Slavery (moral, America, sex, God, koran)

[Rex]

We all know slavery has been around for 1000s of years, and untill fairly recently it has been deemed immoral.

What are you takes on owning another person?

[DontFearMe]

Interesting topic here. Well, slavery still exists today in various countries, mostly 3rd world countries. They are also more common in villages. Well, if slavery is for the most part gone, then I think this is great. I mean, today we pay people for work, we do not find them and take them. The world we live in is so different. There were certain belief systems that regulated slavery and encouraged the freeing and good treatment of slaves. It's hard to say what I feel about it. Certainly I never would agree with treating a slave like they did in this country to the blacks. But like i said, its still going on in other parts of the world. I think its better to actually pay someone for work. Again, we live in a completely different world these days and as a result, slavery has diminshed. sorry if my thoughts are incoherent, im just typing whatever pops in my head. thank you.

However, I do not agree with sweat shop labor which is rampant today which I would almost equate to slavery. It is a disgusting thing and america lives off of it like the pharoahs lived off the slave labor of the hebrews. anyways, ta ta take care.

[Lightkeeper]

I am against slavery, however, don't some bosses think they own you? It seems that in today's corporate world, the CEO's are demanding more time from their employees. If employees have very little free time, isn't that a form of slavery? If we are dictated to on how to dress and behave, doesn't the company own you?

[Pah]

Originally Posted by Lightkeeper

I am against slavery, however, don't some bosses think they own you? It seems that in today's corporate world, the CEO's are demanding more time from their employees. If employees have very little free time, isn't that a form of slavery? If we are dictated to on how to dress and behave, doesn't the company own you?

Isn't it a form of self-imposed "slavery" to a particular job. There is always the option of quitting if you can stand the economic pressure. Perhaps it's a bondage to the money and what the money buys.

The recognition that some were designated a sub-class was much earlier but it did not approach the level of immoral. Morality is a product of society and societies change

[Mr Spinkles]

Originally Posted by Lightkeeper

If employees have very little free time, isn't that a form of slavery? If we are dictated to on how to dress and behave, doesn't the company own you?

I do not see the connection at all. Employees generally do not want to be fired, and hope to be promoted or get a raise...slaves generally want to escape, and have no hope of a better future.

[Ardhanariswar]

Good point mr. sprinkles.

[mersault]

Originally Posted by DontFearMe

Well, if slavery is for the most part gone, then I think this is great.

Unfortunately, slavery today is more rampant than it has ever been. There are around 27 million slaves in the world today. Although it is usually under a different name, such as debt slavery or bonded labor, it amounts to the same thing. It is amazing that slavery could be so prevalent in these seemingly progressive times, but it is mostly hidden from public view. In fact, one of the things that distinguishes modern day slavery from, say, pre-Civil War slavery is its low profile in the public eye and the lengths slave owners take to avoid detection. Modern day slaves work primarily in agriculture, mining, and prostitution. Since so much of modern day slavery does have to do with the sex industry, perhaps our puritanical oulook in America is keeping us from wanting to deal with the problem?
For a great article on modern slavery, check out "21st Century Slavery" in National Geographic September 2003. Also see freetheslaves.net
and antislavery.org for more information.

[Jaiket]

Would anyone, even those who stand to profit from it, defend (with a straight face) the forcing of a person into slavery? It opposes the very basest of human rights. How can a person function as a product of nature when completely performing the will of another. Slaves are denied the right to self preservation and the ability to ensure the survival of their genes in any natural system. Since I have seen slavery practised by no other organism in nature I assume it to be unnautural and as Rousseau said "no right can authorize it".

Except God aparently as the Koran claims.

[mersault]

I do not in any way mean to condone slavery among humans, but there is at least one other organism that practices slavery. There are approximately 20 species of ants that raid the nests of other ants, steal their pupae and larvae, and raise those ants as slaves working for the aggressive colony. Nature can be just as ruthless as humans.

[Mr Spinkles]

There are a lot of other organisms that practice slavery...I think there are a bunch of parasitic tree mosses that 'enslave' the trees but I will have to check up on that one.

There are parasites (I can't remember what they are called) that infect ants, and have the ability to control them...they allow the ant to do what it needs to do to survive, until it senses the chemical signature of a cow nearby--the parasite then uses its control over the ant to make it climb to the top of the nearest plant (a specific type of plant which cows eat) so that the cow will eat the ants, and the parasite can then infect the cow.

I also remember learning about a parasite that infects snails, causing them to become "zombie snails" and effectively slaves to the parasites...I need to do some research on all this.