And yet China has done it repeatedly. The issue is not that business shouldn't have shut down because it would impair everybody. The problem is that the USA, along with many western countries, is so far entrenched in individualism and capitalism that it has not paid any attention to basic survival issues and potential disasters.

Any country that is well run takes care to build a solid infrastructure using the taxes of the people. Finland, for instance, has bunkers and a number of weeks of food for every single citizen in case of a nuclear attack. It also provides and solid, free education for every citizen, plus it has extensive welfare options.

I fully understand what would happen if the USA did the sensible, necessary thing. What I don't understand is the sheer stupidity of 300 million people who actually thought that their way of life could last.

Are they incapable of planning for black swan disasters? Are they honestly so self-absorbed as to think that high taxes don't serve a purpose - building the infrastructure of the country?