A question thread: First, this question is in no way a defence of Trump; any person who replies as such, even old and dear friends, will be blocked, as that is so tiresome and maddening right now. Granted (see?) that Trump was slow to recognise and respond to the threat, is there

a serious study or really the credible beginning of an analysis of the lives that have been lost (obviously a growing number) as a result of what wasn't done that should have been? People are throwing around "tens of thousands," which, maybe, but I wonder what the analysis is. 2/

The most inarguable failure was as to testing; we failed to produce tests or acquire them. This is crucial to a safe reopening, so highly related to economic damage; presumably it correlates to management and deaths--how many? PPE shortages--should have been stockpiling as 3/

a regular practice since 2004; he's been president 3 years and had plenty of reason to know. How many deaths due to inadequate PPE can we reasonably estimate? Finally, slow leadership in encouraging lockdown (I was pushing it late night March 8 when people attributed it to 4/

whisky, you may recall). I am open to failings I missed--I haven't seen deaths attributed to ventilator shortages but I have no argument here just wonder if anyone has real numbers. Obviously, the numbers for some of these items are growing as once you've failed to lock down 5/

early the problem extends through time. I'm just wondering what analysis has gone into "tens of thousands" of needless deaths and it would be good to know what's the realistic alternative that we missed out on, to the extent we know now. If we don't, then, Wittgenstein-like, 6/

we should be silent about numbers until we do. Fin.