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My Family’s Slave

theatlantic.com

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Re: My Family’s Slave

#31

Post by devopsproject »

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…

> because what on earth do you say?

For starters: Why is a woman sleeping on a mat in your kitchen?

you need new friends

Re: My Family’s Slave

#32

Post by creepydata »

balls187 wrote: post #27

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.

So, What did your mom say?

Re: My Family’s Slave

#33

Post by balls187 »

creepydata wrote: post #32
balls187 wrote: post #27

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.

So, What did your mom say?

> So, What did your mom say?

"Paid house keeper plus all supplies and food. Helped her family also."

While I have no proof, I'm inclined to believe her. It's hard to imagine my parents owning a slave AND the US Military allowing it's personnel to keep slaves AND word of that not making it back to the US Mainland.

Re: My Family’s Slave

#34

Post by [deleted] »

barsonme wrote: post #12
neaden wrote: post #5

A well written story. I'd be interested in hearing from any Filipino commentators how common this practice still is/is perceived to be in the Philippines today. It's ranked 33/167 by Global Slavery Index[0] as compared to the US at #52. [0] https://www.globalslaveryindex.org/country/philippines/

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.

[deleted]

Re: My Family’s Slave

#36

Post by jimmywanger »

neaden wrote: post #5

A well written story. I'd be interested in hearing from any Filipino commentators how common this practice still is/is perceived to be in the Philippines today. It's ranked 33/167 by Global Slavery Index[0] as compared to the US at #52. [0] https://www.globalslaveryindex.org/country/philippines/

I don't know how common it is in the Philippines, but it's very common in rich parts of China and Taiwan [0].

Although they probably do get paid something and have freedom, the situations are very similar. Dropped into a location without the ability to speak the language or financial resources to escape.

[0] https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EHNSDKK/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?...

Re: My Family’s Slave

#37

Post by MrLeap »

bflesch wrote: post #26
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 usin…

Seems like he's so hypnotized by being rich adjacent he couldn't ask some questions about something that weird.

HN is the closest thing I have to a portal into the private lives of people with nigh infinite money, and eeeevery so often I read something like the gp that makes me want to gulag the rich and seize the means of production.

Now I know there's evil people at every income level, but infinite money really increases the ability of a person to project evil. My intuition tells me this story isn't even that exceptional. I bet the evil rich hedonism spectrum has some real nightmare fuel.

Re: My Family’s Slave

#38

Post by cdelsolar »

bflesch wrote: post #26
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 usin…

Yes, my goodness, do something about this!

Re: My Family’s Slave

#39

Post by wavefunction »

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…

I guess I would have taken her to the authorities and helped her get whatever help she needs as soon as I determined her situation.

And your friend is no feminist or idealist.

Re: My Family’s Slave

#40

Post by JackFr »

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…

> So why do slaves, who are are capable of empathy, speech, and everything that make us human get treated worse than a mechanic's favorite wrench?

It's quite simple -- if you think of your slave as a human deserving of empathy, you have to recognize yourself as a monster. If you think of them as a creature less than you, you're cruelties are unimportant,

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