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jojobean
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26 Mar 2012, 10:07 am

Inventor wrote:
In Mauritania they are squatters. The country is controlled by Tribes, who own all the land, so no tribe, you pay rent to someone.

From the article, they eat, live in tents, wear clothes, and maintain a fair standard of living compared to most of the Sahal. People are dying of hunger and thirst all across the region.

A lack of cash wages is not proof of slavery. It would also do no good because they cannot count, there are no stores, they are hundreds of miles out in the sand.

They are not only free, but unwanted. Once Blacks were enslaved, used in salt caravans, but that was over a thousand years ago.

To the south there is a river, the country on the other side is Black African, they do not want to go back. They do not have tribe, family, or even speak the language.

The western side is near barren, little water, no soil, and running goats is about the whole economy. The land is held by arab tribes, who also own the goats.

These people being called slaves are more like beggers, most are dark as night, so they were not the slaves of Arabs for a thousand years, they recently crossed the river from the south.

In a lower economy, they are like our Mexicans who just wandered in to California.

The writer of this article lied about why he was there, skipped over the social structure, economics, and is trying to create an issue.

White God, fixes Africa on six day visit. Calls for UN invasion.


I worked for shelter, food, water, basic needs and and a chance to learn organic farming. No cash changed hands...I was not a slave. I chose to live this way. Whether or not these ppl are slaves depends on whether they came into this arrangement forced or willingly.
But I agree they are more refugees than slaves.

Jojo


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ruveyn
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31 Mar 2012, 4:24 pm

Declension wrote:
Slavery is a good issue to troll libertarians with. Libertarians claim that you own your own body, and therefore that you should be allowed to sell yourself into bondage.


If the one's own body is indeed one's own property, then there should be no legal impediment to selling it. It is simple logic.

I don't know too many people who would sell themselves into perpetual bondage but if one wishes to do so, why prevent it?

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Feralucce
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01 Apr 2012, 11:10 am

Because slavery implies that they would be bodily prevented from breaking that contract... which IS illegal... it goes from willing servitude to kidnapping


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HisDivineMajesty
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01 Apr 2012, 4:56 pm

It's an interesting concept, but I'll oppose it for practical purposes.
It can't clearly be determined if you're selling yourself, or someone is pressuring you and taking the money.

Unfortunately, slavery exists in many places, even in the developed world. I generally assume that some slaves live a few miles away from me.
They're women from developing countries, smuggled here on false premises (work in a bar, work as an actress) and forced into prostitution.
And some men from Poland and countries slightly east are brought here, illegally housed in bad-quality buildings, and forced to work for very little to no pay.

A while ago, a Chinese restaurant was discovered to be using slaves to prepare food.



ruveyn
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04 Apr 2012, 10:43 am

slave wrote:
I know that I am a slave. Are you?


are you physically constrained. What prevents you from standing up and leaving wherever you are? Are you chained to your occupation by plausible threats of force? If you cannot answer yes to any of these you are not a slave.

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06 Apr 2012, 6:18 pm

HisDivineMajesty wrote:
It's an interesting concept, but I'll oppose it for practical purposes.
It can't clearly be determined if you're selling yourself, or someone is pressuring you and taking the money.

Unfortunately, slavery exists in many places, even in the developed world. I generally assume that some slaves live a few miles away from me.
They're women from developing countries, smuggled here on false premises (work in a bar, work as an actress) and forced into prostitution.
And some men from Poland and countries slightly east are brought here, illegally housed in bad-quality buildings, and forced to work for very little to no pay.

A while ago, a Chinese restaurant was discovered to be using slaves to prepare food.


Yes, it happens all the time. Women, kids, men...

A girl I knew in high school ended up marrying a guy who was brought up from Mexico. He thought he had a green card, his boss told him he was holding his green card, blah-blah-blah...

...turns out he was here illegally, brought in for his skill as a stonemason, and he'd been working for about $100 a month plus room and board in an attic apartment with six other guys.

When he wasn't doing construction jobs he cooked or served ice cream in the kiosks his boss owned in the food court at the local mall.

He spoke English very badly, understood the law not at all, didn't understand when I tried to explain to him that we have a federal minimum wage law and that it applies whether you speak English well or not, whatever, regardless (unless you're making tips), wanted to work to help support his mother. He's a good man.

In other words, a perfect victim.


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ruveyn
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07 Apr 2012, 5:37 am

Slavery is an evil practice. It should be eliminated.

By the way there is a thriving slave trade in Africa, carried out mostly by Muslims.

You might find this interesting:

http://freethoughtnation.com/contributi ... avery.html

ruveyn



techn0teen
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07 Apr 2012, 10:01 pm

The trends toward slavery are moving away as the circle of what people consider "family" is widening. From tribes to religions to nations to, then, the world. How can you put your family member into bondage?

Slavery of livestock (animals) is also slipping away. Animals are also being incorporating into our "families" and are now seen as equals. Two hundred years ago, it would be very rare for a person to say "Rugby the dog is part of the family". Now, it is so common we take it for granted.



ruveyn
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10 Apr 2012, 9:16 am

techn0teen wrote:
The trends toward slavery are moving away as the circle of what people consider "family" is widening. From tribes to religions to nations to, then, the world. How can you put your family member into bondage?

Slavery of livestock (animals) is also slipping away. Animals are also being incorporating into our "families" and are now seen as equals. Two hundred years ago, it would be very rare for a person to say "Rugby the dog is part of the family". Now, it is so common we take it for granted.


Steers, Swine and Sheep are slaughtered in great numbers for their meat. Dogs and Cats are kept as pets. There is a difference.

ruveyn