Sparrows without nest

sparrows

The Polish embassy in Beijing was under threat of a mob attack because the ambassador did not allow the mob to enter the embassy and kill the sparrows who took refuge in the embassy building.

You may not believe it today, but in 1958, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the People’s Republic of China, unanimously adopted analyses and recommendations of the country’s top scientists to exterminate four evils, such as rats, sparrows, flies and mosquitoes, in order to overcome the famine in China and to protect the crops from these species. For example, it is estimated that one sparrow eats 20 pounds of wheat per year. And a million sparrows can eat as much wheat as it takes to feed 60,000 inhabitants.

Under the command of the great leader Mao Zedong, people from all walks of life took part in government-sponsored campaigns. During the four-year war, government machinery and resources were used to their full potential to make the campaign a success.  According to reports, the Chinese took to the streets beating drums to terrorize the sparrows and stop them from landing. Nests were torn down, eggs were broken, chicks killed, and sparrows shot down from the sky. According to experts, hundreds of millions of sparrows were murdered as part of the campaign.

Results and realization

Famine

Later, in April 1960, it became increasingly apparent to Chinese leaders that sparrows eat more insects besides wheat and rice. They discovered that sparrows that feed on worms and insects actually protect crops and produce a bountiful harvest. And without the sparrows to curb the insect population, the crops were decimated in a way much worse than if the sparrows had been left around. As a consequence, crop yields that year were disastrously low. Rice production in particular was the worst affected. 

On the advice of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mao declared a complete stop to the Great Sparrow campaign, replacing the birds with bed bugs on the list of four naughty parasites.

But the damage has been done and the situation has gradually deteriorated. Locust populations have invaded the countryside without sight of a sparrow. The situation deteriorated to such a degree that the Chinese government began importing sparrows from the Soviet Union. 

The overflow of insects, plus the added effects of widespread deforestation and misuse of poisons and pesticides, were a significant contributor to the Great Chinese Famine (1958-1961) in which an estimated 30 million people died of starvation.

These terrible things had happened because informed politicians of the country had accepted these false analyses and wrong estimations of the experienced scientists as truth.

Currently, people have been questioning the accuracy of the secret and public analyzes and evaluations of all political, military and intelligence agencies of the USA and its allies regarding the situation in Afghanistan. Despite having full access to the country for twenty years and lost everything within ten days. These reports are being considered false and having no meaning and clue about such unexpected outcomes. On the other hand, we observe the public acceptance of what is called “robust analysis and accurate observations” of xenophobics on immigrants.

Hardline politicians like Mao Zedong and his “experienced scientists and agronomists” have instilled prejudice and discrimination in the minds of people by comparing migrants to sparrows that they are eating the resources of host countries. They undermine the values of society. If a minority group could undermine social ethics and the cultural values of the majority, then governments have not set up special boards, foundations and funds to save the declining languages and cultures of minority ethnic groups.

It is most likely that the second or third generation of immigrants adapts to the social ethics and norms of their host societies.

According to Yrittäjät, there are 10.000 entrepreneurs in Finland who have moved to the country from elsewhere. They employ 30.000 people and their enterprises achieve a combined turnover of 3.5 billion euros. Immigrant-led businesses usually create more jobs than other businesses. Wages and productivity are low, but opportunities exist to grow. 

There is a clear pattern of entrepreneurial activity among immigrants. For example, about one in three of the Finnish enterprise agencies in the Helsinki region is an immigrant. The number of businesses created by immigrants went up, even during the recession between 2013 and 2016 the number of businesses founded by immigrants increased by almost 9%. According to Statistics Finland’s: the most common industries for persons with foreign background in 2017 was cleaning, restaurants or construction. 

Immigrants not only replace the ageing workforce but in fact do much harder and more physically demanding jobs and offer an economic boost in areas where most natives do not get interested. 

Considering financial “savings” from internships or job training. Usually, a trainee works six to eight hours a day and is eligible to receive nine euros from Kela. It means 1.5 or 1.12 euros per hour instead of the minimum wage of 8 euros per hour. So employers save 6.88 euros per hour. One can easily guess how much would be saved in a year if 20.000 immigrants across the country worked on internships for only nine euros a day…

SAK reports that in some instances, the callers wanted to verify in advance if unpaid training was possible. Other callers had completed the alleged training period but had not been paid for their work or hired on a regular basis. Victims Support Finland has heard similar stories about foreign customers working weeks without pay in hopes of getting a job. Instead, the employer had simply changed to another foreign “trainee” at one point without paying any compensation for the work carried out or offering the promised regular job. These are examples of how internships and job training are being misused.

Crimes and effects

Humans are not flawless. As a result of our mindset and biased opinion, the news of the crimes affects us differently. A crime committed by a native has 90% less impact and effects than a crime committed by a foreign national or a refugee. 

Among people from a foreign background, if a person comes from a specific cultural and religious affiliation, it hurts more and intensifies the anger of people more. Why? Because of our predetermined opinion about the different ethical groups in society.

As a result, crimes and criminals are used for political purposes instead of defying them as social issues. Does this mean our political views are depriving us of being just and honest? If a person approaches you and asks your guidance for a route, bus or address, you turn away because the person does not look as you want, then your opinion is depriving you of humanity. Such opportunities are to represent your human kindness and practice the moral ethics of your country. People approach other people on the basis of human beings, not from the basis of their political views.

There is a popular view that immigrants are taking resources away. What is the most valuable resource? Materiel or moral? According to Evans and Fitzgerald’s analysis and International Catholic Migration Commission research and investigations, immigrants are not causing any economic loss but contributing to the growth of the economy. So the material side is safe. 

Addressing the moral aspect: Should our biased analyses and rationales undermine our moral and social ethics? Will we accept inhumane behaviour, discrimination and moral decay for political gain? Will we close our ears and eyes to positive reports … If we do not learn from historical facts, if the humble and the inferior are correct, then time shall prove the truth. 

Sparrows have faced great Mao Zedong and survived against his powerful government atrocities and proved the analysis of “experienced scientists and agronomists” wrong, and made him export sparrows from other countries even. Finally, the lesson is this: do not kill “sparrows”. They are calmly contributing a lot in their own capacity for a plentiful economical harvest.