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Thread: Judging History (branch off from election thread)

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  1. #22

    Default Re: 2012 U.S. Presidential Election

    Quote Originally Posted by Lemur View Post
    Sorry, that's just factually incorrect. Indentured servitude was a fixed-term system of debt/obligation and labor; selling yourself into slavery (not uncommon in ancient Rome and the Hellenic city-states) was a permanent change in status (in other words, you made yourself another person's property, until either death or emancipation).

    The fact that you might sell yourself voluntarily has no bearing on whether or not it was slavery.
    And what you are describing is indentured servitude. From the wiki links you just posted:
    Indentured servitude refers to the historical practice of contracting to work for a fixed period of time, typically three to seven years, in exchange for transportation, food, clothing, lodging and other necessities during the term of indenture.

    What you said:
    Can't feed your family? Sell yourself into slavery as a tutor, hang out with some rich dude's kids for a decade or so, expect an early emancipation and a new patron at the end.


    Slavery is not willing labor, you do not sell yourself into slavery. Someone must force you into slavery. That's how it works. Otherwise all capitalistic labor is a form of slavery (get out of here Commies). In slavery, there is no agreement to work, there is no fixed period of time, there is no choice in the matter to begin with.


    EDIT: The very first sentence of the wiki article for slavery you posted:
    Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work.

    The servants may be treated as property under the Roman system, but they were never forced to work to begin with. They willingly accepted the work.
    Last edited by a completely inoffensive name; 04-08-2012 at 05:54.


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