Wilma, and others, I wasn't talking about Thailand in my previous post. I was talking about the tens of thousands of slaves in the UNITED STATES, TODAY, which primarily come from Eastern Europe, through Mexico. I find their condition to be far more compelling than any other I have heard about, whether present or past. Your reaction leads me to believe that I was right to try and enlighten people on this state of affairs, since you appear to be ignorant of it. I am not making any specific comments on slavery prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall (1989?). Jed McKee. --- Wilma de Soto <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Dear Mr. McKee, > > Thank you for your post about modern day slavery and > prostitution trade in > Thailand. > > However, you are equating that with the chattel > slavery of Africans in > America and a legal, constitutional societal > framework written into the very > fabric of this country whose effects linger to this > day. > > Slavery of Africans in America was "The Peculiar > Institution" as coined by > Kenneth R. Stampp. It is not the same as what is > going on in countries > today. > > That is not to say that I feel no sympathy with what > is occurring in the > Sudan etc. I most certainly do. > > My concern is the continued intransigence of people > in THIS country to > examine the issue of the accumulation of wealth, > access to resources and > opportunity bequeathed to some members of our > society through the legacy of > slavery, and still denied to others. > > People do not have to look at other countries for > the "real issue." > > Unfortunately for those in Southeast Asia, a lot of > this is cultural. Women > are not valued highly and many of those girls are > sold into slavery by their > parents in order to offset debts, etc. They are not > stolen from their > families and sold into slavery. > > In the Sudan, there is the continued oppression of > those who are not Moslem > by those who are. A key factor in the Middle Passage > Slave trade as well. > Wars, tribal conflicts etc. contribute to these > terrible conditions. > > When the laws of those countries are changed so to > that the same fate MUST > be shared by future members of the same tribe and > their progeny, as well as > defining who is human under the law and who is not, > THEN we will start to > have a similar condition of slavery there as was > here. > > Americans do not have to point fingers around the > world and define the "real > issue". They do so however in order to avoid coming > to terms with > injustices here in their own backyard and maintain > their façade of innocence > in the face of injustice, while being complicit in > enjoying the benefits of > NOT being the ones who are excluded. > > Thanks for listening. > > Wilma de Soto > > > On 4/2/05 12:25 PM, "Jedidiah McKee" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > I'm thankful for the history lesson this string > has > > generated. However, slavery in modern times was > also > > mentioned, by Brian Siano, I believe. > > > > By some estimates, there are more slaves alive in > the > > world today than there have been at any point > before > > in history. Many of them are used in difficult > &/or > > dangerous mining or harvesting operations. There > is > > also the sex slave trade, of which many, if not > most, > > could be classified as children (since > 21-year-olds > > have more rights). This trade exploded with the > fall > > of the Berlin Wall, with poor and desperate people > > trying to get out of Eastern Europe and into the > > "golden West". Sex slavery in the West is > different > > than in the East; virginity is not the commodity > in > > Senator's sex toys in North America that it is in > > Bangkok. By the time some CEO has paid $35,000 > for a > > slave, she has been systematically drugged, > underfed, > > beaten and raped repeatedly, until all she (or he) > has > > the energy to do is obey orders. It's scarcely > > surprising that such a slave's working life is > only > > two years (and they're unlikely to live much > longer), > > and there are tens of thousands of more slaves > being > > taken every year. It is my belief that this > practice > > will only fade slowly, as simulacra and virtual > > reality slowly reduce the demand, and as politics > > reduce the supply. As it is now, there are too > many > > people in power who benefit fom it, both here in > the > > US and in Mexico, as well as the Eastern European > > cartels that supply the slaves. > > > > So if you wanna stand up on your soapbox and work > for > > justice, I would start there. > > > > Jed McKee. > > > > PS Much of my specific info on this is from a > January > > 25, 2004 New York Times Sunday Magazine article, > and > > and interview on WHYY radio Fresh Aire program on > > Monday of that week. (My specific dates may be a > > little off, but they're close to that.) > > > > --- John Desmond <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> Salutations, gentlefolk, > >> > >> Mr. Siano mentioned sanctions against > 'collaborators > >> with the British during the > >> Revolution'. The turth, however, is even > stranger. > >> > >> Many Tories - King George III's partisans - had > >> their property (including a good > >> chunk of downtown Philly) confiscated during the > >> revolution, and sold to finance > >> the Continental war effort. In the Treaty of > Paris > >> (the US copy is in the > >> American Philosophical Society library on 5th St) > we > >> promised to compensate > >> them. Congress, however, never appropriated the > >> money for this. > >> > >> Foward two hundred years or so, and in the > >> Helms-somebody Act we insist that the > >> Cubans must pay up for what they nationalized in > >> '61. Of course the United > >> Empire Loyalists (think Daughters of the American > >> Revolution, turned inside out) > >> have been keeping close track of the amounts due > >> their ancestors, plus interest. > >> > >> Will a future Film Festival see a remake of > >> "Passport to Pimlico" set in our > >> neighborhood - but this time a documentary ? > >> > >> Yours, John Desmond > >> > >> ---- > >> You are receiving this because you are subscribed > to > >> the > >> list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for > archive > >> information, see > >> <http://www.purple.com/list.html>. > >> > > > > > > > > __________________________________ > > Do you Yahoo!? > > Yahoo! Personals - Better first dates. More second > dates. > > http://personals.yahoo.com > > > > ---- > > You are receiving this because you are subscribed > to the > > list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for > archive information, see > === message truncated === __________________________________ Yahoo! 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