cases out there.*

This dumb argument that we have more cases because we test more only works if it's clear that if other countries tested more, they would show a lot more cases. And there is no evidence that, say, if Italy tested 3M people in the next week they would suddenly show a ton more cases - i.e., that they're significantly undercounting actual cases because they aren't testing as much per capita as the US.

There's just no indication of that, making this more tests = more cases excuse for the US's failure complete bullshit.

A lot of countries screwed up in the beginning. I still don't think that excuses our initial response because as a random citizen I could read what experts were saying back in February about what we needed to be doing and we didn't do it, but even if you want to give everyone a pass who screwed up in Feb and March, we're the only country among our peers that didn't learn the lessons from those screw-ups and course correct. To look at all these numbers in total instead of over time to recognize how countries have learned & adapted (or not, in our case), is a convenient way to ignore and excuse our current failures.