In the Pandemic, the US Is Becoming a Modern Hell on Earth

The U.S. is becoming mired in a humanitarian disaster caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, yet the heads of the American government have remained indifferent to the crisis and are refusing to mobilize and adopt strong emergency measures across the nation. This is an infuriating dereliction of duty. They are committing an inexcusable crime of the highest order.

In the first five days of December, there were more than 1 million new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. The death rate there is now over 2,000 per day; on Dec. 3, the number of deaths climbed to 2,879. Hospitals are nearly out of beds, and in some areas, crematoriums and cemeteries are already overwhelmed. The most developed nation in the world has become the world's most horrific COVID-19 killing ground.

What is hell on earth? Today's America is an accurate depiction of a modern-day hell on earth. Many countries around the world have been accused of human rights abuses by the U.S. to the point of tedium. Some others have been bound up by their friendship with the U.S. Despite this, it's time for the international community to stand up and say to the leaders of this superpower, "You treat the lives of your citizens as if they were no more than blades of grass; you are violating the threshold of humanitarianism, and you are shameful traitors and deserters in the battle between humanity and COVID-19."

All men are created equal. Everyone has a right to avoid infection and death as much as possible. Although citizens may choose not to follow preventive measures because of their personal circumstances, the government should still create conditions to protect them. It cannot just resign itself to let fate decide whether they live or die. American lives matter, and U.S. citizens should not be treated like some suicide squad as part of a herd immunity strategy. To date, more than 280,000 people have died due to COVID-19 within the U.S., and some 3,000 to 4,000 deaths per day are forecast in the near future. This is a massacre. In the 21st century, it's a disgrace to humanity.

In addition, a study in the U.S. found that 10% of mothers report that their children under five have experienced some level of hunger in the past two months. The U.S. Department of Commerce stated that in the past month, 12% of American families "sometimes" or "often" did not have enough to eat. Long lines have been forming outside of locations that offer free food to the public. Should this be happening in the world's richest country?

The U.S. government's ability to effectively respond to public health crises is heavily compromised. The country has been drawn into a protracted political conflict by the political elite. In the middle of this global pandemic, it's clear to people that the current administration is not concerned with combating the pandemic; its thoughts are consumed only by the election and its political interests. The American public has become divided as the conflict between the country's political parties has grown more and more intense. They are fractured and disorganized, unable to come together as one or reach a consensus on a pandemic response.

If there were truly no way to prevent a COVID-19 outbreak, then the failed response by the U.S. might be excusable, but many countries and economies in Asia, including China, have successfully controlled their outbreaks. In these places, the disease is now fairly, or even considerably, under control. Clearly the pandemic is manageable. There is no way for the U.S. to justify its surrender, logically or morally.

The current U.S. administration values the economy, but the U.S. economy has not improved this year. Apart from an abnormal boom caused by large amounts of hot money flowing into the stock market due to quantitative easing, has there been any real economic achievement to show?

The behavior of the current U.S. administration surrounding the pandemic has been arrogant and foolish, and has shown the ethical limits of passing the buck to others as a means of avoiding responsibility. So many happy lives have been lost forever in this pandemic. This is true capitalist tyranny masquerading as democracy and freedom.

These politicians have committed crimes against humanity, but what punishment will they receive? The world is watching the U.S., hoping that the country not only welcomes a new administration, but that it also finally gathers the nerve to uphold justice and condemn wrongdoing.