Lets wait to see what the economic impacts of this fear culture brings, before announcing there are no casualties.

Equating basic precautionary measures with fear culture doesn't sound right. There's absolutely nothing inherently wrong with an individual deciding to wear a mask. I do agree that the tribalism that surrounds masks is ugly and harmful to society as a whole, but I'm fundamentally opposed to throwing away smart, simple solutions just because they're stained by politics.

What would wearing a mask in relatively safe conditions add to the collective trauma of the past year?

If you don't watch tv , you wouldn't have any trauma. Save for the odd people appearing in your neighborhood, who cover their face.

"Culture of fear" is Fox News raison d'etre for existing.

The idea that wearing a mask is at the forefront of this issue is laughable.

That may be. Yet, you see it.

You're being downvoted, but it's abundantly clear that at least some view masking as a moral or intellectual signal, and this "othering" is certain to have some impact, either personally or socially.

Furthermore, just as many warned in the early days of the lockdowns that extended lockdown may induce unhealthy behavior—which is evidenced in significantly higher suicide, mental illness, drug abuse, and so on—there are certain to be some undesirable side-effects of vaccinated mask wearing. What those would amount to is not known, but certainly deserves to be explored and expressed.

Why it has been left to the fringe skeptics to dive into these n-th order consequences—some real; some imagined—in the presence of the greatest minds of our times is, quite frankly, deeply disturbing.

It seems the world has transformed everyone into reactionaries, while it should be patently obvious that we should all strive to be rational in these complicated times.

This speaks very poorly for what we've built over millennia, and leaves the lessons of history to floresce in the corners while everyone goes to war with their chosen side.

> which is evidenced in significantly higher suicide,

Most places haven't yet seen increased suicide rates, and certainly not "significantly higher suicide".

Wonderful comment. Thank you.