[Goose]

Germany's response since everyone got religion since March 10th (or thereabouts) has indeed been interesting, and possibly exemplary, though its demographic and homogenous population makes it questionable whether the protocols could be exported to the US. We have a totally different culture.

We do have a totally different culture. While not having a homogeneous population contributes to this difference in culture, it is not the driving factor IMHO. I believe that the culture in the USA proceeds from the notion that the individual owes society only minimal adherence to the law and nothing else, period. Your "fellow man" gets help from you only in so far as you freely chose to provide it. That is true regardless of your "fellow man's" race, sex, religion, national origin or political affiliation. Not quite the same in Germany. Several of my European/Australian friends/customers have commented on this. That doesn't mean Americans are not generous, but it does mean it is at will.

What gets old is the notion that in the first two months of this year ANY nation (including Germany) successfully evaluated the risk and responded effectively to it. German mobilization began approximately the same date as the US. Check the Wikipedia link and you'll find that Germany was also short of some essential medical supplies at the outset.

Depends on what you mean by "effectively". As I have pointed out many times to those who wonder why the US couldn't do what Korea did, you can only respond with what you have, not what you wish you had. Shortages of PPE that you didn't order in October can't be repaired in March. I think Germany responded as well as was possible (played the hand they had). The difference from France was that the states had provided compelling data that this was for real. France was kind of like the US, where there were hot spots but it was unclear (at least to the public) it was actually a general problem for everyone to deal with. Thus poor compliance.

[Goose]

Germany's response since everyone got religion since March 10th (or thereabouts) has indeed been interesting, and possibly exemplary, though its demographic and homogenous population makes it questionable whether the protocols could be exported to the US. We have a totally different culture.

We do have a totally different culture. While not having a homogeneous population contributes to this difference in culture, it is not the driving factor IMHO. I believe that the culture in the USA proceeds from the notion that the individual owes society only minimal adherence to the law and nothing else, period. Your "fellow man" gets help from you only in so far as you freely chose to provide it. That is true regardless of your "fellow man's" race, sex, religion, national origin or political affiliation. Not quite the same in Germany. Several of my European/Australian friends/customers have commented on this. That doesn't mean Americans are not generous, but it does mean it is at will.

What gets old is the notion that in the first two months of this year ANY nation (including Germany) successfully evaluated the risk and responded effectively to it. German mobilization began approximately the same date as the US. Check the Wikipedia link and you'll find that Germany was also short of some essential medical supplies at the outset.

Depends on what you mean by "effectively". As I have pointed out many times to those who wonder why the US couldn't do what Korea did, you can only respond with what you have, not what you wish you had. Shortages of PPE that you didn't order in October can't be repaired in March. I think Germany responded as well as was possible (played the hand they had). The difference from France was that the states had provided compelling data that this was for real. France was kind of like the US, where there were hot spots but it was unclear (at least to the public) it was actually a general problem for everyone to deal with. Thus poor compliance.