"Refusing to wear a facemask is not a philosophy, it's just selfish," says James O'Brien

24 July 2020, 11:14 | Updated: 24 July 2020, 11:18

"Refusing to wear a facemask is not a philosophy, it's just selfish"

By Fiona Jones

James O'Brien explained why people who refuse to wear masks are not 'libertarian', they just have "weapons-grade selfishness."

Face masks have today been made mandatory in England's shopping centres, transport hubs, banks and post offices.

James O'Brien attempted to understand why even now some people are refusing to wear masks.

"Wearing a mask helps others more than it helps you. The evidence that it helps you or protects you is much thinner than the evidence that it prevents you from unwittingly spreading it," he said.

James couldn't get past the "weapons-grade selfishness" involved in that position.

He likened it to a spoilt child being told what to do and responding by screaming until they were sick.

"Do you remember when people starting calling them muzzles?" James asked in disbelief, branding people who took this stance as almost always "pro-Brexit, pro-Trump."

"They think they're libertarians or classic liberals. Actually you're just really selfish.

"You hate sharing and you're really selfish. There's no ideology there. And you don't see why you should pay for things you don't use which is why you don't like the NHS either, you can't wait to carve it up and flog it to the highest bidder."

James concluded, "You hate sharing and you're really selfish. Or you'll wear a mask."

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