From: "Madeleine Yeh" <myeh at wap.org>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: RE: [wsfa-forum] Giant step backwards in time
 (Not!)
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2006 17:49:12 -0400
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

   I didn't think "Classical" Slavery was actually
reappearing.  I thought the chain gangs of the old South
had returned, with a few more refinements.  The sheriff is
now supplying labor for fish fries and farm work as well
as road building.  I don't much like the chain gang system
and it seems too easily abused.
       Madeleine

On Mon, 10 Jul 2006 17:41:53 -0400
  "Madeleine Yeh" <myeh at wap.org> wrote:
>   Lee;
>    You are looking at "complete" economics.  The sheriff
> is looking at selling stolen labor.  The state
>government
> is paying for the prisoners' room and board, while the
> sheriff is getting the money from hiring out the
>convicts.
> Also while free labor might be more efficient than
>forced
> labor, the free laborer has to be paid and right now
>might
> be doing something else.  This is Louisiana and a lot of
> people have left in search of a better economy.
>    Slavery doesn't have to make economic sense to
> continue.  Its a lot easier to abolish if it isn't a key
> part of the economy, but it normally takes legal action
>to
> wipe out.  Slavery existed in Medieval times even in
> places where most of the labor force was free.
>    There have been several slavery convictions in
> Northern Virginia in the last couple of years and others
> around the country.  I thought this case especially
> heinious due to government involvement.
>
>   here is a recent case from California
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5135910.stm
>
> On Mon, 10 Jul 2006 16:07:01 -0400
>  "Strong, Lee" <strongl at sddc.army.mil> wrote:
>> While the FBI did arrest someone for enslavement in
>>1985, that was a
>> freaky exception to the rule.  A Pakistani couple
>>imported a "servant" to
>> Miami, FL and kind of forgot to tell him about the civil
>>rights of
>> immigrants to the USA.  Classical slavery is not making
>>any comeback
>> anywhere in the USA.  Forced labor as a punishment for
>>crimes is a
>> recognized part of the criminal justice system and is
>>subject to various
>> legal safeguards.
>> It makes NO sense for sheriffs to arrest able bodied
>>persons and to
>> hire them out to "fat cats" since free labor is always
>>more efficient than
>> forced labor.  U.S. Grant married into a slave owning
>>family (the Dents).
>> He persuaded his wife, Julia, to free her 4 slaves and
>>hire 1 free woman.
>> Julia was certain that the household would go to heck in
>>a handbasket.  To
>> her astonishment, the 1 free woman produced more work
>>than the 4 slaves
>> because the free woman had a stake (wages) in her own
>>work.  Further, if
>> forced labor were cost effective, the Communist world
>>would have outproduced
>> the socialist world which would have outproduced the
>>capitalist world.  The
>> opposite happened because free people will beat the crap
>>out of slaves who
>> are indifferent at best to their masters' success in
>>anything resembling a
>> fair contest.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>>From: wsfa-forum at yahoogroups.com
>>[mailto:wsfa-forum at yahoogroups.com] On
>> Behalf Of Madeleine Yeh
>> Sent: Wednesday, July 05, 2006 6:23 PM
>> To: WSFA members; wsfa-forum at yahoogroups.com
>> Subject: [WSFA] [wsfa-forum] Giant step backwards in
>>time
>>
>> I think that slavery seems to be reappearing in the U.S.
>> Look at this article about prison labor in Louisiana.
>> I thought this practice was abolished decades ago.
>>   It starts making economic sense for sheriffs to arrest
>> as many able bodied people as possible and various fat
>> cats get rich from not paying wages.
>>
>> http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/05/us/05prisoners.html
>>
>> ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
>>--------------------~-->
>> Something is new at Yahoo! Groups.  Check out the
>>enhanced email design.
>> http://us.click.yahoo.com/SISQkA/gOaOAA/yQLSAA/LRMolB/TM
>> --------------------------------------------------------------------~->
>>
>