An embarrassing “hit-parade” (continued)

As we seem to find ourselves in the middle of the planetary pandemic, the only yardstick that has much meaning for me is the rate of death per 100,000 people.

For example my home in Utah and its 3,206,000 inhabitants has experienced 351 Covid-19 death, which brings its rate to 10.95 / 100,000 people, pretty close to the best performing nations of Denmark and Germany.

To keep things simple, I have focused on a list of countries that are either well developed or significant enough politically or otherwise. Asia was the first continent hit, then Western Europe, then the US and Canada.

All other countries followed. Some Asian countries minimized the number of casualties remarkably well, like Vietnam and Taiwan. China did a good job, but I have a tough time trusting their total numbers as it might have had an incentive to minimize its casualty quite significantly.

India, on the other hand, is still in the middle of the pandemic and one is permitted to think that their numbers might get worse. Just as in the case of China, it’s very hard to believe the Russian numbers given the fact that country lies with an alarming regularity. Its credibility is zero.

Beside China, Singapore and Japan, off most of the large, densely populated countries, Germany did extremely well. Five times less death than in the United States. North of the border Canada had half the casualties than we had. France didn’t fare well at all, and so did Brazil and the US. Three highly politicized governments that were caught unprepared and in total disarray.

Sweden chose to do nothing and got what it deserved, especially compared to Denmark and Norway. Italy and Spain were also caught unprepared, but this wasn’t a shocker. The UK screwed up big time, with their head of state is in the same demented leagues as a Bolsenaro or a Trump!

Finally, why in the world, the good old Belgians find a way to kill so many of their folks?