Savage1 your are one of the few reasonable people left.
As far as masks I have often wondered too. So I did my own research looking at heavy handed mask mandated states. They were California, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, and New York. They all had mask mandates for 5+ months. Using data from Our World in Data.com I found these states actually had higher case counts during the mandate periods than the rest of the country.
What does that tell me? Well, they could have tested more?? But if masks really work shouldn't there have been a result that showed just that??? Most of these states had the same fall surge as other non-mandated states.
My belief; masks are personal protection equipment (PPE). PPE is designed to protect the wearer. Only an N95 type respirator, properly fitted, would help protect someone. Then you have eyes too as an entry point. Cloth masks only protect you from spitting on others, not likely to happen. IMO.
The vaccine(s); Great for the original virus. Then Delta arrived and of course it would as flu-like viruses mutate around vaccines. The UK on July 19th, 2021 warned the world; they were just passing 50% vaccinated and 40% of hospitalizations were the vaccinated because of Delta. Joe Biden and the CDC's response was to drown out this news. Two days later Biden says on CNN townhall, Get vaccinated and you won't die, go to the hospital, or even get Covid. A total lie. They then declared "pandemic of the unvaccinated" and then a week later told the vaccinated to maskup too.
Large events required recent negative tests for the unvaxed and the vaccinated could just walk right in, knowing the vaccinated carry the virus too. STUPID.
I took the J&J in the fall of 2021 before traveling. No way was I getting the mRNA. And no boosters. In July of this year both the wife and I got the omicron. One ass kicking flu! But we got through it as my entire family has and they are all unvaxed. Some folks not so lucky.
To force vaccination or make requirement to keep job is some crazy shit, especially when the actual virus that the vaccine protects against all but gone and new mutations took over and infect the vaccinated.
One more thing. I live in the Midwest. States had found, last year, over 1/3 of the wild deer population had antibodies to COVID19 and were therefore exposed to it. Do we really understand how these viruses spread??? Think not. Do you suppose 1/3 of the deer violated the 6 foot rule to humans?? How the hell can they be 1/3 exposed?? We don't know!