Several tragic events and policy failures marked 2023 as a year that brought shame on the United States. One of the most devastating humanitarian catastrophes occurred in Gaza, where the United Nations reported that Israeli assaults led to the deaths of nearly 22,000 Palestinians, including 8,200 children, within just 12 weeks.
The New York Times highlighted the alarming death toll among children in Gaza, which was 10 times higher than the number of Ukrainian children killed during nearly two years of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The headline read, Smoldering Gaza Becomes a Graveyard for Children.
Furthermore, the European Media Monitor documented over 57,697 Gazans who were injured, many of them seriously. Shockingly, around 1,000 children had their limbs amputated without anesthesia. Approximately 85 percent of the population in Gaza became homeless, facing starvation, infectious diseases, and a lack of clean drinking water, with no protection against the cold weather. Despite this dire situation, Israel continued to treat Gaza as an open prison and blocked humanitarian aid from reaching the region.
The Israeli forces also targeted journalists in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of over 60 journalists. The intention was to create a blackout and prevent the world from learning about the inhumane events unfolding in Gaza. Reporters Without Borders filed two war-crimes complaints with the International Criminal Court, accusing the Israel Defense Forces of intentionally killing seven Palestinian journalists. Furthermore, around 130 United Nations relief workers in Gaza were killed in Israeli airstrikes, severely hampering UN relief efforts.
Regrettably, the US, which claims to be a defender of human rights worldwide, turned a blind eye to these atrocities. It could have, but intentionally failed to leverage its influence as Israel’s strongest ally to stop the assault. Despite global condemnation of Israel for committing what amounted to “gross genocide” in Gaza, the Biden administration continued to supply Israel with weapons, further fueling its murderous rampage against innocent Palestinian civilians. According to a report by Israel’s Channel 12, over 20 ships and 244 US airplanes delivered more than 10,000 metric tons of armaments and military equipment to Israel since the start of the war. Among these supplies were at least 100 BLU-109, 2,000-pound (910-kilogram) bunker-buster bombs, which were repeatedly used throughout the conflict, causing hundreds of casualties each time.
The Israeli assault on Gaza would not have been possible without the unlimited support of weaponry from the US. Israel already receives $3.8 billion in annual military aid from the US, and the Biden administration sought an additional $14.3 billion in military aid from the US Congress. Even waiting for Congress’ approval, the US continued to supply weapons to Israel, fueling its relentless assault. Experts warned that this ongoing support could make the Biden administration complicit in genocide, earning US President Joe Biden the nickname “Genocide Joe”.
On Oct 18, the US stood alone in the UN Security Council, exercising its veto power to block a resolution calling for a humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza. While 12 countries voted in favor of the resolution and two abstained, the US single-handedly vetoed it. This act should have left the American people feeling ashamed of their government’s callousness. Furthermore, the US voted against a UN General Assembly resolution for a Gaza cease-fire, despite the backing of 153 countries representing 89 percent of the world’s population. This starkly highlighted the US as an adversary of the international community.
Another significant source of shame for the US was the proxy war it waged against Russia in Ukraine. This war could have been avoided had the US not reneged on its commitment not to expand NATO closer to Russia and secretly undermined a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine in 2022. The US continued to push for more funds for Ukraine, including a request to Congress for an additional $61.4 billion, prolonging the conflict and causing further human suffering and casualties in 2024.
Throughout the year, Washington engaged in provocations against Beijing over Taiwan Island and the South China Sea, using the Philippines as a pawn. The “balloon-gate” incident demonstrated the US’ excessive paranoia and hysteria over China.
US citizens should be outraged that their country has set a record-high defense budget of nearly $886 billion in 2023 to sustain overseas wars. Since 2000, the US has engaged in wars that have cost approximately $5 trillion in direct spending, costing around $40,000 per American household. This colossal sum could have been better used addressing critical domestic problems concerning poverty, homelessness, healthcare, education and numerous other social issues, instead of profiting the arms manufacturers.
The US has also witnessed a staggering rise in economic inequality. In 1979, the top 1 percent earned about 9 percent of all income in the US. By 2023, this figure had risen to 21 percent. Additionally, 37.9 million Americans lived in poverty in 2023, accounting for 11.6 percent of the population. Racial inequality remains apparent, with the median income of African American households at approximately 60 percent of that of white households, and 17 percent of the African American population living in poverty.
Homelessness in the US reached a crisis level in 2023, with a study revealing that 600,000 Americans were unhoused on any given night. This issue became particularly evident in famous tourist spots like Los Angeles and San Francisco, disgracing the country.
Tens of millions of US citizens lacked access to adequate healthcare, with 26 million individuals being uninsured. The absence of universal healthcare made the US the only wealthy nation without such a system.
The drug problem in the US also loomed large in 2023, with 111,344 overdose deaths reported. Drug overdoses became a leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45.
Gun violence remained a significant concern, resulting in the deaths of 43,000 people in 2023, averaging 118 deaths daily. Among the victims, 1,306 were teenagers and 276 were children. This figure included 1,344 individuals killed in police-officer-involved shootings. The year also witnessed 654 mass shootings, leading to 597 deaths and 2,380 injuries. Despite these alarming statistics, lawmakers showed reluctance in implementing effective gun safety and ownership laws, often because of their close relationships with the gun lobby and campaign contributions.
Furthermore, there was an increase in antisemitic and white supremacist hate crimes, reaching record levels in 2023. An annual study of the 10 largest US cities reported at least 2,184 hate crimes, representing a nearly 13 percent increase over 2022. One notable incident was a white supremacist terrorist attack on a supermarket in a Black community in Buffalo, New York. The striking image of a white police officer kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, a black man, until his death left a lasting impression on the nation and the world.
US citizens should also feel ashamed by the level of ignorance displayed by some lawmakers. During the year, one politician drafted legislation to ban garlic imports from China based on unfounded claims that Chinese garlic was grown in unsanitary conditions using slave labor. The politician cited unreliable sources such as cooking blogs, home magazines and YouTube videos, lacking trade and scientific evidence to substantiate his claims.
Looking ahead to 2024, US citizens have an opportunity to elect a president who can prioritize domestic issues, avoid further warmongering overseas, and encourage peaceful coexistence in the community of nations. By focusing on building a harmonious and prosperous society within itself, the US draws respect and cooperation worldwide. Peace and prosperity in our time is within reach with the right mindset.
The author is an adjunct professor of HKU Space and a former deputy commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
