Present Day Human Slavery

[BigRedBuster]

 

The thing that is tough is that we are so spoiled. We really don't have a clue how luxurious our lifestyles are - even those of us that only make $20k a year. We've gotten so accustomed to cheap clothes, cheap food, cheap services, that to actually decide to spend our money ethically all the sudden looks like, "holy sh#t. i have to spend three times the amount i would buying from somewhere else.", and since we are all generally selfish, we just keep feeding the system.

 

This is something that, if the government and society would get serious about this issue, we as Americans are going to be hit in the face with a form of inflation. A large portion of the population isn't going to like that.

[BigRedBuster]

38.

 

I wish one of them would make me a sammich right now.

 

 

/edit: About that poll, Who has 25 pairs of silk pajamas, but only 8 tee shirts?

 

Hugh Hefner.

[knapplc]

I got 0 slaves.

 

Why? Because this is BS. I don't in any way condone slavery, I don't support it, and I wouldn't willingly have anyone enslaved for me. The fact that I own a car and a house and shoes and eat food doesn't change that. Do people who produce such things employ slaves? Sure, probably, but this isn't my fault in the slightest.

 

No, slaves shouldn't exist. No, I can't personally change the fact that slaves exist. No, banding together with this "footprint" organization won't stop slavery any more than banding together with any other group will stop communism, Nazis, prostitution, 1 Direction, or any other reprehensible thing.

 

It's just more hand-wringing, like Kony 2012.

 

Kony is still going strong, BTW.

[Creighton Duke]

I got 0 slaves.

 

Why? Because this is BS. I don't in any way condone slavery, I don't support it, and I wouldn't willingly have anyone enslaved for me. The fact that I own a car and a house and shoes and eat food doesn't change that. Do people who produce such things employ slaves? Sure, probably, but this isn't my fault in the slightest.

 

No, slaves shouldn't exist. No, I can't personally change the fact that slaves exist. No, banding together with this "footprint" organization won't stop slavery any more than banding together with any other group will stop communism, Nazis, prostitution, 1 Direction, or any other reprehensible thing.

 

It's just more hand-wringing, like Kony 2012.

 

Kony is still going strong, BTW.

This is spot on. It would be like trying to fight those who have interest in making zillions of dollars from subsidizing the crap food that is of no nutritional value and is made from crap. No "normal" people, even large organizations are going to be able to compete with such a force. There is just too much money and vested interest in it.

 

If people REALLY want to make a difference, I think doing so at the micro level would make the most impact. Raising awareness is nice and all, but I feel like many of the people who get excited about topics like this will end up purchasing a conflict diamond when they propose (ahahahaha) to their girlfriends. If you haven't seen "Blood Diamond" I SERIOUSLY recommend it. Great movie.

 

In addition, people, especially in the Western world, are bigger consumers than EVER. It's not reasonable to think that a bunch of people who are so used to their nice things are going to stop on a dime to help underprivileged people in the third world...especially when they JUST GOTTA have that next I-Phone upgrade.

 

On an unrelated note, general prostitution should not be carelessly lumped into human slavery. There are many women in parts of the world who realize that they can make more in a few nights, in many cases from stupid thirsty foreign men who will take them to dinners, buy them nice clothes, phones, cars, etc., than they would make in a year working a "traditional" job. As such, they trade sex as they are, essentially, "half-pros" or "quasi-pros" . They report to no pimp and get to live at a much higher socioeconomic level than any of their peers holding "traditional" jobs. I don't call these women slaves; I call them smart. Are the men they dupe this way victims, then?

 

Also, I find it amusing that I scored the lowest on the slave test. Boo-yah

[StPaulHusker]

I don't personally buy sex from anyone so I don't think I am supporting the sex trade.

 

 

Not specifically a question for you, and also going into some murky waters here, but what impact do you think the pornography business has on sex trafficking? Obviously not a direct one, but in essence it's just the sale or the consumption of sexual pleasure/fantasies, which really seems to start a quick slope towards viewing women as objects to be enjoyed or consumed, which goes towards denying the personhood of actual people.

 

I'm not to the point of saying it so confidently, but my thought is that pornography's impact on the world is a lot wider and a lot more poisonous than just straining the occasional marriage.

 

 

 

I am genuinely interested in a list of companies that you have found that have the good business ethics you are looking for. This is something that all people should be aware of.

 

 

Unfortunately I haven't made too much progress. It's mostly all in the arenas of food and clothing - buying trendy ~hipster~ kid shirts and accessories from non-profits that are using their money and resources towards these problems.

 

The thing that is tough is that we are so spoiled. We really don't have a clue how luxurious our lifestyles are - even those of us that only make $20k a year. We've gotten so accustomed to cheap clothes, cheap food, cheap services, that to actually decide to spend our money ethically all the sudden looks like, "holy sh#t. i have to spend three times the amount i would buying from somewhere else.", and since we are all generally selfish, we just keep feeding the system.

I agree with most of what you are saying. I would, however venture to guess that someone living in America making $20k a year is not spoiled and that their dependency on cheap stuff is what keeps them afloat month to month.

 

But that is a whole other set of issues that needs to be corrected.

[It'sNotAFakeID]

I got 0 slaves.

 

Why? Because this is BS. I don't in any way condone slavery, I don't support it, and I wouldn't willingly have anyone enslaved for me. The fact that I own a car and a house and shoes and eat food doesn't change that. Do people who produce such things employ slaves? Sure, probably, but this isn't my fault in the slightest.

 

No, slaves shouldn't exist. No, I can't personally change the fact that slaves exist. No, banding together with this "footprint" organization won't stop slavery any more than banding together with any other group will stop communism, Nazis, prostitution, 1 Direction, or any other reprehensible thing.

 

It's just more hand-wringing, like Kony 2012.

 

Kony is still going strong, BTW.

 

I agree with this. All this site is trying to do is make you feel guilty that some of the products that we own and or consume on a regular basis are made by people who can be classified as enslaved. It's not necessarily my fault, and bringing awareness to the situation isn't going to make it go away. The Nazis didn't care that people knew they were Nazis and knew what they as Nazis were doing to Jews.

 

I feel bad about human slavery still existing today. But I'm in a position where, all I can ask myself is, "What can I do about it?" I can spread awareness much like you are doing, but like knapp said, spreading awareness isn't going to change anything except make people who are helpless to do anything about aware that something bad is happening. And the people who are being made aware are the people who would say that it is wrong.

 

I don't personally buy sex from anyone so I don't think I am supporting the sex trade.

 

 

Not specifically a question for you, and also going into some murky waters here, but what impact do you think the pornography business has on sex trafficking? Obviously not a direct one, but in essence it's just the sale or the consumption of sexual pleasure/fantasies, which really seems to start a quick slope towards viewing women as objects to be enjoyed or consumed, which goes towards denying the personhood of actual people.

 

I'm not to the point of saying it so confidently, but my thought is that pornography's impact on the world is a lot wider and a lot more poisonous than just straining the occasional marriage.

 

I think pornography has a bigger impact on the world than a lot of people think. But I wonder if pornography is significant in and of itself or if it only becomes a significant factor when combined with other factors like culture.

[Landlord]

http://www.kptm.com/story/24038469/sex-trafficking-in-nebraska

 

 

You might not think of Omaha as being a hotbed for the slave trade, but if you don't, think again.

 

There is evidence that hundreds of girls, some in their early teens are being sold as sex slaves in truck stops in our area.

 

Fox 42's Melina Matthes took a hard look at a problem some don't want to admit exists and at what some are doing to try to stop it.

 

The FBI says the problem is real. Law enforcement officials say I-80 plays a big part in helping men buy and sell young girls.

 

While many are kidnapped, some who runaway from home are easy targets for pimps traveling through.

 

Now police are reaching out for help and some truckers are signing up. They are now the eyes and ears of our highways. They're working with local law enforcement officials to stop this nightmare.

 

300,000. That's a big number and it's the number of children who are kidnapped and forced into sex trafficking each year according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

 

 

This is a little bit old but worth the read.

[sd'sker]

No, slaves shouldn't exist. No, I can't personally change the fact that slaves exist.

the banality of evil.

[strigori]

I don't personally buy sex from anyone so I don't think I am supporting the sex trade.

 

 

Not specifically a question for you, and also going into some murky waters here, but what impact do you think the pornography business has on sex trafficking? Obviously not a direct one, but in essence it's just the sale or the consumption of sexual pleasure/fantasies, which really seems to start a quick slope towards viewing women as objects to be enjoyed or consumed, which goes towards denying the personhood of actual people.

 

I'm not to the point of saying it so confidently, but my thought is that pornography's impact on the world is a lot wider and a lot more poisonous than just straining the occasional marriage.

 

 

 

I am genuinely interested in a list of companies that you have found that have the good business ethics you are looking for. This is something that all people should be aware of.

 

 

Unfortunately I haven't made too much progress. It's mostly all in the arenas of food and clothing - buying trendy ~hipster~ kid shirts and accessories from non-profits that are using their money and resources towards these problems.

 

The thing that is tough is that we are so spoiled. We really don't have a clue how luxurious our lifestyles are - even those of us that only make $20k a year. We've gotten so accustomed to cheap clothes, cheap food, cheap services, that to actually decide to spend our money ethically all the sudden looks like, "holy sh#t. i have to spend three times the amount i would buying from somewhere else.", and since we are all generally selfish, we just keep feeding the system.

I don't buy that argument on pornography. Or any other media for that matter. Its one hell of a jump to watching a video of something to classifying half of the population as 'less than human' Porn does not lead to rape/sex slavery anymore than video games or action movies lead to car chases and shootouts.

 

I'll also take a bit of an issue with the 'we dont know how good we have it' line also. Do we live better than parts of the world, sub-Saharan Africa comes to mind, absolutely. But I am not going to apologize for it, or feel bad about it. There are a mountain of reasons why it is, and certainly it is not our fault as Americans that people on other continents cant get their crap together.

 

Choosing to buy products not made overseas is also not as dramatic a price jump as you make it out to be. It can be slightly more expensive, but not debilitatingly so.

[Creighton Duke]

^^^^While I agree that porn probably doesn't lead to the evils that you mention, is does and has had some pretty messed up effects on our brains. Internet porn is one of the worst things t come about during the information era.

 

http://yourbrainonporn.com/

[Junior]

^^^^While I agree that porn probably doesn't lead to the evils that you mention, is does and has had some pretty messed up effects on our brains. Internet porn is one of the worst things t come about during the information era.

 

http://yourbrainonporn.com/

 

If by worst, you mean best.... We're on the same page.

[strigori]

^^^^While I agree that porn probably doesn't lead to the evils that you mention, is does and has had some pretty messed up effects on our brains. Internet porn is one of the worst things t come about during the information era.

 

http://yourbrainonporn.com/

Propaganda. Those 'reward' centers fire for anything you enjoy.

 

Porn predates the information area, and any era for that matter. Its just easier to access now.

[knapplc]

^^^^While I agree that porn probably doesn't lead to the evils that you mention, is does and has had some pretty messed up effects on our brains. Internet porn is one of the worst things t come about during the information era.

 

http://yourbrainonporn.com/

 

That seems at odds with some pretty solid research on the subject:

 

In a paper published in 2009 in the International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, Milton Diamond reviewed a very broad number of studies that have explored the supposed ill effects of pornography. Subsequent to his extensive review, Diamond concludes (p. 312):

 

"Indeed, the data reported and reviewed suggests that the thesis is myth and, if anything, there is an inverse causal relationship between an increase in pornography and

sex

crimes. Further, considering the findings of studies of community standards and wide spread usage of SEM [sexually explicit material], it is obvious that in local communities as nationally and internationally, porn is available, widely used and felt appropriate for voluntary adult consumption. If there is a consensus against pornography it is in regard to any SEM that involves children or minors in its production or consumption. Lastly we see that objections to erotic materials are often made on the basis of supposed actual, social or

moral

harm to women. No such cause and effect has been demonstrated with any negative consequence."

I should mention that Neil Malamuth is a highly regarded scholar of pornography who has often argued for its supposed ill effects. Hence, if there exists a possibility of an a priori bias here, it would be in hoping to find that pornography yields negative consequences.

 

In their survey of 688 young Danish adults (men = 316; women = 372), Hald and Malamuth found that respondents construed the viewing of hardcore pornography as beneficial to their sex lives, their attitudes towards sex, their perceptions and attitudes towards members of the opposite sex, toward life in general, and over all. The obtained beneficial effects were statistically significant for all but one measure across both sexes. Now here is the kicker: A positive correlation was obtained between the amount of hardcore pornography that was viewed and the impact of the benefits reaped. This positive correlation was found for both sexes. In other words, the more that one watched porn, the stronger the benefits (for both sexes)! There you have it.

 

[Excel]

More people enslaved now than at any point in human history. Combining sex trafficking victims, illegal child labor, imprisonment in quarries and farms and factories, there are over 27 million people in chains in the world today.

 

1860 US: 3.9 million slaves

1860 Brazil: ~1.2 million slaves

1857 India: between 8-9 million slaves

1860 World Population: 1.27 billion

 

So in 1860 the slave populations in just three countries alone accounted for nearly 10% of the world population. That's not even counting slavery in Africa and the Arab world.

Using your numbers and definition of slavery: 27 million slaves out of 7 billion people = 3% of the world population enslaved...and that still leaves some room to debate your definition of slavery. Modern human trafficking and compelled labor are horrible but they pale in comparison to the chattel slavery of the 19th century.

 

That's not to nitpick, I think it's terrible that these things go on today, but I don't like the whole "More people enslaved now than at any point in human history" thing...that's just to scare people. More people today have ingrown toenails than at another point in human history? Well yes, there are more people today than at any other time.

 

As far as the importance of human trafficking in the scheme of world problems I don't think it is or should be at the top. We can keep picking pet causes; ethnic conflict, slavery, AIDs, Malaria, Kony etc.. but you'll never be able to beat one on its own as they're all symptoms of a larger problem: poverty and a lack of sound government. Those two things separate the first world and the West from everywhere else where we see these problems and where they have their roots.

[Creighton Duke]

More people enslaved now than at any point in human history. Combining sex trafficking victims, illegal child labor, imprisonment in quarries and farms and factories, there are over 27 million people in chains in the world today.

 

1860 US: 3.9 million slaves

1860 Brazil: ~1.2 million slaves

1857 India: between 8-9 million slaves

1860 World Population: 1.27 billion

 

So in 1860 the slave populations in just three countries alone accounted for nearly 10% of the world population. That's not even counting slavery in Africa and the Arab world.

Using your numbers and definition of slavery: 27 million slaves out of 7 billion people = 3% of the world population enslaved...and that still leaves some room to debate your definition of slavery. Modern human trafficking and compelled labor are horrible but they pale in comparison to the chattel slavery of the 19th century.

 

That's not to nitpick, I think it's terrible that these things go on today, but I don't like the whole "More people enslaved now than at any point in human history" thing...that's just to scare people. More people today have ingrown toenails than at another point in human history? Well yes, there are more people today than at any other time.

 

As far as the importance of human trafficking in the scheme of world problems I don't think it is or should be at the top. We can keep picking pet causes; ethnic conflict, slavery, AIDs, Malaria, Kony etc.. but you'll never be able to beat one on its own as they're all symptoms of a larger problem: poverty and a lack of sound government. Those two things separate the first world and the West from everywhere else where we see these problems and where they have their roots.

Might want to check the math on this one, hombre