I don't think "ambition" is the correct root cause for "not enough surgical masks", either.

Look at someone like Bill Gates. He had the knowledge of how dangerous a pandemic could be, the financial resources to manufacture or stockpile the basic medical items which would be needed, and as much ambition as anyone on this planet.

I hate to single out anyone in particular, as this is certainly not his fault. I don't mean to pick on him. It's just an example of how even cranking AMBition up to 20 wouldn't have prevented our current predicament.