> If we actually locked down for a month or so we might have had a shot at beating it with less long-term misery, but since covid was so politicized and governm

> If we actually locked down for a month or so we might have had a shot at beating it with less long-term misery, but since covid was so politicized and government was too timid to actually do that, we half-assed it instead, and here we are a year later. Looking at the situation from the outside, your point can't be emphasised enough. I live in a region that took the initial stay-at-home orders seriously, imposed self-isolation requirements for anyone entering the region, and got numbers low enough that tracking became a realistic tool for containment. Kids go to school, safely and with relative normalcy. Adults work at home when possible and in their workplace when necessary. Most of the restrictions we face are in the form of public health regulations rather than shutdowns. When there are shutdowns, they are targeted and of limited duration. Yes, certain parts of the economy have been hit hard. On the other hand, they would have been hit hard anyway. Accepting the pain at the start of the pandemic has also protected many other parts of the economy.