The people of Sweden didn't seem to sweat it. Half of them got a booster, the other half did not. Out of ten million people, 2.5 million got the virus, and 21,000 died. A tiny fraction of the death toll in America, but a very light government response.
The people of Vietnam, where I live, managed to keep the virus out by shutting down international trade for a year. When it finally arrived, the government went on a rampage with severe lockdowns, masks, and vaccinations from any source they could find. They had 50 million people boosted out of nearly 100 million and 43,000 deaths, which again was much lower than the American figure, but also may be complete fiction.
After a frantic lockdown period in which people were not allowed to go looking for food for six weeks, Vietnam abruptly threw up its hands and declared victory. Nobody around here does jack to avoid the virus anymore. You're supposed to wear a mask at the supermarket, but many do not.
One thing to note is that masks were worn in traffic to keep out the dust, which increased the appearance of Vietnamese obedience to the rules. Everybody wears them in traffic because everyone drives a motorbike.
So Japan gets off light by being super obedient. Sweden does little but gets by just fine. Vietnam has a Chinese fire drill then stops pretending. They seem to get off light as well.
America's vaccination rate wasn't so bad. 65% or so depending on age. Much higher rates in older people. People got it anyway. People died anyway. Places in the world which should have been massacred made it through fine. Others suffered. The numbers and statistics are bewildering, and I have seen that just about anybody can make a case for anything they want if they pick their data carefully, like you did by comparing Japan to America.
Is it because they followed the rules? I don't know. Japan followed rules, they got off light. Sweden didn't do much, they got off light. Vietnam faked it and got off light. American was mixed and took it on the chin. Why exactly is a mystery to me.
What is not mysterious is that the world has had enough. Most people in America aren't going back to the covid rules no matter what anyone says. And Vietnam sure isn't. Saigon isn't the most obedient city on the best of days, and they are not going to sit at home and broil in the hot rain for weeks on end again, that's for certain.
So I can see you don't think much of American liberty. What do you think of how the Chinese are handling Shanghai?
