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My Family’s Slave

theatlantic.com

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Re: My Family’s Slave

#21

Post by codehusker »

smhenderson wrote: post #19
codehusker wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems that a higher ranking is worse. > The Index presents a ranking of 167 countries based on the proportion of the population that is estimated to be in modern slavery. [0] North Korea, with 4.37% in slavery, is ranked 1. India, with 1.4% in slavery, is ranked 4. Philippines, with 0.4% in slavery, is ranked 33. China, with 0.25% in slavery, is ranked 40. USA, with .02% in slavery, is ranked 52. [0] https://www.g…

How is a higher number worse if there is less slavery in countries with a higher number?

I should have phrased it as a higher ranking rather than a higher number. I assumed 'higher' was clear in the terms of ranks, rather than a larger number.

GP's claim makes it seem like they interpreted as I did.

> ...countries like North Korea (rank #1) are closer to 0...

NK is not close to 0 in relative or absolute slave counts, and I don't see the utility in pointing out that 1 is closer to 0 than 52.

Re: My Family’s Slave

#22

Post by jimmywanger »

creepydata wrote: post #10
GuB-42 wrote: post #9

One thing that I find somewhat surprising will all stories involving slavery is how masters are consistently portrayed as assholes in a way that goes further than what would be a "normal" master/slave relationship. Even if you think as a slave not as a human being but as, say, a working dog, or even a nice tool, it is not proper treatment. Most dog owners genuinely love their dogs and don't punish them more than what…

It's very simple - for keeping them under control and keep them from thinking of themselves as human/equal or even having any independent thought at all. Neither your dog nor your wrench have to be taught their place in the world. You want your slave to internalize their existence as a slave. It's also to prevent yourself from seeing your slave as anything other than a slave. It also has to do with what's the sociall…

> Neither your dog nor your wrench have to be taught their place in the world.

Have you ever had a dog? Dogs definitely need to be taught what's acceptable and what's not.

Re: My Family’s Slave

#23

Post by creepydata »

jimmywanger wrote: post #22
creepydata wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's very simple - for keeping them under control and keep them from thinking of themselves as human/equal or even having any independent thought at all. Neither your dog nor your wrench have to be taught their place in the world. You want your slave to internalize their existence as a slave. It's also to prevent yourself from seeing your slave as anything other than a slave. It also has to do with what's the sociall…

> Neither your dog nor your wrench have to be taught their place in the world. Have you ever had a dog? Dogs definitely need to be taught what's acceptable and what's not.

Excuse me? No, just no. Not in the same way a human slave needs to be taught. Not at all. And besides I said dogs "don't need to be taught their place in the world" not "what's acceptable and what's not." They do in a sense, of course, but not remotely in the same sense as a slave.

Re: My Family’s Slave

#24

Post by qntty »

lordnacho wrote: post #20

I had a terrible "Billy" moment a few years ago. I was travelling and a friend said I could use her house, because it was empty. This was perfect for me, since I had a wife and kid. It turns out there was a housekeeper. She did everything for us, made us feel very comfortable, cooked, served, helped with the kid, etc. Then one day I found out she didn't have her own room, despite the place being a multi storey mansio…

This sounds like a question you would be asked to think about in an ethics class. The kind I would probably dismiss as so unrealistic that it's not worth taking seriously, so I'd give some canned answer that I think is supposed to be the correct one. I don't know what I would do in that situation either to be honest.

Re: My Family’s Slave

#25

Post by beat »

ben_jones wrote: post #13
GuB-42 wrote: post #9

One thing that I find somewhat surprising will all stories involving slavery is how masters are consistently portrayed as assholes in a way that goes further than what would be a "normal" master/slave relationship. Even if you think as a slave not as a human being but as, say, a working dog, or even a nice tool, it is not proper treatment. Most dog owners genuinely love their dogs and don't punish them more than what…

Slaves often serve as a reference point for social standing in society. If you can push the bar lower, you can effectively raise your own position. I also imagine the standard appeal of bullying others and holding power over others played a role. Just to be clear I think this behavior is abhorrent, this is just my attempt to understand the mindset.

That's the attitude that maintained Jim Crow in the south (and still maintains anti-black racism today). "We may be poor white trash, but at least we aren't black". (Black isn't the word that would be used, though)

Re: My Family’s Slave

#26

Post by bflesch »

lordnacho wrote: post #20

I had a terrible "Billy" moment a few years ago. I was travelling and a friend said I could use her house, because it was empty. This was perfect for me, since I had a wife and kid. It turns out there was a housekeeper. She did everything for us, made us feel very comfortable, cooked, served, helped with the kid, etc. Then one day I found out she didn't have her own room, despite the place being a multi storey mansio…

So you're trying to tell us that your feeling of uncomfortness is the only thing stopping you from growing a spine and standing up for such an inhumane treatment, that apart from you nobody else can witness?

Have some decency and confront your so-called friend. How can people be rich and not have the decency to give the person feeding you and your family a freaking room.

And I really had to constrain myself from using expletives in this reply.

Re: My Family’s Slave

#27

Post by balls187 »

I grew up in Subic Bay Naval base. Every military family had a local filipino house keeper, and I remember one of ours vividly.

I had to text my mom and find out if we paid her--I couldn't imagine my family owning a slave.

Re: My Family’s Slave

#28

Post by smhenderson »

codehusker wrote: post #21
smhenderson wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is a higher number worse if there is less slavery in countries with a higher number?

I should have phrased it as a higher ranking rather than a higher number. I assumed 'higher' was clear in the terms of ranks, rather than a larger number. GP's claim makes it seem like they interpreted as I did. > ...countries like North Korea (rank #1) are closer to 0... NK is not close to 0 in relative or absolute slave counts, and I don't see the utility in pointing out that 1 is closer to 0 than 52.

Yes, I replied before you edited your post, I get your meaning now. Thanks for clarifying.

Re: My Family’s Slave

#30

Post by barsonme »

codehusker wrote: post #18
barsonme wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

for people who don't click the link: a larger number is better. it's ranking by prevalence, so countries like North Korea (rank #1) worse than countries like the U.S. (#52) and Australia (also #52). I couldn't find a country that was ranked #167 out of #167, though. I think #52 is as high as it goes.

It seems that a higher ranking is worse. > The Index presents a ranking of 167 countries based on the proportion of the population that is estimated to be in modern slavery. [0] North Korea, with 4.37% in slavery, is ranked 1. India, with 1.4% in slavery, is ranked 4. Philippines, with 0.4% in slavery, is ranked 33. China, with 0.25% in slavery, is ranked 40. USA, with .02% in slavery, is ranked 52. [0] https://www.g…

I meant 'higher' as in 'larger', sorry.
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