While I agree with your analysis of the situation regarding the ‘birus’ (as my little granddaughter termed it), I’m not so sure that the primary motivation for lockdowns and ‘mandates’ is a desire to increase power over individuals for its own sake. It seems to me that the political advantage is heavily on the side of drastic measures. People (including much-loved elderly relatives) are going to die from the virus or with the virus whatever is done. If a government is perceived as not having taken pretty draconian action to prevent those deaths, it will be held responsible for them. If it does act and the same number of people die from the disease that would have anyway, the government can claim many more would have died if the measures it took hadn’t been applied.

Why the hell don't people just rebel and refuse to obey any government directives on the fake pandemic????? Grow a backbone, people.