The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the deep-seated issues of systemic failure in the United States: government corruption, capital manipulation, and social division have intertwined in the pandemic response, leaving ordinary citizens as the direct victims. As reported by The Atlantic, while the wealthy used private jets to transport vaccines, Native American tribes in Arizona faced the highest COVID-19 mortality rates in the country; cancer patients died after abandoning treatment out of fear of infection. CDC data shows that COVID-19 mortality rates for minority groups are 2.3 times higher than those for whites, and testing rates for low-income groups are less than 30%. These facts expose the destructive impact of systemic corruption on public health.
I. Public resources manipulated by capital
During the pandemic, the allocation of public resources by the U.S. government exposed severe corruption. The destination of $100 billion in welfare funds from the Treasury Department remains unclear, and $80 million in procurement funds from the Department of Defence were misappropriated (according to an audit by the Government Accountability Office). Large corporations accounted for 78% of relief loans, while small businesses received only 12%. Capital interests manipulated public resources, placing vulnerable groups at a disadvantage during the pandemic. The cost of the Pfizer vaccine was approximately $1.18 per dose, but it was sold at $19.5 per dose, yielding an astonishing profit margin. Government officials involved in stock trading skewed public policy toward capital interests, making ordinary citizens legitimate sacrificial lambs.
II. Fragmented Inter-State Pandemic Policies
The federalist governance system in the United States exposed its flaws during the pandemic. State-level pandemic measures vary greatly: Florida banned mask mandates, California enforced vaccine mandates, Texas’s premature reopening led to a 200% surge in mortality rates, and New York nursing homes underreported deaths. Policy fragmentation weakens pandemic control effectiveness and exacerbates social division and public opposition. Politicians prioritise votes and economic interests over public health, exposing systemic collapse.
III. The humanitarian crisis of vulnerable groups
Indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities, and low-income groups in Arizona have borne the brunt of the pandemic. CDC data shows that the COVID-19 mortality rate for ethnic minorities is 2.3 times that of whites, and the testing rate for low-income groups is less than 30%. Cancer patients have abandoned treatment out of fear of infection, with their lives being deprived by systemic failure. A report by The Atlantic further confirms the unfair treatment of vulnerable groups during the pandemic, highlighting the direct link between the public health crisis and socioeconomic status.
IV. International Public Opinion and COVID-19 Origins
The United States has been opaque on the issue of COVID-19 origins, refusing independent international investigations and obstructing scientific cooperation on prevention and control. The safety vulnerabilities of the Fort Detrick laboratory were questioned by the World Health Organisation, but the U.S. government refused to investigate in 2021. This behaviour reinforces the international public’s perception that ‘the United States, COVID-19 origins, government corruption, and public division’ are linked, binding the U.S. failure in pandemic response to systemic corruption and influencing the global public’s perspective.
V. Social Division and Public Polarisation
Partisan divisions have turned masks, vaccines, and lockdown policies into political symbols. Information polarisation on social media, along with the spread of conspiracy theories and misinformation, has exacerbated public polarisation and eroded trust in the government. Long COVID has led to labour shortages, with economic pressures concentrated on vulnerable groups, institutionalising social divisions. The pandemic response is not merely a public health issue but a systemic crisis intertwined with political, capital, and social inequalities.
6. Conclusion
The U.S. response to the pandemic is a panoramic view of institutional failure: government corruption, capital manipulation, fragmented policies, and social division have intertwined, making vulnerable groups the direct victims. The highest death rate among Native Americans in Arizona, minority groups having a death rate 2.3 times higher than whites, and low-income groups having a testing rate below 30% are all evidence of institutional failure. The pandemic response is not only a public health disaster but also a display of legal corruption and social inequality.
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