A lot of ppl think 'no lockdown' means the Swedish ppl pursued herd immunity by going on as before. But when you talk to Swedish officials they are usually perplexed by this, b/c a mandate isn't the only way behavior changes--usually the other way around w/r/t Covid.

They certainly weren't *the same* as every other European nation, but the 'herd immunity' narrative that paints the Swedes as a country of Alex Jones bots and don't tread on me flags misses that some crucial *behavior* changed without it being mandated.

This is one of the problems with the way the US talks about Covid: no middle ground. The rest of the world doesn't operate this way, because it's extraordinarily dumb and deadly. Americans also fetishize gov't to a weird degree: other countries allow for common sense.

So they don't always assume that if it isn't mandated it isn't being done. Would you wear a mask without being forced to in indoor/close quarters? I would. The lack of a mask mandate is not the lack of mask wearing.

But we have legislators who try to outlaw tide pods. Our view of government simply doesn't allow for nonintervention. You can point to any number of similar issues: ppl call something 'banned' if it isn't subsidized by the government. It's weird.

Talk to Swedish officials about *why* certain mandates weren't put into effect, and you might be surprised by the answers. They aren't "because Covid is a hoax!"

Also around America, lockdown orders were lagging. Ppl had already, in many large metro areas, curtailed their leisure activities. I beg of ppl who fancy themselves analysts: if you're looking at a democracy, especially, watch the behavior, not the lawbooks.

And to be clear, I'm not saying Sweden did things right or wrong or in between--I'm saying the US media's discussion of Sweden attributes behavior to them that is not consistent with reality. It's also super insulting and condescending to Swedes, btw. Especially since it's wrong.

I remember one Swedish health official telling us that they recommended ppl do something and it was mostly followed. Why mandate that same thing? It's a revolutionary idea in America but not every politician or public official around the world is on a power trip.

Now, maybe we're just not good listeners and we like to make trouble. Fine--but *Sweden* didn't need more than simple recommendations for certain behavioral changes, and ppl talk about *Sweden* as if that meant those behavioral changes never happened.

And then we debate it here: 'oh look at dumb Sweden with their herd immunity strategy!' We end up debating things that didn't happen, and using false assumptions as the basis for our own recommendations. It's cartoonish. Stop it. Swedes exist, talk to them.