I think the sentiment here applies generally. The world would be a much kinder place if we embraced radical cooperation. Why wait for disaster to strike before we start working together? But humans are egotistical by nature. That goes not only for the individuals that defied mandates, but for the policy makers too.

I think it's hard to define the "greater good" and even harder to tell who represents it. If you want to have the kind of cooperation you're talking about, it first requires trust. The data confirms trust makes a difference when you compare vaccine uptake in countries like Japan vs. Russia.

There's certainly much to be fed up about, but we can at least derive some practical questions from this experience.

* What was the source of distrust during the pandemic? Was it legitimate or illegitimate?

* Have our institutions earned trust since then so we can do better next time around?