Reply #38: If I weren't so lazy, I would have written a longer post, substantiating [View All]

[ladjf]

my definition of "slavery" so that you would have probably agreed with my point.

Obviously, I know the difference between literal, physical slavery and the sort of partial slavery to which I was referring to with the office workers.

In my mind, anyone who is laboring all day every day except for weekends with no intellectual input to the process, no creativity, all just carrying out the orders of others is a "slave". Yes, they can leave that job but, when they take another one, they just have a different master.

The fact that the "slaves" have a home, pay for their food,transportation and medicine is nothing but a plus for the employers. In the old days, the slave owners we required to take care of all of that for the slaves. The new system is even more profitable for the slave owners. They don't have to worry about all of those personal needs.

Free will is not as "free" as it might sound. Yes, you could take off work this afternoon, but if the boss ever decides that you are profitable, you are out of there. When I was on the corporate treadmill I noticed that we were referred to as "resources".

For 30 years I worked hard as an educator. Yes, the hours were long and the pay wasn't all that great but I was never a "slave". Why? Because I spent my time using my mind in creative ways to help other people. It was fascinating work and very rewarding. But, at one point I decided that it would be better to work as a computer programmer in the corporate world. I did that, made three times as much money and was a slave the entire time. As a database administrator, most of my work orders came via pager from various computers that were automatically informing me that something needed attention. I took my working orders from computers. Not good.

By the way, I wrote a dissertation relating to the history of the Southern U.S. during the 19th Century. I am well informed on slave issues and information. (In 1855 a young male field worker would cost about $250.00 while a blacksmith might go for $1,200 or more.)