Most fads, including moral ones, readily admit that previous versions were suboptimal. If anything, the more rapidly changing the style, the more virtuous the ones who can keep up look.
(FWIW, I do think better masks would have provided more protection for less suffering than other preventative measures. In the absence of state-mandated good masks, I wish the social pressure had been there to make good masks trendy.)
The lack of social pressure for better masks and the lack of government mandates for stronger makes are two different topics.
Most moral fads work in a decentral way where an individual who has an idea of how to signal a value in a stronger way can start the trend. A moral trend about the virtues of following government edicts is more centralized which less room to grow organically.
Requiring more efficient masks includes admitting that the previous mask mandate was suboptimal.
It turns those people, who virtuously wear a surgical mask into people who unvirtuously do not wear the required masking.
Most fads, including moral ones, readily admit that previous versions were suboptimal. If anything, the more rapidly changing the style, the more virtuous the ones who can keep up look.
(FWIW, I do think better masks would have provided more protection for less suffering than other preventative measures. In the absence of state-mandated good masks, I wish the social pressure had been there to make good masks trendy.)
The lack of social pressure for better masks and the lack of government mandates for stronger makes are two different topics.
Most moral fads work in a decentral way where an individual who has an idea of how to signal a value in a stronger way can start the trend. A moral trend about the virtues of following government edicts is more centralized which less room to grow organically.