May 01, 2020 06:00:00

Pointed out that the nation has historically prioritized economy over human life

President Trump

has indicated that he will not extend the action guidelines for infection prevention , which is due by April 30, 2020, toward the resumption of economic activities. It is difficult to balance the convergence of new coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) and economic activity, but it is a history that academic news site The Conversation has prioritized economy over human life Point out that there is.

As states weigh human lives versus the economy, history suggests the economy often wins
https://theconversation.com/as-states-weigh-human-lives-versus-the-economy-history-suggests-the-economy-often-wins-137204

Professor Peter C. Muncor of the University of Southern California gave an example of an early colonial episode in the North American continent.

Britain was trying to colonists to North America

Roanoke through the failure of the like, the first permanent colony, in 1607 James Town will succeed in the construction of. Jamestown, located in what is now Virginia, was located on the James River, a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, and was a good place to grow tobacco. Cigarettes, which had been popular in the New World, caught the attention of Europeans and were being smoked in Europe.

About 7,300 people have settled in Virginia since its construction in 1607 until 1624. However, by 1625 it had fallen to around 1200. This was mainly due to illness, albeit partly due to the Pouthahan rebellion that occurred in 1622 and food shortages from the drought. Jamestown was also an ideal breeding ground for the bacteria that cause typhoid fever and dysentery.

The London Virginia company that built the colony was sending young people as immigrants to youths who emigrated to London for a job but could not get a job. They had contracted to work as seasonal workers on colonial farms and receive compensation at maturity, but fell victim to illness in the New World. Even after admitting these problems, the company continued to send immigrants, saying, 'The future is bright.'

On the other hand, a gland plague was epidemic in London in 1655, which is near the time. The following year, 1956, there was a big fire, and the population decreased significantly. It is said that the reduction range is from 15% to 20%. This event put the labor force that would otherwise have migrated to Virginia into the rebuilding of London. Farmers in Virginia and Maryland have been hit hard by this. The company seems to have instructed them to grow crops such as corn, which has a low work rate (labor-intensive) of the human labor force, but the local farm owners are highly labor-intensive but earn good tobacco. We are particular about cultivation and adopt the option of using slaves. The first arrival of slaves from Africa in 1619 is known to have increased significantly since the 1660s.

In modern America, where slavery has already been abolished, Professor Mancor points out that a similar situation continues. In this case, the “slaves” are migrant workers.

In reality, the United States relies heavily on immigrants, including farm labor, and the Trump administration has advocated immigration exclusion, but admits it is essential. President Trump announced that he would stop accepting immigrants to protect the employment of Americans who were unemployed under the influence of COVID-19, but was later removed from farm workers.

Trump announces that the United States will be suspended for 60 days after accepting immigrants: Asahi Shimbun Digital
https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASN4Q3HYQN4QUHBI00J.html

Tokyo Shimbun: US Presidential Decree on Immigration Control Signed by Mr. Trump, suspended for 60 days: International (TOKYO Web)
https://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/s/article/2020042301000628.html

Prior to considering resuming economic activity, professor Mancor said immigrant workers were working without adequate treatment. I doubt that the economy is prioritized over human life.