Pandemic of 1957 -- when folks faced the matter

In 1957, the Asian Flu came to the U.S., resulting in 116K deaths; and in the totality of the matter, folks faced the matter without the intervention of international governance and national shutdown. 

The same pandemic caused over 1M deaths worldwide and still, no shutdown.  

Why Then...versus Now; why no shutdown with incomparable statistics versus shutdown with a fraction therein?  

And before you consider that it's due to modern times, advanced medicine and any other natural or scientific cause, consider that it is because the agenda of authorities was different Then (1957) than Now (2020); more specific, Now is partly a ploy, a program for the state to seize power as yet another ploy to invoke and instill compliance and conformance, the compromise of all personal liberty and privacy per the oldest trick in the book; fear.  

Understand that I acknowledge the reality of the virus as to its authenticity; still, the response has gone well beyond the top and sadly, folks fail to face the matter as it really is--not what they promote.