Enslaved and then marooned on Tromelin Island for fifteen years (2014) • Hacker News Board

Re: Enslaved and then marooned on Tromelin Island for fifteen years (2014)

#11

Post by jacquesm » Tue, May 15, 2018, 12:06 AM UTC

AnimalMuppet wrote: post #6

"Illegally enslaved" isn't accurate. The slave trade was legal at the time. What wasn't legal was the ship (and/or captain), and the destination.

I think it should be illegal in all contexts because the slaves did not consent and they were people too. Not recognizing them as such does not make it legal.

Re: Enslaved and then marooned on Tromelin Island for fifteen years (2014)

#12

Post by solsticedev » Tue, May 15, 2018, 12:10 AM UTC

AnimalMuppet wrote: post #9

eberkund wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is that not accurate? Renting out a room for someone to live in is legal but in some places it isn't illegal to do so without the proper zoning and/or permits. Therefore you would call someone doing that "illegally renting".

Because "enslaving" refers to the action of making someone a slave, not to the action of shipping someone who was already a slave to a new location. That's "illegally shipped", not "illegally enslaved".

Agreed on this point, although I also find the terminology of "legally enslaved" to be poor as I'm sure the enslaved people themselves did not give credence to that law.

Re: Enslaved and then marooned on Tromelin Island for fifteen years (2014)

#13

Post by joshuaheard » Tue, May 15, 2018, 12:13 AM UTC

AnimalMuppet wrote: post #6

"Illegally enslaved" isn't accurate. The slave trade was legal at the time. What wasn't legal was the ship (and/or captain), and the destination.

I have to agree. The title seemed to indicate being abducted as slaves was part of the story. But, the slaves were part of a legal slave trade at the time. The real story was their survival as castaways. The fact that they were slaves is incidental.

Re: Enslaved and then marooned on Tromelin Island for fifteen years (2014)

#14

Post by busterarm » Tue, May 15, 2018, 12:24 AM UTC

kizer wrote: post #10

kizer wrote: post #8

I wonder which life would have been better for them. Would you trade everything for freedom?

I should say “freedom”. Three square miles of freedom that is.

Freedom and near-certain death!

Re: Enslaved and then marooned on Tromelin Island for fifteen years (2014)

#15

Post by [deleted] » Tue, May 15, 2018, 12:33 AM UTC

AnimalMuppet wrote: post #9

eberkund wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is that not accurate? Renting out a room for someone to live in is legal but in some places it isn't illegal to do so without the proper zoning and/or permits. Therefore you would call someone doing that "illegally renting".

Because "enslaving" refers to the action of making someone a slave, not to the action of shipping someone who was already a slave to a new location. That's "illegally shipped", not "illegally enslaved".

[deleted]

Re: Enslaved and then marooned on Tromelin Island for fifteen years (2014)

#16

Post by mieseratte » Tue, May 15, 2018, 12:39 AM UTC

AnimalMuppet wrote: post #6

"Illegally enslaved" isn't accurate. The slave trade was legal at the time. What wasn't legal was the ship (and/or captain), and the destination.

Reprehensible as this likely comes off to most, I think it's entirely worth voicing for the fact that it reminds us to consider our present day actions, how they fight into greater society, and if we are only cooperating because our pay depends on it.

Re: Enslaved and then marooned on Tromelin Island for fifteen years (2014)

#17

Post by dang » Tue, May 15, 2018, 12:50 AM UTC

AnimalMuppet wrote: post #6

"Illegally enslaved" isn't accurate. The slave trade was legal at the time. What wasn't legal was the ship (and/or captain), and the destination.

That's a hell of a nitpick, but ok, we've taken 'illegally' out above.

Re: Enslaved and then marooned on Tromelin Island for fifteen years (2014)

#18

Post by [deleted] » Tue, May 15, 2018, 1:05 AM UTC

AnimalMuppet wrote: post #6

"Illegally enslaved" isn't accurate. The slave trade was legal at the time. What wasn't legal was the ship (and/or captain), and the destination.

[deleted]

Re: Enslaved and then marooned on Tromelin Island for fifteen years (2014)

#19

Post by [deleted] » Tue, May 15, 2018, 1:10 AM UTC

AnimalMuppet wrote: post #9

eberkund wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is that not accurate? Renting out a room for someone to live in is legal but in some places it isn't illegal to do so without the proper zoning and/or permits. Therefore you would call someone doing that "illegally renting".

Because "enslaving" refers to the action of making someone a slave, not to the action of shipping someone who was already a slave to a new location. That's "illegally shipped", not "illegally enslaved".

[deleted]

Re: Enslaved and then marooned on Tromelin Island for fifteen years (2014)

#20

Post by commandlinefan » Tue, May 15, 2018, 1:37 AM UTC

Earlier today the headline read “illegally enslaved”, like in the linked article. I almost pointed out that that was redundant, but I figured there was no point. Apparently it did bother somebody.