I agree it's a political problem - a political solution is proven by Asian democracies and Australasian democracies. As you say, it was pretty obvious that a 21-day lockdown with appropriate testing and follow-up would have resolved this issue in any country.
The people's right to have an opinion does not change the truth, that an indefinitely long half-lockdown is a bad compromise between opinions.
Why not? Just because a bunch of people hold that opinion? Political change happens despite groups of people not wanting it - that's almost the definition of politics.
Scientists working for the UK government at Imperial College rejected lockdown as a plan (even what we have now in the UK) because they found it not politically viable: that's a danger to everyone.
I agree it's a political problem - a political solution is proven by Asian democracies and Australasian democracies. As you say, it was pretty obvious that a 21-day lockdown with appropriate testing and follow-up would have resolved this issue in any country.
The people's right to have an opinion does not change the truth, that an indefinitely long half-lockdown is a bad compromise between opinions.