Regarding COVID, masks, and lockdowns, which would you have rather lived through?

Question

I'm an American living in South Korea and have been here since November 2019; three years now. I came at the very start of COVID in China (it didn't reach North America until March 2020). When COVID very first began, the government made everyone wear masks and wash hands/sanitize a lot more, and gyms and restaurants had limited seating and most had to take their food to go. But there was NEVER any lockdowns. (Unless you count the nine days in April/May 2020 where we couldn't go to work, but the government paid everyone for the loss of productivity and covered all our checks, anyway.) But  basically , no lockdowns. No curfews. Almost nothing. I saw the insanity happening in The US, Canada, and especially Australia with COVID lockdowns, though. Government corruption at its worse and trying to seize power, while a large fraction of the idiot population were endorsing all of this theft of liberty and virtue signaling about "protecting and saving lives" while being Useful Idiots for Pfizer, Moderna, and Anthony Fauci. Hindsight is 20-20 though (not that any of us are forgiving you authoritarian, McCarthyist, Useful Idiot f*ckers for kissing Pfizer's asses for the useless and ineffective Fauci Ouchie). Anyway, South Korea among other countries, never had lockdowns.  However,  we still have to wear masks to this day. There's no end in sight. At the very least, they're not required outdoors anymore, but for any serious job, including mine as I work with kids, it's still serious mask BS business and standard COVID safety procedures. Which system would you have preferred to live through during COVID? The American/Western way things played out? Or the Korean/Asian way things played out?

Exterminatore · Accepted Answer

Certainly the Asian system is more appealing.

In America I have no doubt part of the intentions of the lockdowns was to financially damage as many people as possible to make them more dependent on government. When you have to look to the government for help with basic needs, you are not free. You are only free to the extent you are not reliant on them for such things.

This is why you saw the lockdowns in primarily blue states. They champion social programs. So the problem (lockdowns resulting in financial issues for individuals) was manufactured for the solution (free stuff now and if you want more free stuff and help in the future, vote Democrat.)

At this point regardless of where it is, any government or institution failing to acknowledge things got way too out of control and returning to the norm is not acceptable.

hahahmm · Accepted Answer

I don't like either option. And I think we're all in for a surprise when much worse bio weapons get unleashed one day. But a mask isn't going to save us from having a medical system & military defenses that aren't setup to protect the masses. The VIPs will be safe in their bunkers.

I just checked stats on covid deaths per million and a country like Sweden that did almost nothing about Covid has much fewer deaths than Israel which tried to jab as many people as possible.

So I think Florida had it right (also didn't do much).

Aerissa_Jade · Answer

No real lock downs here, in rural America but going to Yellowstone in Jan 2021 to snowmobile and being told by Rangers that Biden says we have to wear masks even while we are 50 plus feet from anyone on a machine with a helmet on, just shows how stupid Democrats are and Biden with his Executive order requiring Masks on all federal property.

That is when I knew nothing after that point could be good from him or Democrats ever and when I realized only idiots could of voted for him... and that more than half the country is stupid.

Businesses did shutdown and never opened up again, so I voted B, cause many are never coming back.

A_Bell · Answer

I read that 1.5% of China's GDP is spent on COVID testing. Not treat or vaccines, just testing. The world's secong biggest economy.

They are still having random and brutal lockdowns even years after declaring themselves COVID free.

On the other hand, Sweeden had fee restrictions and had some of the best success.

In the US, the reaction was mixed. Liberal areas locking down, while redder areas remained open. The red areas remained strong, while the blue areas faultered.

We should have just let it run its course.

SaoirseS · Answer

I saw (and actually still see occasionally) enough COVID death cases to know the disease was lethal, and potentially lethal for anyone, so I took the measures seriously. We had to alter some of our business practices, both as a matter of caution and to comply with temporary ordinances. Gradually they eased up. More to the question, in hindsight the measures here in the US were probably overkill, but understandable in light of the unknowns we were facing at the time. Perhaps somewhere between the US and South Korea might have been appropriate. As far as I know, only hospitals and other medical facilities currently require masks.

SecretsofKB · Answer

Honestly, is "neither" a choice lol?

I went through the lockdowns in the US, and they never truly bothered me. At the time, I thought they were necessary. I was working in a COVID ICU through all of that and what I saw there made me okay with whatever they needed to do to show it down or stop the spread.

I still wear masks when going in doors when it's small or crowded. I will probably be wearing masks at work for at least the next decade. I'm not going to change that.

So honestly, I would prefer neither option and just avoid the whole pandemic altogether, but that's not gonna happen. But the lockdowns never truly bothered me.

ZXCwWRQWz · Answer

I voted for the West because the level of conformity for a trend here in Japan, and I suspect, makes it seem near hopeless to see other people's faces again. I think even if this COVID stuff ends, all Japanese will be wearing masks long after because it is hard to break a society this conformist from conforming.

mrkdvsn · Answer

I work at what is called "an essential services" job, and therefore was able to continue working. I've never had COVID, nor any COVID jabs, and have never been "locked down".

My choice would naturally be the one that offers the most freedom, and freedom of choice

Barry88 · Answer

Being from Europe, I saw how they did it in Sweden. Way less restrictions and mask mandates compared to other European countries, and in the end, their figures are definitely not the worst among European countries. When I travelled to Sweden in 2020, everyone felt so normal. With hindsight, Sweden handled the situation better than any other European country.

TheUniqueOne96 · Answer

The Asian Procedure: No COVID Lockdowns or politicization of vaccines whatsoever, but having to still wear masks, take precautions, and use hand sanitizer in public until mid/late 2023.

It's just far less extreme, so makes sense.

JDavid25 · Answer

Probably the Asian procedure.. Even though I improved myself a bit over the lockdowns, learned more, and got unemployment.. I still would have rathered been working where I was and looking to move on slowly.. Even though they probably wouldn't have large gatherings, so I may have still been out of a job.. Neither option is optimal..

exitseven · Answer

I became unemployed in March 2020 and even though I was able to collect unemployment I never returned to my job and had to find another one. If there were no lockdowns or panic I would have just gone on with my life and just had to wear a silly mask.

LazerBean · Answer

Definitely option 1. Some places were worse than others, but in our area life changed for maybe a couple months before going back to normal. Still had to wear a mask every now and then, but lockdowns were hardly a thing.

worldscolide · Answer

The Asian way.. Honestly, my state like Florida had no lock downs and no mask mandates. Nor vaccine mandates.. And recently they found out that the vaccine does not help prevent transmission at all.

shortster · Answer

Other, lock up of Fauci and the Wuhan institute that perpetrated this on us through their own incompetence and arrogance.

Fuentes · Answer

The SK way was better, these SJWS and politician's who are woke ruined so much.

pers0n · Answer

If you're absolutely forced to comply, the masks are less lethal.

Mangospacho · Answer

I choose C. The Florida/Texas/South Dakota response. The “Florexakota” approach as it’s commonly known.

LemiaOfThunder · Answer

Tbh Covid was handled badly here. We came out of lock down too soon. We entered end of march and left begining of July. We should stayed till numbers had drop and we could counter the spread.

Jennz6 · Answer

Everyone should already be washing their hands

jimmy2 · Answer

All I know is how far screw up we was

TheNameIsRob · Answer

Neither are acceptable options

Regarding COVID, masks, and lockdowns, which would you have rather lived through?

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