Can you name any other world wide calamity in which the United States exhibited no leadership or initiative?

Global climate change.

The first 3 years of WW1.

The installment of a TV show host in the WH.

There hasn’t been a worldwide calamity that really was world wide, at least not since the Flood. But if you want to put a world war in that class, @cheebdragon is right.

We also missed the first two years of World War II.

The 1918–20 influenza pandemic. The US surgeon General ignored concerns raised by a Kansas doctor.

I’m wondering how you managed to post without the auto question mark showing up.

The Crusades.

@Patty Melt That is an interesting question. And I can remember perhaps 2 years back having a question held for editing because I failed to add the question mark. “Pretty chickenshit” was my sentiment at the time. But the mark appears automatically most of the time. But ever since my “slap” on the wrist, I usually include it. I’ve never seen 2 question marks, so I don’t know what the deal is.

So the world wars, and the eruption of Krakatoa, and the Opium Wars. I suppose I should have specified “in your lifetime”.

I feel like your question and the description below are two different things, so I’ll post a link to answer the body of the question, which seems to be more of what you’re seeking.

‘American executives are increasingly complaining of delays. Charter planes from the United States have sat empty in China for days. Millions of masks and thousands of ventilators have sat on factory and warehouse floors, sometimes for weeks.’

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/us/politics/coronavirus-china-trump-donation.html

First three years of WWI and WWII between Sept. 1, 1939 and Dec. 7, 1941.

The AIDS epidemic
starvation of thousands every day

The Black Plague

^ & Smallpox.

So….basically everything.

LOL, Senator Roger Ross sent back, “nuts”.

@KNOWITALL, that article clears up a lot for me which seemed like opposite day.

China got busted, big time. Doesn’t that mean many or all high ranking Chinese government will be falling on swords now?

@Patty_Melt Agreed. Many Chinese scientists were forced by the government to falsify information and retract findings, so I guess they’ll do whatever it takes to stay alive. I posted the link to that article a few weeks ago. Really no wonder we can’t get accurate numbers.