Coronavirus vs. the Mass Surveillance State: Which Poses the Greater Threat?

How will the government’s War on the Coronavirus impact our freedoms? For a hint of what’s in store, you can look to China—our role model for all things dystopian—where the contagion started. In an attempt to fight the epidemic, the government has given its surveillance state apparatus, which boasts the most expansive and sophisticated surveillance system in the world, free rein. The problem is what happens after: once the outbreak is controlled, it’s unclear whether the government will retract its new powers. As constitutional attorney John W. Whitehead makes clear in this week's podcast, the lesson for the ages is as follows: once any government is allowed to expand its powers, it’s almost impossible to pull back.