and leaders is expected to be another point of interest as it reveals results. The moment to determine whether the epidemic storm can be stopped and people's livelihoods saved is approaching.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.