国际英语资讯:Commentary: Deadly pandemic exposes deficits in responsibility, morality in Washington_时事

国际英语资讯:Commentary: Deadly pandemic exposes deficits in responsibility, morality in Washington

BEIJING, May 9 -- The United States, though being the world's sole superpower, has so far let the world down in the high-stake combat to terminate the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The country's bungled performance has not only made itself the global epicenter of the deadly outbreak, but also exposed the deep deficits in responsibility, morality and readiness to lead in Washington.

The United States is the envy of the world in the realm of science and technology, as well as in the number of world-class medical professionals and the most advanced facilities. In addition to that, more and more evidence has shown that this White House has received repeated warnings from various sources about the outbreak since late last year.

Yet Washington's reluctance to act has rendered those concrete edges seemingly decorative and squandered months' invaluable time to get ready for the impact. As a result, the country's total infections have surged to more than 1.2 million, and the death toll has surpassed the number of Americans killed in the Vietnam War in less than four months since the country confirmed its first case on Jan. 21.

What is more worrisome is that Washington's lack of responsibility seems to be hitting a new high as the U.S. government is trying to reopen the country despite that infections and deaths are still mounting.

Gregg Gonsalves, co-director of Yale University's Global Health Justice Partnership, earlier this week lashed out at the U.S. administration's pandemic response and reopening plan as "close to genocide by default."