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Why is slavery so widespread in the modern world?

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fancyshirtman Posted: Tue, Jul 20 2010 3:29 AM

Today there are an estimated 27 million slaves around the world. Why is this the case? How is slavery maintained? Why is slavery so widespread in the cocoa industry in the Ivory Coast? What solutions do libertarians have to solve this problem?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8510275415580537193

http://www.amnestyusa.org/filmfest/seattle/2002/slavery.html

"No person is so grand or wise or perfect as to be the master of another person." ~ Karl Hess

"look, property is theft, right? Therefore theft is property. Therefore this ship is mine, OK?" ~Zaphod Beeblebrox

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The number is higher than that.

There are the million of Koreans enslaved in North Korean and hundreds of millions of people in the United States who work a quarter to half of the year as slaves to the USA government (i.e. taxpayers). Plus, countless examples everywhere.

To paraphrase Marc Faber: We're all doomed, but that doesn't mean that we can't make money in the process.
Rabbi Lapin: "Let's make bricks!"
Stephan Kinsella: "Say you and I both want to make a German chocolate cake."

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Naevius replied on Wed, Jul 21 2010 3:46 AM

Well, the inimitable Muffinberg beat me to making a remark on statism as slavery. I was GOING to say "I wasn't aware that there were very many people who WEREN'T slaves in some form or another, be it state or private master."

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scineram replied on Wed, Jul 21 2010 5:42 AM

Well, this disproves slavery exists because of government.

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hugolp replied on Wed, Jul 21 2010 6:37 AM

Well, this disproves slavery exists because of government.

How?

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Sieben replied on Wed, Jul 21 2010 8:02 AM

scineram:
Well, this disproves slavery exists because of government.
Both exist because of aggression, which is the fundamental thing ancaps are opposed to.

I'm available for extended civil discussion any time.

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scineram replied on Wed, Jul 21 2010 4:48 PM

hugolp:

Well, this disproves slavery exists because of government.

How?

 

Because it is illegal basically everywhere, yet still exists, even in Europe.

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Azure replied on Wed, Jul 21 2010 11:04 PM

Because it is illegal basically everywhere, yet still exists, even in Europe.

So the Government failed at its stated purpose. What else is new?

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Slavery is illegal in the USA except when the state is the perpetrator.  Quick example: all employers in the USA are required by law to collect tax money from their employees and deliver that money to the IRS.  They have no choice in the matter, nor do they receive any compensation for the compulsory service they are providing.  That is institutionalized, legal slavery.  

So much for the law as justice.

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Joe replied on Sat, Aug 21 2010 3:31 AM

 

Azure:

Because it is illegal basically everywhere, yet still exists, even in Europe.

So the Government failed at its stated purpose. What else is new?

 

 
I'm afraid that really isn't good enough.  If we are going to claim that 'economically speaking, slavery can only exist when it is being propped up by the state'  Than slavery existing in areas where it is illegal seems quite strange, no?
 
I think the answer to this objection might lie in the creation of arbitrage opportunities due to things like minimum wage, child labor, prostitution, and immigration laws.
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MaikU replied on Sat, Aug 21 2010 8:16 AM

We need guns. Lots of guns.

 

(sorry, couldn't resist)

"Dude... Roderick Long is the most anarchisty anarchist that has ever anarchisted!" - Evilsceptic

(english is not my native language, sorry for grammar.)

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