I think we will look back on this as one of the great weaknesses of decentralized, democratic, random-walk governance, fueled by misinformation and lack of leadership.
*Disclaimer: yes I wear a mask indoors in public places and outdoors when not able to be 6 feet from everyone. No I don't wear a mask when walking alone outside, that is stupid and just shows how much our messaging on covid sucked even with the middle and upper classes.
Why not? Ultimately, people are what matters. You know who can't exercise free speech and assembly? Dead people. Why is a 6 month hard lockdown worse than letting people keep walking around for 6 months? This sounds like a moral, absolutist statement you're making; like life is an art project, and the aim is to exercise some particular set of principles.
(Free speech? What's the threat to free speech here? Is it the people spreading bullshit and conspiracy about Covid that's getting people killed?)
China/Vietnam have stopped covid, that's great but you can't exercise many of the freedoms that are allowed here. Imagine if someone tried to fly a baby Xi balloon in China, or even practice a religion without fearing persecution or death? Or even mention tiananmen square massacre or the death toll from the Great Leap Forward...
That is still going on and yet we are looking to China style lockdowns as a model of how to deal with Covid.
I can't exercise my right to free assembly in good conscience when a pandemic is going on. I can't walk into a business with my mask off, which is literally an infringement on my right to free speech. I'd rather finish off the pandemic quickly and have full rights back than live with half "rights".