Humankind as a community with shared future must put aside differences and act together in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic

　　美國是當今世上綜合國力最強、科技最發達的國家，也是抗疫最失敗的國家，總統特朗普及夫人梅拉尼婭昨日確診，就是最新證明。事件被形容為「十月驚奇」、「病毒斬首戰」，再也恰當不過。

　　就在數日前召開的聯大會議上，特朗普猶在大肆吹噓他的領導如何「英明」，美國抗疫如何「成功」，這些如今都已淪為國際笑柄。事實是，美國確診個案突破七百萬，死亡人數突破二十一萬，這個數字已遠遠超過了美國自二戰結束後捲入所有戰爭的死亡者總和。和平時期，美國死亡如此慘重，如果這就是特朗普掛在口邊的「美國第一」，只能令人悲哀。

　　有果必有因，特朗普看似被親密助手感染，實則禍根早種，咎由自取。他先是掉以輕心，將疫情輕描淡寫為「感冒」；繼而隱瞞疫情，揚言「四月份就會結束」；當謊言破滅，他不是向中國潑污水，就是諉罪下屬「誤導」，或將世衞組織當成替罪羊。可惜，推卸責任不能解決任何問題，病毒不分種族，不問政治，也不管高官權貴還是普通老百姓，誰防疫鬆懈，誰就會受到懲罰。

　　抗疫是科學，中國抗疫做得最成功，就是尊重科學之故。美國深陷疫情的泥沼難以自拔，最大原因是特朗普抗疫無視科學，不理專家意見，反而將疫情當成「政治牌」來打，內攻政敵，外打中國。最荒唐的是，特朗普還曾推銷一種消毒藥水，並吹噓一種未經證實的抗疫藥物，親自試用，而且誤導公眾。到頭來，他自己被疫情繫倒，被破掉的不僅是「金剛不壞之身」，還有他吹下的無數牛皮。這個自詡美國史上「最偉大」的總統，原來是沒有穿衣的皇帝。

　　西方國家在疫情前不堪一擊，東方國家表現較好，為人們帶來新的思考。以特朗普的閱歷，不可能不知道病毒厲害及戴口罩有效，但他為了迎合選民的口味，一再做出荒唐無稽的事來，更不顧傳染風險到處拉票，最終是害人復害己。中國抗疫「人命至上」，美國抗疫「選票至上」，甚至認為死者都是上了年紀的人，沒有必要為他們浪費醫療資源，西方的「人權」就是這麼的虛偽。

　　如果說新冠疫情有正面意義，那就是證明人類是命運共同體，只要地球村有一個地方存在疫情，其他人就沒有安全可言。為抗疫，領導者不能再操弄政治，而應該攜手同心打好這一仗，否則，疫情沒完沒了，更多更大的災難還在後頭。

　　2020-10-03

　　In the world today, the United States of America is the strongest country in terms of its comprehensive national strength, and it owns the most advanced science and technology. Yet it is also the biggest loser in the battle against the pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and the latest evidence in this regard is served by the fact that both U.S. President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump were confirmed yesterday to have contracted the coronavirus. No other description of this incident is more appropriate than an “October surprise” or a “decapitation war by a virus”.

　　Just at the general debate of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly days ago, Trump was still wantonly boasting about his “wise” leadership and America’s “success” in fighting against the coronavirus. Now all this has become an international laughing stock. As a matter of fact, the number of confirmed infection cases in the U.S. already exceeds seven million with more than 210,000 deaths. This death toll is far bigger than the total number of Americans killed in all wars the U.S. has got itself into since the end of the World War Two (WWII). So many Americans have perished in peacetime. If this were the “America First” as Trump keeps talking about over and over, then it is really a great grief.

　　“Out of nothing, comes nothing.” Trump seems to have gotten the infection from his close aide, but it is his own undoing in the final analysis so the blame lies with himself and no one else.　　In the beginning, he took the COVID-19 lightly, playing it down as some “influenza”; then he covered up the outbreak of the infectious disease, asserting that “it would come to an end in April”; after such lies were exposed, he began to either sling mud at China or blame his subordinates for “misleading” him, or make the World Health Organization (WHO) the scapegoat. Unfortunately, shirking responsibility solves no problem. The virus is non-racial and apolitical. It punishes whoever is slack in epidemic prevention - be he or she a high-ranking official, a powerful, a rich or an ordinary person.

　　Epidemic prevention and control is a science. China is the most successful in epidemic prevention exactly because it respects science.　　The Unites States is bogged down in a quagmire and finds it difficult to extricate itself, mostly because Trump ignores science in epidemic prevention. He turns a deaf ear to opinions of experts and instead plays the epidemic as a “political card” to attack his political enemies internally and China externally. The most absurd thing is that he had even once promoted injecting disinfectant as treatment, boasted about an unapproved drug and took it personally, misleading the public. In the end, he is knocked down by the virus, hence shattered are not only his “super and indestructible body” but also all his brags. This self-boasted “greatest” president of the United States in history turns out to be a cloth-less emperor.

　　In the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, Western countries can hardly withstand a single blow while Eastern countries show a better performance. This gives people new food for thought. Given his background and experience, it is impossible for Trump not to know about the severity of the virus and the effectiveness of wearing face masks. Yet he, in order to cater to the taste of voters, has repeatedly done absurd things and even run about to solicit votes regardless of the risk of spreading infection. This turns out to injure others and himself in the end. In the battle against the pandemic, China upholds “Human Lives First”, while the U.S. sticks to “Votes First” and even to the view that there is no need to waste medical resources since the deaths caused are mostly aged people. How hypocritical the West’s advocacy for “human rights” is!

　　If the COVID-19 pandemic could be said to have some positive significance, then this lies in that it shows humankind is a community with shared future. In this Global Village, when there is a disease breaking out in a place, there can hardly be safety for others elsewhere. In this battle against the pandemic, leaders must stop engaging in political manipulations and act together with one heart to win out. Otherwise, the disease will spread without end, and more and greater catastrophes are yet to come

　　03 October 2020