The notion of “American exceptionalism” argues that the United States has a special role in the world and serves as a model for others to follow.

That myth has fallen prey to the rampaging coronavirus pandemic, or more specifically, to Washington’s disruption of the global fight against the deadly pathogen.

As the world’s sole superpower, the US has a responsibility to support the shared war against humanity’s common enemy, or at least set a fine example by containing the outbreak at home. However, Washington’s performance has made it disruptor-in-chief in this ongoing vital struggle, and let the world down deeply.

Politicians in Washington love to boast of America’s leading role in the world. Well, it is leading today — but in a tragic way. The country is now the world epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, with about one-third of the global caseload and death toll, respectively — more than any other place on the planet.

Clearly, despite all the warnings flashed by China or the World Health Organization (WHO), or even its own intelligence community, this US administration has simply dropped the ball — because of arrogance, negligence, or both.

The Associated Press, in a recently published op-ed, said the US responded to the pandemic with a system of “cascading failures and incompetencies”. It grumbled that “a nation with unmatched power, brazen ambition and aspirations through the arc of history to be humanity’s ‘shining city upon a hill’ cannot come up with enough simple cotton swabs”.

It seems that some Washington politicians have no interest in reflecting on what is going wrong in their own country. 

Faced with their coronavirus debacle, they are interested in two things: covering it up and blaming others.

When the US politicians attack China over transparency, they should know that they are the ones who tried to play down the dire threat of the disease despite having been repeatedly warned, refused to disclose how the administration was distributing medical supplies, and blocked Dr Anthony Fauci, an infectious disease expert and key figure on the White House coronavirus task force, from testifying before Congress.

The bluffing of the White House too easily reminds people of the theatrics of the UN presentation delivered by Colin Powell back in 2003, when the then US secretary of state, with outright lies, made the case for the bloody and destructive Iraq War.

Instead of contributing to the global drive to bear down on the pandemic, the incumbent US government has even launched an offensive to disrupt it.

Last month, Washington decided to halt funding for the WHO, while accusing it of “severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus”.

Such an irresponsible decision could not have come at a worse time. Now more than ever, the world needs this global health body to play its backbone role and coordinate an effective international response in the face of the still-raging pandemic.

After World War II, the United States joined countries around the world to create the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, all of which are pillars of the current world order that is underpinned by the spirit of multilateralism. That was a time when the United States had won some respect in the world, although Washington and Moscow quickly went head-to-head in the Cold War.

The coronavirus pandemic is “shaking bedrock assumptions” about “American exceptionalism”, Katrin Bennhold, The New York Times’ Berlin bureau chief, wrote in a recently published opinion piece.

Washington’s performance during the pandemic, along with this administration’s hostility toward free trade, economic globalization and the postwar world order the US helped shape, has degraded America into a shortsighted and strong-arm bully, willing to do anything for short-term self-interest.

The human race today faces many daunting challenges. To weather these challenges, including climate change and fatal infectious diseases such as COVID-19, demands input from everyone.

If US decision-makers want their country to be exceptional, they need to be responsible and their actions inspirational. Otherwise, “American exceptionalism” will become a laughing stock, deserving of international scorn.

The author is a Xinhua News Agency writer.