Oliver Bateman Does the WorkVerified account

If the mask directive had been rolled out right at the beginning, with backing from the health authorities who cautioned against their use, mask compliance would probably be somewhat higher right now. This would’ve become a panic-driven behavior, and more would still be doing it

We’d also be spared copious “masking as culture” essays, since this is now and forever after a political issue, unlike how it is treated in parts of Asia (a health/safety behavior tied to various other behaviors). But that ship has sailed here

I think it reveals a fundamental difference b/w the US and most other countries (esp in Asia) - the US has an underlying complete obsession with individual liberty/freedoms whereas other countries, again esp in Asia, have a stronger communitarian ethos.