Monkeypox exposes sickness in US political system: China Daily editorial

Just as it failed to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, the United States is failing in its response to the spread of the monkeypox virus as the number of cases has increased to 16,603 as of August 24, the largest of all countries. As of Sunday, the virus had been detected in all 50 states in the country.

That this happens despite it having suitable vaccines in its Strategic National Stockpile points to the serious flaws in its social governance.

When the first monkeypox infection was reported in the US in May, the Joe Biden administration sent a confident message, which came to: We've got this.

However, they haven't. The measures that should have been taken have remained a lip service. The country has obviously not learned the lessons from its poor response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in the US having the largest number of COVID-19 infections and deaths due to the disease in all countries.

Then what has gone wrong? Why did it fail in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic and now to the monkeypox pandemic?

The political system in the US is ailing. Those in power have been too preoccupied with bipartisan struggles to pay attention to the making and implementation of specific policies to ensure people's well-being. Winning elections and beating political rivals have been placed above the public good.

Such a twisted practice means the political parties in the US have parted company with the people, and they are now just playing political games within their own circle. Politics for the sake of politics has become the harmful reality of the US.

This has emasculated the social governance of the US as it has rendered the governing bodies at all levels ineffective. As a result, preemptive measures to contain the spread of the monkeypox virus upon its appearance have failed to be taken. Foot dragging thereafter has made the US health department miss every opportunity possible to contain the spread of the virus.

On the current evidence, it is clear that the US will not be able to respond effectively to any health hazards to come. It will not be able to protect its people from future outbreaks of deadly diseases, which experts say are likely to become more frequent as a consequence of climate change.

The US always points its fingers at other countries when it comes to the issues of human rights. But it is indeed high time that it carefully examined its own human rights conditions. Its failed responses to the novel coronavirus and monkeypox virus show it has failed to safeguard people's right to health.

The US needs to be reminded that it should put its own house in order first before lecturing other countries.