*Covid deaths are on the rise again, so what happens? Mask-wearing in hospitals is scrapped.* That abandons people to the risk that a medical system ought to use discipline to protect people from.

Even if your politicians are cowards, we can use courage to make each other safe. A disciplined group can sometimes protect most of its members from threats that individuals can't defend against. Covid-19 is one example. But there is another clearer and more vivid one.

In ancient and medieval times, infantry could protect themselves from charging cavalry if they had pikes and knew how to stand firm with them in a line. An individual infantryman was defenseless against charging cavalry, but a close infantry line with pikes was stronger than cavalry and could stand the horses off. They could save their lives together by being firm and disciplined.

We are not likely ever to be in that situation, but it can teach us how to resist Covid-19 together.