White flags are seen on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Sept. 16, 2021. More than 660,000 white flags were installed here to honor the lives lost to COVID-19 in the United States.Photo:Xinhua

As the COVID-19 epidemic takes away hundreds of lives every day in the US, that country's propaganda machinery is engaging in vicious smears against China's dynamic zero-case policy of epidemic prevention. 

For example, The New York Times published a typical article on Wednesday, written by Li Yuan, a journalist of Chinese origin. The special part of this article is it targets millions of grassroots medical workers behind the so-called iron-fist to contain the epidemic in China, claiming the "vast army of community workers" has committed "the banality of evil."

It is known that "the banality of evil" stems from Adolf Eichmann, one of the most pivotal actors in the implementation of what Nazis called the "final solution to the Jewish question" and among the major organizers of the Holocaust. Eichmann was not the first Nazi defendant to argue obedience and adherence to the law. He said he was following orders as military personnel. At last, he was sentenced to death by hanging. 

It is too vicious to analogize a Nazi to China's community and grassroots workers striving to realize dynamic zero-cases. Li Yuan focused on Northwest China's Xi'an, and used some comments on China's social media platforms in her article. She said the term "the banality of evil" was also taken from Weibo, but she obviously arranged her rhetoric in The New York Times style to demonize China's dynamic zero-case policy. 

There were some unacceptable incidents in Xi'an during the recent outbreak - a pregnant woman and a patient of angina pectoris were not timely treated because their COVID-19 test results were not effective for a given period of time. The Chinese public immediately expressed anger and dissatisfaction. And Xi'an authorities have also put forward rules to prohibit hospitals' rejection of patients in critical conditions, regardless of excuses. All these have clearly shown that China, a socialist country, has maintained a high humanitarian sensitivity.

The dynamic zero-case policy itself is a special policy in this hard period that aims at protecting people's lives. It is scientific. Insisting on the dynamic zero-case policy is also the collective will of the Chinese people. Although the policy is sometimes compulsory due to the special situation, it is clearly at the service of people's common interests. And it is always collectively supported and cooperated with.

After the latest outbreak in Xi'an, the local authorities decisively locked down the city considering the possible dire consequences the outbreak could bring. There was disorder and some people had different opinions on this decision. But in most circumstances, the lockdown measures and people's dissatisfaction are not antithetical to each other, but rather small frictions under the common goal of putting the virus under control. The miscarriage was an accident. Criticism by any means of those people in charge is not unreasonable. But what is clear is that the case was not created on purpose, and our society is not indifferent to it. To avoid a similar tragedy, adjustment was taken immediately. 

All these have nothing to do with the so-called "banality of evil" of Nazis who killed Jews. The New York Times attempts to portray China as an inhumane country like Nazi Germany - it is cursing China while trying to whitewash the humanitarian catastrophe in the US. 

Think about it. More than 800,000 Americans died from COVID-19 in the US. Behind these numbers, how many sad and desperate stories are there? How many people died alone without any terminal care? And how policies have been implemented and promoted because they are favorable to capitalists, but ignore the fact they may cause more infections and deaths? These are the real "banality of evil."

I don't understand this: Why have so many American journalists and writers been reluctant to thoroughly tell the stories of Americans' losses and pains? Some of them even hype that Americans' sufferings are their own choice, and the US is democratic and free even if people constantly die. I have to say, their consciences have been eaten by dogs.

The author is a commentator with the Global Times. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn