I think if we let them, repubs would bring back slavery.

[Philosoraptor]

I really do, I honestly believe in my heart of hearts that certain repubs would be delighted to reinstate slavery. In fact I believe they promote a form of it with their policies toward 'guest workers' and overworked, underpaid foreign workers, some of which make our gadgets and goods under slave like conditions.

I believe they see themselves as plantation owners and we are merely workers out here, and we get paid way too much. I believe they see themselves as better than working class folks, of any color, and none of them actually work at all.

I think they miss those shiny, white plantation mansions with their huge entrances and their hidden slave quarters. I actually think that are literally trying to enslave the world in one form or another.

I suppose some will see this as a ridiculous notion, but look at it objectively and remember, our president's own grandfather made millions from the labor of doomed slaves at Auschwitz concentration camp, and our two bush presidents INHERITED IT.

Remember, these are the same fuckers who now tell us that torturing prisoners of war is just dandy.

[Jim__]

1. I agree. As wealth becomes more and more concentrated ...

... there is little left that can be claimed by the non-wealthy. When all the water in the world is privatized, how much will you pay for a glass of it? One day's work for a glass of water and 2 slices of bread? What will your options be?

I know, the claim is that the free market increases wealth. But, it doesn't necessarily increase the distribution of this wealth. As more and more wealth is concentrated in fewer and fewer hands, the non-wealthy have no means to gain access to this increased wealth.

[dave_p]

12. Their free market, not ours

They can encourage us to borrow money we can't take back, but we still have to pay them back. They can bribe legislators to do their bidding, but 300 million others go unheard. They can kill thousands and pay a fine if they're unlucky, but others go to jail for minor drug possession. And they get tax breaks while others get their legs blown off in their wars.

These bastards couldn't cope in a free market, let alone a society that put people first - they're just too addicted to power, theft and evasion of the responsibility even to pay tax or compete.

[liberaldemocrat7]

68. The Republicans enjoy wage slavery.

The Republicans have opposed the minimum wage ever since it got instituted. They only allowed the minimum wage to get passed this year because they got huge tax breaks for business.

THE GOP mainly appears a business party. They do not represent regular people. Oh they pander to the prejudices of regular people but that does not cover any beneficial economic return.

You cannot put prayer in school, or traditional marriage in your wallet. The Republicans oppose raising enough taxes to take care of the poor and middle classes, and the states and local governments have to raise taxes to make up for that, so the the national Republicans serve ice cream and make everyone else serve spinach.

Even then the Republicans do not represent responsible businessmen and women. They represent the avaricious and greedy business people.
I doubt that alot of these business organizations that get mentioned on television actually represent those business people that vote Democratic.


SHOP AT ZAZZLE.COM FOR MUGS, STAMPS, BUMPER STICKERS AND MORE.

[bryant69]

2. Well there is a difference

I doubt they would institute slavery on racial grounds again. Rather they'd want to enslave everybody who wasn't in the upper class. There's a lot of poor whites that would make just as good a slaves as poor blacks.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Philosoraptor]

3. Slaves were all equal in Rome.

Color or creed didn't matter.

[Cobalt-60]

71. I think I would make a poor slave

My Vandal ancestors weren't very good it.

[Az]

4. What do you mean would? What do you think a debt based society is

They recently sent envoys to China to criticize them about having too much money in savings. Their advice. Buy a lot of stuff on credit and go into debt.

A society in debt does not have options. It must continue to work, usually for the corporations, or face bankruptcy.

The GOP continues to sponsor laws that increase the power and reach of the Corporations while decreasing the power and reach of the individual. Debt is the tool to keep them trapped in their gilded cage.

[Richard Steele]

81. Exactly. They are bringing it back already, in disguise. nm

[opihimoimoi]

5. Yup...they would do it in a heartneat.....

[Robbien]

6. I believe they have brought it back, but it is just not encoded in the law

just yet.

How about that case a couple of days ago of a rich couple out on Long Island who kept two Indonesian women in servitude in their household for years and years. The women slept on mats, paid a few bucks and were covered in cigarette burns and bruises.

I don't expect this is just a single event.

[MrSlayer]

7. Absolutely. Slavery is great, if you're the slave master.

And that's what these corporatist cocksuckers are putting themselves into position to be. The great joke of it all is that the mindless nimrods who put the fascists in power and agreed to all this shit are the ones who are going to be the slaves.

[NewJeffCT]

8. It will not be called "indentured servitude" anymore

A person will be called a "Debt Relief Contractor"

[Captain Hilts]

9. Not fair.

Don't equate the whole of the R's with the weird fringe right.

And, if you think that's true, it follows - judging from recent history - that African countries would start selling them again. We'd have Rwandans and folks from Congo workin' our fields.

[Gato Moteado]

15. the whole of the Rs IS the weird fringe right

the fringe right is mainstream republicanism now. watch fox news for 3 minutes and you'll see.

if you're a registered repuke and you voted for bush, you're a fascist boot licker.

republicans, every single one of them, are human garbage.

[onenote]

48. I bet you're really good at persuading people to support Democratic candidates

"Vote for the Democrat or you're human garbage" -- now that's a campaign slogan.

[Gato Moteado]

55. i'm a horrible spokesperson for the left

i admit it.

but let's at least be honest. do you respect people that think bush, cheney, scummy rummy and the rest are great leaders?

[onenote]

77. no i don't. but i also don't think every repub thinks chimpy and great are great

and I know a number of folks who voted for them who have come to recognize the error of their ways.

[Robbien]

19. You are limiting the term slavery to Africans. GOPers are likely to enslave

anyone who is not a white christian.

[Phrogman]

10. Slavery is not economically feasible anymore, you've got to feed, clothe and....

provide medical care to slaves, plus take care of them when they're too old to work anymore.

Freedom to work for minimum wage is a much more economical way to do business.

[L. Coyote]

14. Less than minimum wage illegal migrant workers are slaves.

[dave_p]

16. Yes

Slavery carries overheads and risk of losing your investment. Wage labor doesn't: we get to pay for our upkeep, and there's no purchase price when they want to replace us.

[HooptieWagon]

20. True that

I think they are looking at a feudal system to model... every peasant "free" to work for the feudal lord for a few morsals of food - and don't forget to pay your taxes to the king or you'll be thrown in debtor's prison.

[gollygee]

21. We'll all be enslaved, and under the banner of "freedom"

in some ways we are. We have a feudal economy now, and it's getting more so all the time. Most people are in debt just for their survival (debt used to pay for food, medical care, etc.), and that debt keeps them from ever getting ahead. That's certainly a kind of slavery.

[KansDem]

41. Haven't you heard? "Arbeit macht frei"

[zbdent]

22. I was going to make a similar point! Plus, if you don't own the slave

and you kill him/her, then you have to re-imburse the owner ...

more economical to make someone bid for his/her job ... lowest wage ...

[WillyT]

11. I Still Have My Doubts About Who Actually Won The Civil War !!!

Those doubts started in 1994, and became increasingly alarming after December\January 2000.

:shrug:

[Virginia Dare]

63. No, I'm pretty sure General Lee surrendered...

we haven't forgotten here in Virginia...:)

[Warren Stupidity]

69. I am pretty sure that wall street won. nt.

[Toots]

13. Let them...WHO would stop them?

They can do any damn thing they want and there is no one to stop them. Democrats are way too worried about what the Republicans would say about them..

[dave_p]

17. Democrats don't support the slaves!

I can just see it.

[The2ndWheel]

18. Only if we ran out of cheap energy

Most people aren't even needed today, we're basically in the way.

[Philosoraptor]

23. .............

[deutsey]

24. Yes Men Hoax showed that "compassionate slavery" was ok with Office of the US Trade Rep.

http://www.culturekiosque.com/nouveau/news/wto_compassionate_slavery_for_africa_gatt_yes_men.html

WTO Announces Compassionate Slavery Market for Africa (and Yes Men Hoax Wharton School)

SNIP

Announcing the re-institution of "compassionate slavery" for Africans, run by multinational corporations, Servin and Vamos call attention to just how little value is currently placed on African lives, as well as the gullibility of conference organizers and attendees, who apparently, for the most part, swallowed the hoax whole...

Dr. Laurie Ann Agama, Director for African Affairs at the Office of the US Trade Representative, respectfully (defensively?) claimed credit for similar thinking, saying that "the USTR view adds details to the WTO's general approach."

MORE...

[Nunyabiz]

25. The majority of these Cristofascist Rethugs

would take this country back to the pre dark ages complete with Stoning to death, Crusades, Inquisitions & slavery.
They are literally insane.

[slackmaster]

26. Yes, a small number of them actually would do that

There are people who consider President Lincoln to be one of the greatest tyrants of all time.

But they are so small in number, there's not much point in discussing them. They do not speak for the GOP in general, and they're not going to play a significant role in the very important 2008 election.

[midnight]

27. I could be wrong about this but I think the Republicans did via

human trafficking, and the Mariana Islands. Lots of American deals and policies around those who profit from those deals in the Mariana are doing so from many women enslaved. Or that's is how I see it anyways.

[11 Bravo]

28. And in a 5-4 decision, Clarence Thomas would cast the deciding vote ...

affirming their right to do so.

[bighart]

29. while I understand your point

I think making a statement like this is WAY over the top. I don't believe that anyone in this day and age that is even halfway intelligent could ever support slavery. Let us also not forget that it wasn't that long ago that southern DEMOCRATS fought hard to keep segregation in place.

[Philosoraptor]

30. I never thought Americans would accept torturing P.O.W.'s, but they did.

[bighart]

33. what the hell

does that have to do with anything? There are a lot of ways to "define" torture, but slavery is not hard to define.

Besides what have democrats done to improve the position or standing of "undocumented" workers, aka ILLEAGAL IMMIGRANTS?

[Philosoraptor]

37. Hell is where you are right now, how'd you wander in?

[SemiCharmedQuark]

31. It isn't about Democrats or Republicans, it's about ideology.

The names of the parties change, it's the ideology you have to follow. This is a classic trick that the modern GOP pulls. They say "We freed the slaves!" No...the modern liberals freed the slaves. The conservatives, whatever they want to call themselves, wanted to keep things the way they had always been. Liberals wanted to change things, to get rid of segregation. Conservatives wanted to keep things the same. By their very nature conservatives are against any sort of social change.

[bighart]

35. well what about

the democrats during the 50's and 60's? I am not even going as far back as emancipation.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

43. Which is why I said, it isn't about "names".

If the republican party was the liberal party, I'd say most of us would be Republicans.

[Odin2005]

57. Exactly, the Republicans of Lincoln's time were left-libertarians, mainly

[NoGOPZone]

32. 'Halfway intelligent' leaves out most of the GOP

[Norquist Nemesis]

34. Maybe not slavery, per se, but definitely a Feudilistic type of societ

with the lower 80% falling into Serfdom.

[Sapphire Blue]

36. Charles Rangel: "This guestworker program's the closest thing I've ever seen to slavery."...

Close to Slavery

Guestworker Programs in the United States


Download the full report @ http://www.splcenter.org/pdf/static/SPLCguestworker.pdf

View sections of the report online @ http://www.splcenter.org/legal/guestreport/index.jsp

Sign the petition to STOP Guestworker Abuse @ http://www.splcenter.org/center/petitions/guestworker/index.jsp


In his 2007 State of the Union Address, President Bush called for legislation creating a "legal and orderly path for foreign workers to enter our country to work on a temporary basis." Doing so, the president said, would mean "they won't have to try to sneak in." Such a program has been central to Bush's past immigration reform proposals. Similarly, recent congressional proposals have included provisions that would bring potentially millions of new "guest" workers to the United States.

What Bush did not say was that the United States already has a guestworker program for unskilled laborers — one that is largely hidden from view because the workers are typically socially and geographically isolated. Before we expand this system in the name of immigration reform, we should carefully examine how it operates.

Under the current system, called the H-2 program, employers brought about 121,000 guestworkers into the United States in 2005 — approximately 32,000 for agricultural work and another 89,000 for jobs in forestry, seafood processing, landscaping, construction and other non-agricultural industries.

These workers, though, are not treated like "guests." Rather, they are systematically exploited and abused. Unlike U.S. citizens, guestworkers do not enjoy the most fundamental protection of a competitive labor market — the ability to change jobs if they are mistreated. Instead, they are bound to the employers who "import" them. If guestworkers complain about abuses, they face deportation, blacklisting or other retaliation.

(snip)

Bound to a single employer and without access to legal resources, guestworkers are:

routinely cheated out of wages;

forced to mortgage their futures to obtain low-wage, temporary jobs;

held virtually captive by employers or labor brokers who seize their documents;

forced to live in squalid conditions; and,

denied medical benefits for on-the-job injuries.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel recently put it this way: "This guestworker program's the closest thing I've ever seen to slavery."


http://www.splcenter.org/legal/guestreport/index.jsp

[Tsiyu]

38. They already have

Dell, Microsoft and Target are among the companies using prison labor (at around $0.20 per hour wage) in some states.

Why do you think they are building all of these prisons?

Why do the prison contractors lobby state legislatures so that they will increase mandatory minimums for non-violent offenses? They want cheap, imprisoned human labor who won't be violent. Non-violent drug offenders fit the bill perfectly.

Today, the cops and courts arrest and incarcerate the poor who have no legal resources to fight their unjust, unconstitutional sentences.

Tomrrow, the middle classes will be gleaned for this cheap labor, as soon as they destroy the economy to the point that even the middle class can't afford counsel.

They got their slavery pretending to be "tough on crime." That's why you hear about the child molesters and rapists out on parole raping again. These guys don't make great labor so they set them free to make room for Sam or Suzie Pot smoker who will work for next to nothing and won't fight or harm other prisoners.

Slavery is alive and well due to Repukes and dumbass Americans who can't seem to put it all together. Some here have tried to post threads on this, but they drop like rocks....

[MistressOverdone]

39. Back in the day

the Republicans were the abolutionists and the Democrats owned the slaves and then stood on the schoolhouse steps with the National Guard.

We've come a long way, babeee!

[Deja Q]

40. BTW - Keith Nelson (R) openly supports it. Here's the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHDUaYGOFso

[Balbus]

42. You greatly trivialize slavery.

To imply that the "guest worker program," or any of your other ludicrous comparisons is even 1/1000th the atrocity slaves had to endure in early American history is a great injustice and more than a little insulting.

[LynneSin]

44. They have brought back slavery - it's called Illegal Immigrants

Clearly if the republicans actually wanted to fix the problem with immigration they'd go after the companies that hire illegal immigrants NOT the illegal immigrants themselves. These immigrants come here because there are jobs available and the corporations get away with it.

Illegal Immigration is just another type of slavery; probably not as horrible as what happened in the pre-civil war south, but nasty nonetheless

[Skidmore]

45. Yes, indeed, LynneSin. And Dems are helping them implement

it. They have found a way to create a servile class without having to house, feed, or educate them.

[Cleita]

46. I bet you are right.

Everything that has gone on during the Bush presidency in the name of big business and oil is against everything this country used to stand for. After raiding an unarmed country, occupying it and torturing it's inhabitants, letting Americans die of neglect after a category 5 hurricane, why not slavery next?

[EstimatedProphet]

47. Of course they would

If we let them, they'd bring back feudalism - with themselves as aristocrats, of course, and all the fun accoutrements, like indentured servitude and debtor's prisons.

[treestar]

49. Maybe not slavery, but segregation

Right wing whining about affirmative action and civil rights types of laws - I'm sure they'd like to have their whites-only neighborhoods and such. They don't admit it and try to claim they aren't racists and use some other rationale for why the government should not "force" them to hire, not fire, people based on grounds of race and religion, etc., but they advocate a law under which they could do it.

Interestingly, they know they are wrong, that's why they start claiming the "PC Crowd" is making their lives miserable, so they can come off as the victim.

[AngryAmish]

50. Slavery? Most Rethuglikkans are cannibals

For a Rethuglikkkan, feasting upon the flesh of a black child is a sacrament.

[onenote]

51. so why haven't they tried?

just askin'

[WilliamPitt]

52. Amusing, since it was the Democrats who fought for it way back when.

[blues90]

53. We already have a form of slavery

Low pay jobs with long hours and no benefits is a modern form of slavery IMHO .

[Lilith Velkor]

54. They are, they're just calling it a drug war

John Graner (of Abu Ghraib fame) applied techniques devised in the U.S. prison system, which are still in use today.

With the prison population at 2 million and growing, prison labor contracting is the fastest-growing business in many states.

And people think that locking up millions of illegal immigrants will save their jobs... :rofl: :cry:

[mudesi]

56. I think if we let them, Republicans would condone torture....

Oh, wait....

[DireStrike]

58. Check prison industry. Read this "greatest" thread from 2 weeks ago

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=927120

The poster replies several times to his own post with a vast pool of information. Make sure to scroll down. You might wanna bookmark it.

[Duppers]

59. I agree

and have often "joked" about this, even though it's not really funny.

They are a despicable bunch of authoritarians.

Here's a good read on their personality type: http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~altemey/

[tom_paine]

60. I agree completely. Monsters is what they are, such a high percentage of them

Inheritors of the mentality that spawned Hitler, Pinochet, Marcos.

Of the rest "gullible dupes" is about the nicest thing I could think of saying.

[Canuckistanian]

61. Well, it's just a small step away from illegal immigrant labor

And look at what's being done at the Baghdad Embassy/Royal Compound. Almost indentured servitude.

It all come down to their main philosophy: Cheap Labor Conservatism.

For those of you who haven't discovered it yet, here's Conceptual Gorilla's "Cheap Labor Conservatives":
http://www.conceptualguerilla.com/?q=node/16

Here are the first paragraphs:

Once you understand the general concept, you will frequently find yourself in debate over specific issues, like healthcare, social security privatization, public school vouchers, the “war on drugs” and of course the war in Iraq. What better way to put your conservative opponent on the defensive than by exposing the true motivation for his position – “cheap labor”. Can you really find the “cheap labor” angle in every conservative policy initiative, and every conservative position on any particular issue?

Yes, you can. Here is a catalogue of some of the major issues on the national agenda. In every single one of them, the conservative position advances the cause of “cheap labor”. I defy any conservative reading this to show me one single conservative position, belief, principle or policy that has any tendency to boost the earning power of labor.

The rest of the article explains simply how almost any major GOP policy is dedicated to "cheap labor".
That is, to create and maintain a permanent underclass of ignorant, illiterate people who will work for ANY job.

[redacted]

85. The current Karmabanque Radio podcast is about this topic.

Max and Stacy talk about the coming American feudalism and serfdom. They explain how the GOP wants an America just like many Middle East nations, with 98% of the population dirt-poor and 2% of the population rich beyond anyone's wildest dreams. They should know, they just returned from a week in Doha.

If this is a hot-button issue for you, there's a lot of insight in tonight's broadcast, along with their typical wickedly-funny satire.

http://karmabanqueradio.com/?p=526

[Virginia Dare]

62. Didn't Rep. Roar-a-backer already suggest this?

I think he suggested that prisoners pick the lettuce so we don't have to pay the Mexicans to do it or some such.

[mitchum]

64. That would cut into profits; they prefer sharecropping

[Canuckistanian]

65. Off you go

You're on to something here.

[DarkTirade]

66. Hey, why rely on actual slavery when it can be imposed artificially

by making it so that in order to SURVIVE we have to work for peanuts.

[Warren Stupidity]

67. What do you mean 'bring back'?

I realize that it isn't strictly speaking outright slavery, but really what they are bringing back is essentially serfdom. We are mostly there. They are just finishing up locking up all the borders on their national fiefdoms, clamping down on all uncontrolled/unmonitored activity, instituting the global corporate state that mussolini could only dream of.

[The Backlash Cometh]

70. Republicans hate two kinds of government:

Benign government that increases taxes to take care of the public safety, welfare and health; and government that establishes codes and/or zones to regulate their property. Of course, the latter is generally supported by Republicans in the real estate industry that want to increase property values.

It's a conundrum.

[Triana]

72. They would bring back slavery, and women would wear burkas...

...not be allowed out of the home without a male escort, not be able to vote or own property, not be allowed to work or to get an education and not be allowed birth control - EVER.

[ck4829]

73. ****THEY'RE ALREADY DOING IT!!!!!****

Check out what happened in the CNMI and at the US Embassy in Iraq.

(Sorry to bring attention to myself in such a loud way BTW.)

[redacted]

84. Mike Malloy talked about the use of slave labor to build our embassy in Iraq

at length on his Friday night program. There's a lot about this posted at Think Progress.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

74. It seems a theme, doesn't it? How convenient that Mexico and Central America are right next door.

Especially, because, as Randi noted in her show today, we destroyed Nicaragua and El Salvador in the Reagan/Bush 1980's.

Mexico is along for the ride.

And, the poor working people of all these countries are seemingly chattel in the global coroporomediast exchange .

Yes, I agree. MKJ

[gravity]

75. That's just bullshit

Maybe 1% of Republicans would support it, but the overwhelming majority don't.

Instead of setting up straw men attacks, try to actually understand your enemies point of view before criticizing it. Don't attack ignorance with ignorance.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

79. Well, we don't want to do the strawman attacks that Republicans did, do we?

MKJ

[rasputin1952]

80. It shold be remembered this is not the Party of Lincoln...

anymore. Since the Reagan years, the GOP has pushed for the Privledged class to just become the dominant part of society, period. They honestly believe that they are the only people that are "worhty" of running the country. The privledged, as in any other country w/a society based on what one is worth finacially have always thought they were simply "better" than we poor mortals.

The overriding reason for the Revolution, was to rid this nation of a ruling class, and give us poor mortals a shot at governing ourselves through a Democratic Republic. The horrid thought that a return to "the good old days" should raise the hackles of evry man woman and child in this nation.

We have survived for 231 years w/o a "ruling class" and I believe we would do just fine w/o one coming into power. In fact, we would do better if the greedy self appointed "masters" just become homeless and starving in a barrio somewhere.

[rasputin1952]

76. Slaves..."Relocated Zero Wage Workers" ...of course they

would be under benevolent hands of their masters.

Guaranteed work.

Half a Sunday off for religious ceremonies.

Health Care (If one is ill, they will be aided back to work status by lash and scalding)

Free food.

One need not worry about education.

Free travel. (To a new country, or a new master is an indif=vidual is sold)

No family to worry about. (Mandaory seperation sees to that)

Where do I sign up?

[Cobalt Violet]

78. Absolutely they would. n/t

[diane in sf]

82. They repugs support slavery right now. Working 40 hours a week

and not being able to afford a decent place to live, adequate health care or have enough surplus to have some savings is slavery.

--a union member

[pat_k]

83. Already done. "Guest worker program"

AFL-CIO Now Blog
http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/03/15/guest-workers-fired-after-protesting-slave-like-conditions">Guest Workers Fired After Protesting Slave-Like Conditions

[UrbScotty]

86. They already have - it's called WAL-MART (TM)

[shenmue]

87. Oh yeah, they would.

That's how a lot of these old families made their money.