There is no such thing as a "loneliness" epidemic. There's neoliberalism, and 10% of Western populations who refuse to catch SARS2 over and over again. These are two different issues, tho interrelated.
The "loneliness" epidemic you've read about is the political class applying pressure to people who refuse to catch their favorite plague.
Individualism, a part of neoliberalism's cultural revolution in the 1980s, purposefully replaced community with "enlightened self-interest."
FIAR Light
in reply to John • • •John
in reply to FIAR Light • • •@LightFIAR
"enlightened self-interest" is an oxy-moron: self-interest cannot be enlightened.
FIAR Light
in reply to John • • •John
in reply to John • • •Most of the COVID competent people I'm aware of are *deeply* involved in community efforts, either online or sometimes in person (in safe environments). They aren't lonely, they're angry and unwilling to comply in advance.
This would vex neoliberals and all the well-meaning people who advance their agendas, like erasing the consequences of getting COVID so people would go back to work and keep making the ruling class their filthy lucre.
After all, what use is someone they can't gaslight?