THE ONE THING ALL SLAVES HAVE IN COMMON.
A LIBERTARIAN PERSPECTIVE ON SLAVERY.
Slavery is an ancient exploit that is generally viewed in a negative way. I think it is safe to assume that the majority of the world regards slavery as an immoral act. There are many forms of slavery. Some of the forms of slavery are: forced labor, sexual slavery, child slavery, and forced marriage. Whatever its form may be, I can say that it is despicable. It is not news that slavery still exists today. What many of you may not know is that slavery is more prevalent today than ever in human history. A quick statistic: At any given time in 2016, an estimated 40.3 million people are in modern slavery, including 24.9 in forced labor and 15.4 million in forced marriage. Source 1.
I enjoy exploring the fundamental or principles behind these large issues. I am not here to explore why slavery occurs, but I do want to define slavery and explore its fundamentals. Exploring cause and effects relationships is very insightful. I think that is the case with slavery. There is something going on here that does not make sense. My goal with this post is to answer: what do all slaves have in common? While also adding my libertarian perspective.
STATISTICS ON SLAVERY
Slavery in colonial times is the typical form of slavery that we have seen from history courses and the media. In this era, individuals were taken from their homes or captured into slavery. They would then be put to work in fields, factories, and labor-intensive activities in general. One example of these slaves are of course the slaves that existed in the southern United States that worked cotton fields and other plantations. Modern-day slavery is not that different. Individuals are still taken from their homes, voluntarily (deceived) or involuntarily (by force) and put to work in various forms of labor or sexual acts. Unlike in historical times, these days every country has prohibited slavery. Yet, it still happens. Mauritania was the last country to outlaw slavery in the year 1981. Source 2.
Gustave Boulanger's painting The Slave Market
SLAVERY IN ITS ESSENCE.
When I think of slavery, I have images of someone taking someone away or taking something from them without their consent. I think that in a basic sense slavery involves taking property from an individual involuntarily. Slaves in the plantations were deprived of their freedom and had many things also taken from them including their children and possessions. Slaves do not have control of their own property. Their master has control of their individual property including their time and effort (that is to say their freedom to act). For the purpose herein, I would like to make the clarification that slavery is not only a physical condition, but it is also an action. Slavery then should be defined as the: an individual’s condition in which his/her property is taken away involuntarily.
What do all slaves have in common? All slaves have in common the fact that a part or the whole of their property, including their own bodies, may be controlled by someone else. Slaves have in common the fact that something is taken from them involuntarily.
I think this gets down to the essence of what it is to be a slave.
THE POLITICAL STATE, YOUR SERVANT. A FREE MAN'S RANT.
Sidetracking a bit from the historical slavery, I would like to focus on fundamental slavery. Specifically the idea that all slaves have in common that something is taken from them involuntarily. The Political State, in general, have marketed themselves to sell as if they are a service to its citizens. Its representatives call themselves “public servants.” Promoting the idea that the various agencies of the state are to the disposal and service of any individual citizen. Let’s evaluate this further in a fundamental sense. I think it is obvious to say that the state “services” are not voluntarily. I don’t recall at any point subscribing to the services of the Political State of Honduras. I have never voluntarily entered into a contractual agreement with my respective state, Honduras. So, the relationship between a State and its citizens is fundamentally involuntary.
Furthermore, I do not remember ever agreeing to pay the state arranged amounts for their services like the police, fire department, parks and recreation, etc. The laws that require me to pay taxes, fees, late fees and all sorts of charges was never agreed upon voluntarily. I did not even vote for the representatives that created the tax laws decades ago. Fundamentally, the state and I are in a relationship where they TAKE AWAY something from me INVOLUNTARILY. The State is, therefore, performing an act of slavery against me. What happens if I don’t pay my taxes? Then I get late fees, fines and penalties (additional taking away). What happens if still continue to not pay my taxes? Then I am thrown in jail (they take away my freedom and lock away my primordial hide). The relationship with the state is this: they will take away from you involuntarily; If you refuse to pay, they will take away more and more in an escalating form.
SLAVES = PROPERTY IS TAKEN FROM.
MASTERS = TAKE AWAY PROPERTY.
FROM THIS DISCUSSION, WE CAN ASSUME THAT THE PERSON THAT TAKES AWAY INVOLUNTARILY IS THE MASTER AND THE PERSON THAT SOMETHING IS TAKEN FROM IS THE SLAVE. FUNDAMENTALLY, IN THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE STATE AND THE CITIZEN, THE CITIZEN IS THE SLAVE AND THE STATE THE MASTER.
Creative Commons. No Copyright.
If you would like to prove this for yourself, try to at some point unsubscribe from the contractual agreement between your respective political state and yourself. Just go to whichever three letter agency that deals with citizenship and ask them to unsubscribe you from all of their benefits. Equally, notify them that will no longer pay for said services. You will quickly find out that the relationship to your political state is fundamentally INVOLUNTARY and that they are the ones that take away from you whatever they would like.
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