Slave labour that shames America

Slave labour that shames America

news.independent.co.uk

Three Florida fruit-pickers, held captive and brutalised by their employer for more than a year, finally broke free of their bonds by punching their way through the ventilator hatch of the van in which they were imprisoned. Once outside, they dashed for freedom.

When they found sanctuary one recent Sunday morning, all bore the marks of heavy beatings to the head and body. One of the pickers had a nasty, untreated knife wound on his arm. Police would learn later that another man had his hands chained behind his back every night to prevent him escaping, leaving his wrists swollen.

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Migrant workers chained beaten and forced into debt, exposing the human cost of producing cheap food.

This crime has shocked the modern world, sadly, I am struggling to find anything on the US media about this terrible news. I am aware of a book, which was presented on The Daily Show and it highlighted the treatement of these workers.

news.independent.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

Hmmm... so my previous assertion in this thread that this sort of things happen more often than people realize is probably true. You just don't hear about it. Everything is hush-hush. After all, the US is supposed to be about freedom, no?

reply to post by Beachcoma


I know,
it's very shocking. Democratic Presidential candidate, John Edwards, is planning to raise the issue and former President Jimmy Carter too. When the campaign teams head to Florida, this issue HAS to be raised.

The modern world must have their eyes closed then.

This whole article from title to closing smacks of wealth-envious anti-American bias. Why don't they look at slavery in Africa which in several countries is still legal? Oh wait, that's right. They're not those evil rich people.

That doesn't excuse what these "employers" did. But the argument is quite hypocritical.

reply to post by infinite


To me this isn't much different than shoes being made by children in sweat shops. It is the exploitation of a group of people for profit. Many companies do it, just to varying degree's.

The "shocker" part of it is that it happens on American soil, not some outsourced factory. When illegal immigration is allowed to go unchecked, it creates almost an underworld type of environment at these farms. Everyone knows that many, many of these farms are using illegal labor to pick the fruit, yet they turn a blind eye. This just fosters seedy types of behaviour in my mind. It kind of reminds me of bootlegging.

reply to post by apc


Because nobody really gives a hoot about what happens to the people in Africa. People are more concerned about the wildlife there.

Now that's pure BS, if you ask me.

Anyway, here's a very good thread by Souljah on the situation in Africa:
Africa: the Prison Continent.

Originally posted by infinite
reply to post by Beachcoma

 

I know,
it's very shocking. Democratic Presidential candidate, John Edwards, is planning to raise the issue and former President Jimmy Carter too. When the campaign teams head to Florida, this issue HAS to be raised.

Now that to me is just as bad. I don't for a second think that John Edwards is remotely concerned for the treatment of those two workers. All he is doing is trying to capitalize on their misfortune and try and milk a few votes out of it.

[edit on 19-12-2007 by Karlhungis]

reply to post by Karlhungis


Indeed. Allowing the continuation of an influx of people who already are afraid of going to the authorities only opens the door for further abuse.

Originally posted by Karlhungis
Now that to me is just as bad. I don't for a second think that John Edwards is remotely concerned for the treatment of those two workers. All he is doing is trying to capitolize on their misfortune and try and milk a few votes out of it.

You are right. In fact, John Edwards gives tacit support to such things. Most Republicans and Democrats in office do. They are soft on illegal immigration, and this is one of the consequences. This does not happen to legal immigrants; the "invisibility" of illegal immigrants allows for such exploitation.

[edit on 19-12-2007 by SaviorComplex]