Slavery - a simple test

I suppose its my claim that much of the [free/western] world today in fact operates in a mode too similar to slavery to be ignored. In some ways its not a new/recent phenomenon, but in many ways it is. This post could safely belong in half the forums here.

The test: assuming you are a typical worker/employee, the next fine sunny day you wake up feeling particularly good, you decide to call in well (opposite of calling in sick - I feel too good to work today!). In fact, you decide to start a street party by dancing naked in the street.

Outcomes: a) your neighbours, who you know well, join you for a day of random celebration and its all back to work the next day, feeling great. Your boss, who is your friend, knows you have a strong work ethic, does not flinch or dock your pay.

b) your neighbours dob you in, the cops arrest you, the boss fires you, your partner leaves you, the bank takes your house and you are as good as dead.

Honestly, decide which of those are closer to the truth. I claim that through fear, debt and other tactics, the world (the governments, bankc, corporations) has made you a slave. The worst kind of slave - the slave who doesnt know it.

In the old days, the slave keepers had to house & feed the slaves - today the slaves are resposnible themselves.

The world is a fantastic, wonderful place, full of life, colour, creatures, sounds, music etc.

And people are wonderful, spiritual creative souls. Ooops used to be. But fear (terrorism) debt, religion (fear/hatred) now dominates our lives so much we have lost touch with out human spirit (of freedom!) that we have become slaves.

Seriously, is it normal to live a cycle of waking up tired, commuting to work, doing something meaningless for a few hours, commuting home, watching crappy TV and falling into bed. Eating low grade cheap food, breathing polluted air and drinking crappy water.
Even if you dont fit this, think of the hordes of people who do, who cant actually partake in internet forums because they cant afford to or an not educated enough to.
Something has gone wrong with human evolution.
Your thoughts please...

I think an actual slave who couldn’t leave the house, eat or sleep without their owners permission would take issue with what you would describe as slavery. You can’t drop commitments you have already agreed to take up? You can’t block a road for a party? You can’t dance naked in the street? Oh you poor bastard, wait there while I go call Amnesty International!

What would you call freedom? Take away the jobs, governments and debts then instead of waking up tired and going through the daily office grind you’d be waking up tired going out to pick berries, hunt for food and fighting off anyone or anything that may threaten you. People will always have responsibilities and most won’t particularly like them but that’s just life; how would you propose to change that?

reply to post by Mike_A


OK, interesting....

Physical imprisonment is equated to slavery. Drop commitments? For a day? people get sick - take days off. I am not saying drop your work ethic. Nothing wrong with a good work ethic. I am just saying are you living the free/spiritual life you desire?

Now pcking berries is a tad extreme dont you think? A group of people (a commune?) could work very well in harmony with nature, not against it. A group of free people, working together. Working hard probably - nothing wrong with hard work. As long as its meaningful work. Today many people do meaningless and counterproductive work.

And as for blocking off the road - yes - stop all the traffic and enjoy the sunshine.

Well, if you aren't married and are jobless you're pretty much free to do it. However, you might get arrested, due to decency laws.

Moral: Be a spouseless hobo, and write to congress people about unlegislating decency laws.

reply to post by 547000


Why spouseless and jobless? Thats the point... having a spouse is supposed to be a good thing - enjoying life together. A job should be meaningul, and your boss should know you and respect you (and vice versa).

When was the last time you walked through the bush in spring and stopped to smell the flowers?

reply to post by hmmmbeer


I don’t see your point; you seem to be saying that because you can’t do whatever the hell you want then you’re a slave. I contend that real slaves, those who are imprisoned, chained and forced to work, or those who are smuggled across borders and forced to have sex with strangers; those people would not agree with your definition.

You’re not a slave just because you have to live up to certain responsibilities or live within certain laws. If you make a commitment to do something in return for payment then it is not unreasonable to expect you to do it; it doesn’t make the person who fires you for not doing it a slave master.

And why do you consider someone who works in a commune to be free and someone who works in an office to be a slave? If someone living in a commune hates the work they have to do but has no choice because they need to survive then aren’t they just as much a slave as the office worker who does their job to survive?

reply to post by hmmmbeer


Is the boss and your spouse a slave? They should have the freedom to leave you/fire you. You're the one who got in a voluntary contract with them.

reply to post by Mike_A


Please try to think a bit more laterally. A slave is someone who is not 'free'. Even the slaves of old were 'free' to choose death over slavery. That is not freedon. I am talking about the human spirit inside you, who has been dumbed down and beaten into submission.

Like I said, exert your 'freedom' by doing some small act of self-will.

Debt, social pressure etc will coerce you. You are a slave.

reply to post by 547000


Seriously mate, when was the last time you stopped to smell the flowers? No contractual obligations. Just bend over and sniff.

You can step down and smell the flowers. Animals and plants can't make contracts.

I am talking about the human spirit inside you

You started the thread complaining that you wouldn’t be able to dance naked in the street. What does this have to do with the “spirit”?

Anyway, speak for yourself; my “spirit” isn’t beaten into submission.

Debt, social pressure etc will coerce you.

And when has it ever been any different?

What would a free world be like in your opinion?

reply to post by 547000


Hmmm ok... what is the most impotant thing in life? Or maybe the top 5: health, happiness, money, family, money, wealth, freedom, food, air, water?

Please list your top 5.

If money makes the list, you are enslaved.

Peace.

Happiness
Knowledge
Hope
Love
Trust

reply to post by Mike_A


Study any of the 'primitive' cultures/societies. They all dance, sing, create, smoke mind altering substances, live in total harmony with nature.

We know better now. We have science and engineering to make this a better world. But we dont - we create weapons, wars... and slaves to the housekeeping and soldiers (heroes?!?!?!) to kill innocents in Iraq.

reply to post by 547000


Great list. Live by that. Spread the word.

reply to post by hmmmbeer

Study any of the 'primitive' cultures/societies. They all dance, sing, create, smoke mind altering substances, live in total harmony with nature.

lol they also fight for resources, kill each other, drown in floods and starve in famines. Harmony my arse!

Why aren't these people slaves? They probably have less choice in their circumstances then either of us or anyone else in a developed nation.

I also dance, sing and create btw.

You may feel forced to work but as long as you retain the option to leave your job then you cannot be classed as a slave. That's why the system of employment as it exists today was created - to give the masses the illusion of freedom. Having said that, I agree with the sentiment with regard to feeling trapped and unable to do as you please in life. You became the property of the government the moment your parent(s) registered your birth.

Though the inclusion of the naked street dancing gives others the opportunity to discredit your whole piece.

Wow, great topic!! S&F for you my like-minded friend lol!

I am actually out well today (although I had to lie and say I was sick) because I just could not go into a job where my body is put under such duress and I needed a breather from my nagging kids and demanding husband. Let's not even get into how I feel about my job and boss right now either !

My kids are really great and my husband is a terrific person, I just feel very over worked and under appreciated, so I took a "ME" day! The kicker is; now I lose my holiday pay for having Labor Day off last Monday because of missing work today (a really stupid policy @ said place of employment) and I won't get paid for today either! So, my next two paychecks will be less than normal and I will have to find ways to compensate for the loss; i.e. cheaper food and less TV watching. We'll have to have spaghetti three nights and hot dogs with mac-n-cheese thworn in for good measure! I will have to make a game out of Family Night, which I've done before, where we play cards by candle light and play blind as a bat (tag in the dark) just to save a few hours of electricity!

Although I'll have to do these things, we will still have fun and we won't have to hear or feel our bellies growl. I think it is akin to slaves who had to make singing and games part of their work in order to choose slavery/life over death!

Make no mistake, WE ARE SLAVES to our government because of our system of taxation and conformity to the societal "norms"! We may not dance naked in the streets for two reasons: 1. It is against the law; "Indecent Exposure". 2. Our society has made us all ashamed of our bodies because we don't look like the airbrushed images in magazines and on TV! If we take a day off of work on our own accord, our pay is docked and if we've done it too often, our job is in jeopardy, plain and simple! The hoardes of people who you refered to as living like that, well my friend, that is me!

Here I sit, partaking in one of my "guilty pleasures" with a slight feeling of guilt knowing that, even though it's good for me, there is a trickle down effect already in motion that will directly effect my closest loved ones. A simple test that I have passed, or failed depending on your perspective!

reply to post by DSSONE


I don't think there's anything stopping you from living in a handmade shack somewhere, gathering your own food and purifying your own water.

reply to post by 547000


Do you mind if I ask why you stated that? What did I write that makes you think I would want to do that? In any event, it would be hard to do what you propose in the UK as I would surely then be trespassing on land owned by someone else?