[Goose]

Freedom to spread the coronavirus is not an inalienable right.  It was not only China that shut down the virus, virtually all East Asia countries put the US response to shame.  Why is this one category where the usually competitive Americans are satisfied to fail?

Good question. I think the answer is that Americans look at it from the point of view "What maximizes my happiness?". They would rather do things that make them happy or richer even if that increases the spread of the virus and others may die because of it. As long as they aren't the ones who die, they don't care much. Americans have little concept of collective responsibility. If things get bad enough, eventually Americans will take note, but it has to be pretty bad.

Other cultures have a notion of collective responsibility  and/or a government that will enforce that responsibility. In Japan, the Prime Minister has no power to order people to work from home. However, when he asked, they did. Enforcement wasn't needed. Most countries with this sense of responsibility are culturally homogeneous. Those that aren't have very strong central governments with widespread powers (Singapore).

[Goose]

Freedom to spread the coronavirus is not an inalienable right.  It was not only China that shut down the virus, virtually all East Asia countries put the US response to shame.  Why is this one category where the usually competitive Americans are satisfied to fail?

Good question. I think the answer is that Americans look at it from the point of view "What maximizes my happiness?". They would rather do things that make them happy or richer even if that increases the spread of the virus and others may die because of it. As long as they aren't the ones who die, they don't care much. Americans have little concept of collective responsibility. If things get bad enough, eventually Americans will take note, but it has to be pretty bad.

Other cultures have a notion of collective responsibility  and/or a government that will enforce that responsibility. In Japan, the Prime Minister has no power to order people to work from home. However, when he asked, they did. Enforcement wasn't needed. Most countries with this sense of responsibility are culturally homogeneous. Those that aren't have very strong central governments with widespread powers (Singapore).