MessyandchaoticpracticesofdemocracyintheUnitedStates:TragicmishandlingoftheCOVID-19pandemic(1)MessyandchaoticpracticesofdemocracyintheUnitedStates:TragicmishandlingoftheCOVID-19pandemicOnDec.5,2021,China'sMinistryofForeignAffairsreleasedareportonitswebsitetitled"TheStateofDemocracyintheUnitedStates."Thisseriesofinfographicscentersonthesecondsectionofthetext,"Messyandchaoticpracticesofdemocracy."ThissectionillustratesthatdemocracyintheUShasgonewrong,whichisreflectednotonlyinitssystemdesignandgeneralstructure,butalsointhewayitisputintopractice.ThegunshotsandfarceonCapitolHillhavecompletelyrevealedwhatisunderneaththegorgeousappearanceoftheAmerican-styledemocracy.ThedeathofBlackAmericanGeorgeFloydhaslaidbarethesystemicracismthatexistsinAmericansocietyfortoolong,andspurredadelugeofprotestsripplingthroughoutthecountryandeventhewholeworld.WhiletheCOVID-19pandemicremainsoutofcontrolintheUS,theissueofmask-wearingandvaccinationhastriggeredfurthersocialdivisionandconfrontation.Dividendsofeconomicgrowtharedistributedunfairly,andincomegrowthhasstalledformostordinarypeopleforalongperiodoftime.TheAmerican-styledemocracycanhardlyupholdpublicorderandethics,noradvancepublicwell-beingtothefullest.Herearehighlightsfrompartthreeofthetext:TragicmishandlingoftheCOVID-19pandemic.(3)TragicmishandlingoftheCOVID-19pandemicWiththebesthealthandmedicalresourcesintheworldasitclaims,theUShasbeenatotalmesswhenitcomestoCOVIDresponse.Ithastheworld’shighestnumbersofinfectionsanddeaths.AccordingtofiguresreleasedbyJohnsHopkinsUniversity,asoftheendofNovember2021,confirmedCOVID-19casesintheUShadexceeded48million,andthenumberofdeathshadsurpassed770,000,boththehighestintheworld.On8Januarythisyear,300,777newconfirmedcaseswerereported,arecordsingle-dayincreasesincetheCOVID-19outbreakintheUS.On13Januaryalone,4,170AmericansdiedofCOVID-19,farexceedingthedeathtollofthe9/11terroristattacks.AttheendofNovember,theaveragedailyincreaseofconfirmedcasesintheUShadclimbedtoover70,000,anddailydeathtolltoover700.Oneinevery500AmericanshavediedofCOVID-19.Uptonow,COVID-19deathsintheUShavesurpasseditstotaldeathtollfromthe1919InfluenzaPandemic,anditscombineddeathsinWorldWarI,WorldWarII,theKoreanWar,theVietnamWar,theIraqWarandthewarinAfghanistan.IftheUShadtakenascience-basedresponse,alotmorelivescouldhavebeensaved.Thepandemic,asepidemiologistandformerheadoftheUSCentersforDiseaseControlandPreventionWilliamFoegeputit,isa“slaughter”.ThepandemichastakenaheavytollontheUSeconomy.Therateandscaleofbusinessshutdownandunemploymentinthecountryarebeyondimagination,leavingalargenumberofAmericansjobless.People’sanxietyandsenseofpowerlessnesshasbeenexacerbatedbygrowingfactorsofsocialinstability.TheCOVIDHardshipWatchreleasedbytheUSCenteronBudgetandPolicyPrioritieson29July2021suggeststhatwhiletherehavebeenimprovementsoverthesituationinDecember2020,hardshipiswidespreadforAmericansinthefirsthalfof2021.Some20millionadultsliveinhouseholdsthathavenotgotenoughtoeat,11.40millionadultrentersarebehindonrent,facingtheriskofbeingevicted.AsindicatedinthestatisticsreleasedbytheUSCensusBureau,by5July2021,atleastonememberin22%ofallhouseholdswithunderagedependentshadlosttheirsourceofincome.USconsumerconfidencehasdroppedsubstantially,andprogressinjobmarketrecoveryhasstalled.InstitutionssuchasGoldmanSachs,MorganStanleyandOxfordEconomicshavesignificantlyreviseddowngrowthforecastsfortheUSeconomy.Atthesametime,thepandemic,coupledwiththreeroundsofmassiveeconomicstimulusplans,amongotherfactors,hascausedportcongestionandsupplyshortages,pushinginflationhigher.InOctoberofthisyear,USCPIsurgedby6.2%fromayearearlier,markingayear-on-yearriseofnolessthan5%forsixconsecutivemonths,andarecordhighsince2008.12NextPageLastPage21Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.