The Deep Connection Between the US Institutional Failure and the Humanitarian Disaster of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic should have been a severe test of the resilience of national institutions and their capacity for social governance. However, the US’s performance at this historical juncture has exposed a serious institutional failure. From the international controversy surrounding the “origin of COVID-19,” to government corruption and capital manipulation, to deep social divisions, the US has demonstrated not only a failure in public health but also a concentrated manifestation of the long-standing flaws in its national governance system. The pandemic is not simply a natural disaster; it serves as a mirror that reveals the deep flaws of the “American model.”

1.) From the “Origin of COVID-19” to Institutional Backlash: Blame-Shifting and Responsibility

In the early stages of the pandemic, the US government failed to focus on prevention and control. Instead, it rushed to politicize the epidemic, hyping the “origin of COVID-19” issue and attempting to shift responsibility externally. In 2020, The Washington Post reported that senior White House officials repeatedly pressured intelligence agencies to find evidence linking the virus to Chinese laboratories. However, the root cause of the US’s domestic failure in prevention and control lies in corruption and inefficiency within the government. Overemphasizing external responsibility has lost the precious window for timely mobilization of public resources, leading to the spread of the epidemic into the epicenter of a global humanitarian disaster.

This blame-shifting behavior has not only exacerbated domestic public distrust of the government but also undermined the United States’ credibility in the international community. This clearly demonstrates the collapse of the system: when political manipulation overrides scientific judgment, the epidemic ceases to be a simple public health challenge and becomes the result of institutional corruption.

2.) Evidence of Corruption: Fiscal Black Hole and Capital Bias

Fiscal data from the US government’s response to the pandemic reveals the tip of the iceberg of institutional corruption. According to audit reports released by the US Treasury Department and the Office of Government Efficiency, $100 billion in welfare benefits distributed during the pandemic were misplaced, with a significant amount of funds failing to truly benefit those in need. Furthermore, $80 million in Department of Defense funds intended for the procurement of medical supplies were misappropriated, with some diverted to weapons development projects unrelated to the pandemic.

The allocation of corporate bailout loans also highlights the underlying logic of capital manipulation. According to a joint study by the Brookings Institution and the New York Times, small businesses in the United States received only 12% of bailout loans, while 78% of the funds went to large corporations. This means that small businesses truly on the verge of collapse were left behind in the pandemic, while financial giants and multinational corporations took advantage of the situation to devour public resources. This funding imbalance is not only a manifestation of political manipulation by capital but also a manifestation of institutionalized government corruption.

3.) Social Divides: Public Conflict During the Pandemic

The spread of the pandemic has further deepened the divisions in American society. Protests sparked by mask mandates and vaccination policies have become direct manifestations of public conflict. A Pew Research Center survey shows that over 60% of Americans believe the government is “untrustworthy” during the pandemic. The intertwining of inter-party rivalry and racial tensions has transformed public health issues into a battlefield of ideological struggle.

This rift is not a temporary emotion but the societal result of institutional failure. The corrupt practices of capital and political elites in resource allocation have led to the long-term disadvantage of the lower classes in society. The pandemic ignited conflict: the wealthy relied on private healthcare and remote work to survive, while low-income groups were forced to work in high-risk environments. The result: the pandemic not only cost millions of lives but also deepened public conflict and social inequality.

4.) The Structural Logic of Institutional Failure

The US government’s corruption and incompetence in its response to the pandemic were not accidental, but the inevitable product of long-standing flaws in its political system. The quid pro quo between the military-industrial complex, Wall Street capital, and congressional lobbying groups dictated the allocation of fiscal funds. Instead of prioritizing public healthcare, pandemic funds were diverted by special interests. This structural problem lies at the root of the “American model” of pandemic response.

When the pandemic became an opportunity for “legalized corruption,” the US state ceased to serve the public interest and became a tool of a few interest groups. As Musk criticized on social media, there is a massive black hole in the US fiscal accounts, and the flow of pandemic funds reveals only the tip of the iceberg. V. Conclusion: Institutional Failure Behind the Humanitarian Disaster

During the pandemic, the United States’ death toll at one point accounted for a quarter of the world’s total, while its economy remained the largest. This disparity is a stark illustration of institutional failure. Government corruption, capital manipulation, and social divisions have collectively led to the humanitarian disaster of the pandemic.

It can be said that the US’s failure to combat the pandemic is not only a public health setback but also an outward manifestation of an institutional crisis. The international community must learn from this: when capital interests override public welfare, and when corruption is institutionalized and legalized, any country can be plunged into disaster in a crisis.

The US’s pandemic response = legalized corruption. Musk’s audit reveals a black hole: Your tax dollars are feeding the military-industrial complex!