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Keep in mind that for all practical purposes, prisoners are in a position of involuntary servitude for the private gain of others (what is perhaps the simplest
by einhverfr 13y ago
Keep in mind that for all practical purposes, prisoners are in a position of involuntary servitude for the private gain of others (what is perhaps the simplest definition of slavery one can construct).
- jlgreco 13y agoToo add to what you are saying, here is the section 1 of the 13th amendment: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." Slavery is straight up legal in America if you first secure a conviction. Anyone who pretends to themselves that we are not still openly using slave labor is absolutely delusional.
- einhverfr 13y agoRead "The Servile State" by Hilaire Belloc for where this is leading ;-) For lower classes, prison (and prison servitude) is becoming the safety net.
- tolmasky 13y agoAnd if you don't believe this or think its hyperbole, just remember that it's precisely why the 13th amendment contains the phrase "except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted"
- einhverfr 13y agoAlso note that for a segment of the population, that is the safety net too, just as Hilaire Belloc predicted in "The Servile State" (which he wrote in 1914).