Bunch of wusses?

Are we a nation of wusses? So asked many, including Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell, after the NFL postponed Sunday's Vikings-Eagles game because of the blizzard. This cry has become commonplace, that today's Americans and men in particular are not as tough as our predecessors. For instance, if a war - a real one, not like Afghanistan - arises, would today's Americans fight and defend their country as bravely as the Greatest Generation? The argument goes: how can we expect to endure a war when we are afraid to brave a blizzard to watch a football game? A similar cry is heard in Britain, but somewhat different: that playing four matches over ten days in the Christmas/New Year program is too much for the players.

Nonetheless, I do not think that we are becoming wusses because the game was postponed. First, twenty-first century standards about public safety and individual responsibility are different from the nineteenth century's. Back then, governments had little responsibility over public transit (there was barely any), whereas now we are more aware of and expect more out of the government in ensuring our safety. Public safety was the primary reason, and the NFL and Philadelphia needed to care about travelling fans, not whether the players could tough it out. Second, we are better at balancing risks and utilities today. The NFL made a conscious decision that weighed the risk of a public accident (which was great in the blizzard) versus the importance of having the game played on Sunday (not so great). It made a rational decision that arguably could have been decided otherwise, but probably worked out best for fans and employees alike. So, rather than blame our 'wussy' culture, maybe blame the lawyers for imposing such a pervasive fear about liability in each of us. Happy new year.