Over the past week, many Americans have protested against the CCP virus lockdowns at their State Capitols. Their message is simple: They want politicians to ALLOW them the option to return to work. Around 130,000 Granite Staters are now out of work due to being legally prohibited by the Governor from earning a living. Some people see the protesters as greedy individuals who disregard the coronavirus’ danger and want people to die. A friend recently commented that these people should be ashamed for prioritizing the economy over human lives. After hearing a number of people accuse newly-unemployed workers of being evil, selfish, and guilty of manslaughter, I can no longer remain silent.
The accusers need to understand a very important fact: the economy is closely linked to human prosperity and human health. When the economy is bad, people die. When the economy improves, people thrive. Below are a few facts and figures explaining why a thriving workforce and prosperous economy directly translates to healthier people and fewer avoidable deaths.
When people have jobs, they earn money. When people earn money, they can afford food, shelter, and healthcare for themselves and their families. Conversely, when people do not have money, they are much more likely to be homeless, starving, or become sick and die. It should come as no surprise that this Yale University study found that higher unemployment is linked to higher death rates. On April 9th, The Hill published an article explaining that the government-mandated lockdowns could push nearly half a billion people into poverty, according to an Oxfam study.
When people lose their jobs, pensions, or homes, they often experience tremendous anguish. This naturally causes a significant increase in mental health issues and its associated behaviors (drugs, crime, divorce, etc). According to CBS News, over 10,000 suicides were linked to the 2008 recession. When the statists say that a recession is a small price to pay in exchange for saving a few lives, it is disingenuous and counterproductive. We “greedy workers” who comprise the “Re-Open the Economy” movement are the ones trying to avoid a recession. We understand that to experience a recession is to experience mass death and civil unrest.
“Those bastards are just greedy. All they care about is making money. They are evil and never think of others!”
This common socialist rhetoric is ridiculous and antithetical to both logic and truth. Money and prosperity correlate very closely to long and healthy lives. According to a JAMA study, a man could add 14.6 years to his life by having a higher income. Many countries in Africa have a life expectancy of less than 60 years. The average income of many African nations is less than $1,000 per year. Comparing the information found in the two above links shows an incredible correlation between average income and life expectancy. So, to the anti-worker statists, I say: We want people to live to 80. You want them to die before they hit 60. Which group is more evil?
The claim that protesters are evil and disregard human life simply for wanting to have the right to work is disingenuous at best and evil at worst. Those who support the indefinite lockdowns of commerce and are willing to cause a recession are the people responsible for the millions of inevitable deaths we will see throughout the US. The newly-unemployed protesters support the freedom to work, human prosperity, or both. If it is wrong to support freedom and prosperity, I don’t want to be right.
