The US prison system is indeed practically slavery. However, that's not even the tip of the iceberg in terms of all the products and services being supported b

The US prison system is indeed practically slavery. However, that's not even the tip of the iceberg in terms of all the products and services being supported by slavery/servitude e.g. Apple, Nike, most clothes, electronics, and consumer goods, etc. We had a brief period without slavery in the 1950s after WWII, and due to labor shortages wages went up and the middle class soared. Problem is, such a situation isn't good for capital, and capital makes the rules -- access to free labor makes workers compete for lower wages and bigger profit margins. Consumers love the lower prices, even though the wages stagnate and it will probably lead to a revolution or UBI at some point.