The modern Slave Trade

[Darth Rotor]

Here's how some members of NOW felt about that:

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=3848

But obviously none of that matters since Clinton is going to be our Secretary of State.

She'll either step up to the plate, or she'll cock it up.

FWIW, BAC, the US government appears to have been putting a touch more emphasis on this combatting human trafficking of late. Maybe not enough to make a difference, but within the government, required training on human trafficking awareness is now required for military and DoD employees where three years ago it wasn't. Credit the Bush administration if you like: the change in attitude, as small as it may be, has been ordered and embodied in regulation.

It's a start.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. I don't see much happening in the short term, given the profit the sex trade can bring. Long term? Hope springs eternal.

Now, if the gals in question at least get to keep some of the dough, someone will offer up that "it's not really slavery." But if their passports are gone, and their freedom to leave or make choices about their future approaches nil, it's as close to slavery as need be.

See also construction workers in UAE and Saudi, in terms of, if not slaves, indentured servants.

DR

 

[quarky]

Hopefully, There's proportionately less enslaved people these days.
However, there's a larger gray area. Many 'free' people live lives of enslavement, earning slightly less than what is needed, and never owning land. They are stuck, and obligated.

The machine won't run without these free people. We can't all be managers.

I blame agriculture. Before then, freedom rang.

(without agriculture, reproduction was kept to a minimum, sustained strictly according to the carrying capacity of the wild earth. Even the plant life was 'more free' back then)

 

[Darth Rotor]

Hopefully, There's proportionately less enslaved people these days.
However, there's a larger gray area. Many 'free' people live lives of enslavement, earning slightly less than what is needed, and never owning land.

You are not using the word "enslavement" correctly within the context of this thread.

Please raise your game.

I blame agriculture. Before then, freedom rang.

You are invited to return to hunter-gatherer status.

(I suspect you are being playful here, but some things get my goat, which you'd better not try to hunt or gather, sir! )

 

[quarky]

playful, yes.
My ancestors were indentured servants. Not quite slaves. So i was going with relative enslavement.

I shall try to raise my game.

 

[Toke]

See UAE and Qatar, as well as Saudi, as examples of this habit, though to be fair, most of the imported labor is paid, albeit not much. Something about "wage slaves" comes to mind, but I'd need to go back and check some old writings on the topic.

DR

I spoke with some of the indian lashinggang in jedda, they had complains that the contracts could be changed when they arrived in saudi. Their living conditions were not too good, basicly fenced in barracks, and they were not allowed around town.

I couldn´t help asking innocently what their union said to that
After picking themselfes up we agreed that any union organisor would be returned to india in several boxes.

The 1. world do not have feudal serfs anymore, so we are relatively better off than ever in history.