The OP said: >>Guarantee all people access to cheap, government provided dormitory style living, with a kitchen and basic food staples, in return for 20 hours

The OP said: >>Guarantee all people access to cheap, government provided dormitory style living, with a kitchen and basic food staples, in return for 20 hours of very basic work (picking up trash, watching security cameras, etc.). This is what slavery is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery They're not equal at all. Now, there is another factor that perhaps you could have been clearer about that would help support your case. You could argue that there are dynamics in society that drive people into #1 without having any real choice. That's a different problem, but still not at the level of what slavery was. e.g., the criminal system becomes easier and easier to fall into everyday and extremely hard to get out of.