Very Funny. Word of the Day Colbert takes on Prison Labor

[geefloyd46]

http://laborspains.blogspot.com/2012/10/very-funny-word-of-day-colbert-takes-on.html

[unapatriciated]

1. This is sad and insane.

Unfortunatly this has been going on for some time and it has gotten worse. It must be more cost effective to set up factories in our prisons than in third world countries.

It's not bad enough that American labor has to compete with third world countries, our own government is busy driving down their pay and putting them out of work.

[Scuba]

2. Sad, insane and the business model of US Senator Ron Johnson, R-WI.

[fasttense]

3. Now how are we suppose to compete in the labor market

against 23 cents a day prison labor?

And will our laws become more draconian so more people will go to prison and become cheap, cheap labor for corporations?

[MysticLynx]

6. Prison labor

Reminds me of the forced labor camps of Nazi's. While our prison system is no where near the level of atrocities of the Nazi camps, the principle is the same, a captive work force that has no rights. How long before the system degrades even further- the workers have very few rights and no recourse to address violations of their rights, so there are no 'safety nets' to prevent a slide in to absolute slave labor and human rights violations. And yes history has proven over an over that corporations will take advantage of the situation, many of our 'wonderful' American corporations used the Nazi labor camps, and yes they will fund massive ad and propaganda campaigns to protect their profits. Again history has already proven they will do so.

[Fuddnik]

4. We had more than a few people around here supporting this shit.

A few years ago, Gov. Ted Strickland (D-Oh) was proposing eliminating union janitors and maintenance workers in state buildings and replacing them with prisoners, to ease a budget crunch.

Quite a few around here thought this was a simply wonderful idea.

And we wonder how they lose to an asshole like Kasich?

[amerciti001]

5. how are we to compete...

with prison labor!?! change the 13th amendment of the US Constitution.

Passed by Congress: 31 January 1865
Ratified: 6 December 1865

Section 1. 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.

Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

All that's needed is to strike these words:except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted

so that it reads: Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
and that "Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."

See just how simple getting rid of "Prison Labor" will be?
http://www.shmoop.com/constitution/13th-amendment.html

[MichaelSoE]

7. The scary part is the revealing ...................

".... the law requires federal agencies to buy [Unicor's] products..."
Smells like Fascism to me.

[marble falls]

8. Must see, yes. Very funny? Not at all. Its not about jobs. Its about slave labor.

[Merlot]

9. That was without a doubt the most depressing Colbert Report ever

Not that I don't applaud Steven Colberts genius in getting this story out their.

Slavery in corporate America...it's the future.

[geefloyd46]

10. It is very black humor

Black humor is a way to get something very serious out in the stratosphere.