Yes, I agree about the German approach. Japan (which I follow closely) is similar -- the issue of masks is drama-free, and much more pragmatic than in the US. But when I say "pragmatic", I mean it on both sides: you also don't see the insanity of people scolding other people over something with uncertain marginal effect. That's the part I can't stand here in the US.

I do think that of all of the things we have done in this pandemic, the act of forcing someone to wear something -- and on the face, no less -- is fairly obviously a politically fraught act. I'm not terribly surprised that the symbolism of the act became the story.