What is Digg?246 Comments
- delmar14, on 06/13/2008, -24/+276This article must pissed me off. Heres why...
1. There are more people in slavery now than at any other time in human history.
There are lots more people than at any time in human history. This statistic needs to be normalized as a percentage of the total population or it is meaningless.
2. The value of slaves has decreased.
Right, because demand for slaves has decreased. That's a good thing.
3. Slavery still exists in the US.
Everything illegal still exists everywhere. Evey law ever passed has been broken by someone.
4.Slavery is hidden behind many other names, thus disguising it from society.
Names like "chattle slavery, forced labor, and trafficking" don't really hide much.
5. The least known method of slavery is the most widely used.
Probably true, but shocking?
6. Human trafficking has recently been described as “the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world.”
It has been described as such, but there is no citation for Albright's estimate. I can describe anything as I see fit, but without facts to back up what I say, I'm just throwing words around.
7. To buy all bonded laborers out of slavery could cost as little as $40 per family.
This is a horrible idea. If you start paying for slaves, even to free them, you create more demand for slaves. This will give people an incentive to get more slaves to sell to your self-righteous ass.
8. Free the Slaves believe it is possible to end all slavery within 25 years.
How?
9. Many slave-produced goods might reach your home without you realizing their origin.
This ones true. Buy Fair-Trade to be sure.
10. Your actions affect global slavery.
Chaos theory, global economics...Everyone affects everyone in some indeterminate way. Joining a group will not do much to stop war-lords from terrorizing and enslaving others. - inactive, on 06/13/2008, -19/+1754.Slavery is hidden behind many other names, thus disguising it from society.
"WoW Gold Farmers" - angusm, on 06/13/2008, -0/+69The article says "To buy all bonded laborers out of slavery would cost as little as $40 per family" ... and I can guarantee you that within one week of buying all those people out of slavery, most of them would be back in some kind of slavery-like conditions, either having been persuaded to indenture themselves again in order to eat, or because their former employers had suddenly reminded them of some 'debt' that they'd forgotten to mention.
Ending slavery will require a lot more than just paying off the slave-owners. - davidmiller72, on 06/13/2008, -13/+75This fact is especially poignant: "7. To buy all bonded laborers out of slavery could cost as little as $40 per family.
The $40 figure was provided by the Center for Global Education, New York. Kevin Bales compares the total cost of ending all slavery with one’s week’s cost of the war on Iraq."
It all comes down to compassion, to seeing outside of yourself. Destruction of the environments and local communities of people worldwide, depletion of their resources, installation of puppet governments and subsequent loans that can never be repaid by the IMF and World Bank--these are the pistons of the economic engines that drives the global economy. Slavery, forced labor, tragically, is almost a footnote--until you ask the person in captivity about it.
most of the people who may be reading this: on our end we mainly see returns (or lack thereof) in our mutual fund portfolios.
The most important point of this piece: # 10. What you do impacts global slavery. Live your values. make changes in the way you consume, live, travel, raise your families.
And if you're a super-sized pro-corporation saber-rattling conservative who can't do the math when it comes to your personal wealth and the exponentially-growing number of impoverished peoples worldwide, ask yourself this: are your truly living better than you were two decades ago? Is your quality of life better, the quality of your food, your home, your family, your health?
Is there a pattern here? Can you see it? - delmar14, on 06/13/2008, -2/+50to slave traders who will use it to help get more slaves.
- vikki77, on 06/13/2008, -20/+58Where do I send my $40?
- linkmandx, on 06/13/2008, -3/+37I'm a bit cynical, so I viewed this article with the same skepticism. Dugg this comment.
- unpolloloco, on 06/13/2008, -1/+35The problem with buying people out of slavery is that it creates a better market for slaves - more demand means that more people will be enslaved. What needs to happen is social change, not a buyout.
- ICSU, on 06/13/2008, -5/+32as a joke: not bad
as a serious comment: ***** - Chalks777, on 06/13/2008, -3/+28I knew there was a reason I didn't like this article. Thanks for summing it up so clearly and concisely.
- Benjamin10, on 06/13/2008, -0/+214.Slavery is hidden behind many other names, thus disguising it from society.
Sex tourism is one that comes to mind. Industries are huge in Brazil and SEA and people aren't even trying to hide it. Tourism agencies actually work it into their marketing campaigns to the point that you have to be blind not to see what they're really selling. - buba1243, on 06/13/2008, -3/+23Pretty much sums it all up. Not much left to discuss.
- TehGrisp, on 06/14/2008, -0/+19"Estimates by the US State Department suggest up to 17,500 slaves are brought into the US every year, with 50,000 of those working as prostitutes, farm workers or domestic servants."
Anyone else see the problem? - americangoy, on 06/14/2008, -1/+20Some more?
OK!
" ROCKVILLE, Md: In the case of domestics, they are often forced to work from dawn well into the evening, seven days a week. They are paid meager wages or nothing at all. Their documents are taken from them and they are virtually held captive, threatened with jail or deportation if they complain. "
"The women, aged 18 to 24, are from across eastern Europe, lured from Romania, Moldova, Ukraine and Bulgaria, with promises of good jobs as waitresses, au pairs and dancers. Instead, they have been forced into modern-day slavery in western Macedonia, locked in the dirty cellar and only summoned upstairs by their masters to perform sexual services for customers who are usually drunk and often violent."
"A 9-year-old girl toils under the hot sun, making bricks from morning to night, seven days a week. She was trafficked with her entire family from Bihar, one of the poorest and most underdeveloped states in India, and sold to the owner of a brick-making factory. With no means of escape, and unable to speak the local language, the family is isolated and lives in terrible conditions."
"“At first we were forced to walk the streets in search of clients,” recalls Silvia. “If I didn’t return with clients, I was beaten. We had to work in thin dresses even in the middle of the Russian winter.”"
"The pilgrim town of Puri is a haven for child prostitution and rampant paedophilia. A recent study conducted by the Institute of Socio Economic Development with support from United Nations Development Fund for Women says that Puri is the heart of child trafficking and accounts for over 43 percent of the cases.
But the State Administration and Police make no attempt to move because the holy town also happens to be a tourist hotspot."
"GARDEN CITY, N.Y. -- A millionaire couple accused of keeping two Indonesian women as slaves in their luxurious Long Island home and abusing them for years have been indicted on federal slavery charges.
"Varsha Mahender Sabhnani, 35, and her husband, Mahender Murlidhar Sabhnani, 51, operate a worldwide perfume business with factories in Singapore and Bahrain."
"Mariluz Zavala and her husband, Jose Ibanez, later pleaded guilty to smuggling 69 fellow Peruvian immigrants and enslaving them in Amityville, Brentwood and Coram. Both are in prison; Zavala was given 15 years, even longer than prosecutors asked for. (...) The victims said Zavala and her husband held them as virtual slaves. They had to hand over their paychecks in return for meager rations."
"Given Kachepa, 20, of Zambia said he was lured out of his country nine years ago by a Sherman-based Christian group that promised him a better life in the United States. When he and 10 other boys got here, they were organized into a choir that toured the nation, earning large fees for the ministry.
Regardless of sickness or fatigue, they were required to perform up to seven concerts a day, with no payment.
"If we did not sing, the choir manager would say, 'No singing, no food,' and he would turn off the gas for the stove so we couldn't cook," Mr. Kachepa said. "Sometimes we went for three days without having anything to eat."" - Ratteler, on 06/14/2008, -4/+22The most common ways to get slaves in the U.S. is Credit Cards, Student Loans, and Mortgages.
No one is going to "save" any slaves when the richest 1% are trying to turn the poorest 99% into new ones. - 9thisisme, on 06/14/2008, -0/+17Interested in the topic? Then check out these sites:
* Project Rescue: http://projectrescue.com/
* Children of the night: http://www.childrenofthenight.org
* Trade: http://www.tradethemovie.com/index.html
* International Justice Mission: http://www.ijm.org/
* Lives for Sale: http://www.livesforsale.com/
* Polaris Project: http://www.polarisproject.org
* Not for Sale Campaign: http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/
* Human Trafficking: http://www.humantrafficking.org/ - dtfinch, on 06/14/2008, -0/+17Never buy someone out of slavery. Enslavers deserve a bullet in the head, not $40 for each family they enslave.
- Evie1851, on 06/14/2008, -0/+14gold farmers are the people who play games all day ( for example world of warcraft ) and earn gold in mass quantities for a company that in turn sells it really cheap( unless its gamepal...) to gamers so they don't have to earn their own gold.
- inactive, on 06/14/2008, -2/+16You looking to buy a slave?
- koob, on 06/14/2008, -1/+15I hate when people think that we Westerners could just buy all the slaves.Buying all the slaves out would just make demand jump which would increase the price and make slave traders wealthier in the short-term. All of a sudden a slave that was once worth $40 dollars would now be worth $100 and the slave trader would be making that much more money. Other possible slave traders who previously didn't feel that the benefits of selling a slave at $40 dollars would jump into the market and yes, just like with HDTVs the price would eventually come down, but there would be now more people who are slave traders! Buying them out is a stupid idea.
- americangoy, on 06/14/2008, -1/+14Not surprised.
http://americangoy.blogspot.com/2008/01/eastern-pr ...
Quotes to make you shudder:
"A report released this week by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has cited Israel as among the top destinations in the trafficking of human beings, either for sexual exploitation or forced labor."
"Emily Nicely, 19, was routinely beaten with broom handles, a metal pipe, belts and wooden boards. She was forced to quit school, to do chores and deliver newspapers without pay. She was by any definition - including those of the federal government and the family that held her captive for six months - a slave."
"It can't happen here. New York or Los Angeles, sure, but not here in Kansas City. It only happens someplace else, right? "Human trafficking is more prevalent in this region than most people know," said Janel D'Agata Lynch, program manager for community services at Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph. "Local people were shocked when the news broke about the massage parlor raids in Overland Park, Kan., and earlier this year, the central Missouri boy who was found, along with a second boy, in the St. Louis area. "Human trafficking is not always 'some place else,'" D'Agata Lynch said."
""We've seen young children. We have an active case now involving a 13-year-old."
"Authorities have 31 people in custody and more than 70 suspected Korean sex slaves were freed. Investigators said the suspects smuggled Korean women through Canada and Mexico. To help pay off their smuggling fee, the women were forced to work in brothels in seven states -- including Maryland -- and the District."
"What’s more shocking is that, since 1994, no single woman has testified against any trafficker. Many say this could be attributed to the fact that although women are the victims here, trafficked women are the ones usually arrested as illegal workers, while the men who brought them to Israel, who are usually Israeli, are not." - Doitdifferently, on 06/14/2008, -0/+12Exactly. You can't end slavery by buying everyone and thus feeding the beast.
- lhbaker, on 06/13/2008, -1/+13I know for a fact you shouldn't Google the word 'sexodrome' from your work place.
- sfacets, on 06/14/2008, -1/+12"To buy all bonded laborers out of slavery could cost as little as $40 per family." - And what's to say they'll stay out of slavery once that happens?
- k4ng, on 06/14/2008, -1/+12But even if we bought all the slaves, we have to keep in mind that we can't just throw them out into the world and expect them to be able to establish a life. I feel like #7 is just preying on people's desire to "do good" or be a "white knight" rather than being a realistic approach to end slavery. Besides simply freeing them, we need to provide them with the resources and support to be able to create a life for themselves, which will undoubtedly cost more than $40 a family. I'm not saying we shouldn't be working for the freedom of slaves worldwide or that one family can't make a big difference. We should definitely be working towards those goals, but with a realistic and comprehensive approach, not just freeing them on paper and washing our hands of what happens next.
- leffunov, on 06/14/2008, -0/+10#7 is very inaccurate. The current sale price of such a family may currently be $40 but for all the slaves to be bought at once the actual demand for slaves would be a great multitude higher raising the price of slaves dramatically. To buy all new slaves as they come to the market to then be set free would raise the demand 2x and coupled with a limited supply the price would fluctuate with that and create more demand for slaves. It is unfortunate that elimination of this practice is impossible but it is not hard to eliminate some of it.
- inactive, on 06/13/2008, -8/+18Perhaps if we stopped concerning ourselves with slavery from 200 years ago and focused more on the slavery going on today we might actually solve it. Just saying, there is so much attention given to slavery in this country so long ago while millions are suffering today. Perhaps we should get together and do something about it instead of continuing to dwell on the past. I'm not suggesting we forget about the past but focus on the present.
- RCRN, on 06/13/2008, -6/+15We have a multi media radio show about slavery on Real Coaching Radio Network every Thursday at 6 PM Pacific, hosted by Richard Brinton the author of "The Slavers", come check it out at www.realcoachingradio.com
- americangoy, on 06/14/2008, -2/+10Popular.
Good job DIGG. - richiewrt, on 06/14/2008, -7/+15This has got to be one of the most concise and well thought out post I have seen on digg. Well done sir.
- MrColdheart, on 06/14/2008, -1/+9I'm an on the fence kinda guy until I get all the facts about RCRN.
(checking/listening to your website now)
Ok your legit, RCN appears to be a mash-up of a self help video and you tube.
RCRN is donation driven (has no add revenue)
...sorry about the microscope treatment but the last thing anybody wants is a rash of ads leaking into Digg forums.
you get a shinny digg - lieunym, on 06/14/2008, -0/+7I realize a couple people have been "refuting" your facts, but I also have a couple things to say. As a background to my knowledge, I've read the book that Kevin Bales (the man who founded freetheslaves.net, and who's mentioned in this article), called "Disposable People".
Your points:
2. The value of slaves has decreased.
"Right, because demand for slaves has decreased. That's a good thing."
It's not actually as good as it sounds. These slaves cost less because there are more of them. It also means that these people are more disposable--if you have an expensive slave, you aren't going to mistreat them as much (as seen in a country like Mauritania where slaves are much more costly then in a country like Thailand or Brazil). People who cost less are more easily replaced--i.e., they're disposable. A slave who gets sick gets thrown out to die, and a new (cheap) slave replaces him.
4.Slavery is hidden behind many other names, thus disguising it from society.
"Names like "chattle slavery, forced labor, and trafficking" don't really hide much."
This is true. However, they also "hide" behind names like prostitution. For example, prostitutes in Thailand. There is a widespread belief that these girls willingly go into these types of jobs for the money (making Western men who go over there feel more comfortable with having sex with them). The truth of the matter is that these girls are either kidnapped or forced into debt bondage for the rest of their life. Many of these girls are also underage.
8. Free the Slaves believe it is possible to end all slavery within 25 years.
"How?"
From "Free the Slaves" Kevin Bale: http://youtube.com/watch?v=AgodXNxjNdI
Anyways, it's a sad, sad thing to know that slavery still exists. - BDOUG, on 06/14/2008, -0/+7I wasn't sure if it was a numerical error or if the intent was to say that the current count of slaves is 50,000 with 17,500 being added to that total each year (with goodness knows how many dying off, for a net annual change of 50K + 17.5K - x).
Probably the former. Unclear in any case. I very seldom trust statistics quoted in articles anymore. - CoolHandLuke70, on 06/14/2008, -0/+7It is a wonder that morons like you have figured out how to use a keyboard --- Libertarians are for less laws BUT against anything that infringes on basic human rights, slavery would be just one example!
- Red05, on 06/14/2008, -0/+6Jackass
- theguesser10, on 06/14/2008, -0/+6Or at least look at other slavery in the past besides in the US.
- MacBookForMe, on 06/13/2008, -5/+10Poor innocent children, poor people.
Religions could have done so much more about this topic, almost overnight if wanted to. - crzdmn, on 06/14/2008, -0/+5Doesn't it work the other way around? I remember my parents telling their friends to have kids because it's like their personal servant.
Didn't your parents ever tell you their household is a dictatorship not a democracy??? - jontalisman, on 06/14/2008, -9/+14That chick was pretty hot looking. Anyway, let us not forget the biggest global slaver; Scientology.
- WarWraith, on 06/14/2008, -0/+5So could atheists, couldn't they?
- parentingteens, on 06/13/2008, -11/+16I thought they had abolished slavery until I had kids, now I wait on them hand and feet.
- EmperorAwesome, on 06/14/2008, -0/+5That's right, it would take killing the slave owners. Hey, I'm just saying what everyone's thinking.
- XedLos, on 06/13/2008, -1/+6Anyone know where she got these facts. Are there any other organizations that research this.
- StevesJobs, on 06/14/2008, -2/+7The better question is where do I send my $90?
- TheBadWolf, on 06/14/2008, -0/+5Glad to see someone has their head on straight.
- theguesser10, on 06/14/2008, -0/+5Yeah it's gonna take something else to solve this problem. Like big spending and military crack downs where the local cops are corrupt.
- executorzz, on 06/14/2008, -0/+5If anyone believes $40 per family will free all bonded laborers from slavery...well I think it's time to get off the computer and take a look at the real world. This is just more do gooder fluff to make people sleep better at night. Most people are too lazy to actually do something that would benefit these people.
- crzdmn, on 06/14/2008, -1/+6Had to digg you down, your responses to the original post are not within context of the article. Other than you're response to #1 most of what you said is no more confirming, informative or helpful than the article itself.
And i totally have to bash you for your response to #2. Do you spend all your time analysis the slave trade, who buys slaves for what purposes? The original commenter used basic economics to formulate his assumption, and it is still and assumption. Your response has one major flaw, POOR PEOPLE DON'T MOVE TO CITIES FOR WORK. - crzdmn, on 06/14/2008, -0/+5Nobody but Americans had slaves you crazy right wing fanatic. /sarcasm
- PabloMac, on 06/14/2008, -0/+5You are doing your kids a great disservice by waiting on them hand and foot. I'm not judging here, as I can't deny doing the same thing on occasion. Good parents will fight that tendency and bring their kids up in self-sufficiency.
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