Thanks to Vaj for this book tip. I'm just finishing it and it is one of the most important books I've read this year.
It has an interesting chapter on Indian slavery including some insight into how the caste system helps perpetuate it. 90% of manual laborers are from the "untouchable" caste. No school for junior who joins the parents as soon as he or she is old enough. The author who wrote it, Benjamin Skinner, is like the Indiana Jones of human rights. He has documented slavery in detail in many countries and puts human faces on the horrific concept of people OWNING other people. His bravery in meeting with slavers who would as soon kill him as look at him was amazing. With a little wink wink nudge nudge, to countries like Saudi Arabia, the US government is not doing much to change the situation. The Christian groups doing good in this area are only interested in prostitution slavery which is only a part of the problem. On thing it wised me up on is the legalized prostitution in Amsterdam which I had ignorantly thought was a success. Without any protection for imported slaves it is a horror show, not a rational way to deal with one of our oldest professions as I had believed. The numbers are staggering. The human suffering incalculable. The level of euphemistic bullsittery going on in our government to avoid even describing it as a real problem is inexcusable. The author is one of my new heroes. This was not an easy book to research and write. And although I wouldn't describe reading it as easy either, it is compellingly written. He gives enough details about the people whose lives he is bringing out of the darkness that you can't help but feel their lives deeply. This one is gunna haunt me.
