The total lockdown appears to have worked, if external experts are to be believed.

I wish you were right but that fact that their graph of deaths shows an asymptote, Italy's doesn't yet with number of deaths not dissimilar.

China has seen something similar in the past which confers a measure of immunity, that Italy hasn't, IMNSHO.

Maybe Italian culture is not as obedient, but military guns on the street! Who would argue?