“A moral predicament in which reasonable action runs counter to the well-being of ‘one’s own kind’ is in itself unreasonable and immoral,” wrote Levada. “This predicament was cultivated, and reproduced thousands upon thousands of times.” In the case of the Metro queue, the police officer instinctively sensed that it was his job to ensure that all passengers remain in a state of equal misery, and to prevent any attempt at self-organization. At the polling place, the ballot—with the absurd, almost virtual candidate in first place—turned every voter into a co-conspirator. By casting a ballot one
...more