823
Slavery was abolished, so the rich are now trying to make economic oppression the equivalent of slavery.
(i.imgur.com)
this post was submitted on 05 Sep 2023
823 points (96.7% liked)
Work Reform
10000 readers
559 users here now
A place to discuss positive changes that can make work more equitable, and to vent about current practices. We are NOT against work; we just want the fruits of our labor to be recognized better.
Our Philosophies:
- All workers must be paid a living wage for their labor.
- Income inequality is the main cause of lower living standards.
- Workers must join together and fight back for what is rightfully theirs.
- We must not be divided and conquered. Workers gain the most when they focus on unifying issues.
Our Goals
- Higher wages for underpaid workers.
- Better worker representation, including but not limited to unions.
- Better and fewer working hours.
- Stimulating a massive wave of worker organizing in the United States and beyond.
- Organizing and supporting political causes and campaigns that put workers first.
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Educated in history here (history should have no bias), while there are a greater number of slaves today they represent a smaller portion of the population than during the 1800s. In addition modern slavery is not the same as chattel slavery which is infinitely worse given that it denies the slave's existence as a human being. Im not saying slavery is OK Im just saying your claims aren't entirely accurate.
This comment somehow did not make me feel any better.
Responses from historians will rarely make you feel better, but will help you understand the complexities that people without that specialization often overlook.
Knowledge is its own reward.
Automation means that proportionally fewer slaves can provide more. That "denies the slave's existence as a human being" bit is rather vague. Are you saying modern slavery is not denying the slave's existence as a human being? What does that mean?
Chattel slavery literally denied that slaves were human beings. They were seen as something less than the way many westerners view all animals.
The way they're viewed really isn't the problem. Someone being imprisoned and forced to work really isn't affected by the man with the whips opinions of them, because of they slave away they don't get whipped. They're existence has been stripped too bare for such distinction to make a difference. Slavery is like war and war never changes.
That simply isn't true. When your slaver looks at you as less than human they can justify a lot of mistreatment they would not do to another person.
There's a reason why Western chattel slavery is so vilified because almost every other nation still thought of slaves as people. Chattel slavery thinks of them like livestock.
How is that different from current slaves? Attitude of the general population? Doesn't seem to make much practical difference.
You know how you don't think a monkey is the same thing as a human? It's like that, slaves were seen as smarter than a monkey but not people.