posted by Sam Richards
Clearly slavery is one of those touchy subjects for people in the United States. White people don’t fully understand it’s lasting legacy and often have the idea that after the Civil War ended in 1865, slaves were free to climb on up the mobility ladder as far as they wanted to go. People of color, African Americans in particular, are generally more cognizant of how white supremacy has continued to affect the life paths of the descendants of former slaves. They are much more likely to understand the ways in which black Americans were rarely offered the opportunity to compete fairly for the “prizes” that awaited white Americans at the finish line of the race to embrace the American Dream.
The problem is that with all of this talk of the legacy of slavery we forget that the institution has never ended for nearly thirty million people around the world. And we forget that all of us help to keep these “modern day slaves” in bondage when we purchase goods that they have manufactured. And by “all of us” I do mean to include the living descendants of slaves.
In keeping with my iconoclastic image, I just want to put this out there for people to chew on…
Slavery is terribly wrong, but something that is about as preventable as war, murder, theft, adultery, and violence. I think that very little would be accomplished by individuals choosing to not buy products that have been produced by or have parts produced by slaves. For one thing, it is absolutely impossible to compile a comprehensive list of products of slave labor. For another thing, choosing not to purchase products of slave labor is a choice that the majority of individuals in the US and around the world do not have the privilege of making due to financial and social constraints. But lets face it; slaveholders will not end their practices as long as what they’re doing makes economical sense for themselves and for their families. In the effort to end slavery, choices made by neither slaveholder nor consumer will be sufficient.
Ending slavery is one of those incredible feats that public policy and, maybe even war, will need to tackle. Perhaps a high import tax could be placed upon products that are shown to be produced by slave labor. This might make goods that are not shown to be produced by slave labor more financially, and, eventually, more socially attractive to consumers. Maybe a government committee could be established with the purpose of identifying all products that are produced by slave labor. These might be a significant for consumers to make more educated purchases. But to be honest, the real issue with ending slavery does not appear to lie in the hands of the US. We can boycott and tax their products, but then these products will probably just continue to be distributed to other countries and through black markets. As long as products and services of slave labor are economically desirable, they will continue to be produced and distributed.
So where does the real issue with ending slavery lie? I think that the issue lies in the hands of the unstable and corrupt governments that have allowed the sinister tradition and profitability of slavery to continue. Slavery does not exist because there are people demanding products or services of slave labor. Slavery exists because there are governments that allow slave labor to produce products and services that are inevitably great competition for those that are not produced by slave labor. Slavery exists because there are governments that choose to turn a blind eye to the treatment of their citizens rather than making the effort to protect their citizens. To end slavery, these unstable and corrupt governments need to choose to, be persuaded to, or be forced to face the horrific treatment of their citizens face on. Some members of these governments may even need to be re-informed that the slaves born in their countries are, in fact, citizens and not property.
So no, I will not begin to make my purchases based upon knowledge of whether or not a product is produced by slave labor. Life’s too short to make a dramatic and costly lifestyle change that I do not believe will actually do anything to bring an end to slavery. I also do not expect African Americans, just because of their position in pre-Civil War history as slaves, to make their purchases in this fashion either. What I will do is utilize my enfranchisement to vote for government policies and leaders that are hopeful and eager to end slavery, and utilize my voice and right to free speech to make sure others know about and do not forget about the millions of slaves around the world. Slavery has existed for thousands of years; change will take plenty time, planning, and patience.
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Modern day slaves are not something that cross my mind very often nor can I knowingly trace any of my ancestry back to slavery but I still find it very sad. I think that one of the main reasons it never crosses my mind, or many Americans minds, is because it is hardly ever talked about or displayed in our country, or at least around any of the places I ever go. Occasionally I will hear about stories, like in the book “Disposable People”, or in a lecture in Sam Richard’s class and feel upset about the situation but then it fades away and I go back to my everyday living. I remember in high school once we had an assembly, people came to talk to us about the Nike sweat shops in other countries. What they told us really touched my hearts, and I am sure a lot of the other students in hthe assembly, and they urged us not to buy Nike products anymore. Even though a lot of the people who heard the assembly were touched and believed in what the spokesmen were saying I can almost guarantee that since that assembly students that were there have purchased one, if not more, Nike products. I am even guilty of this. This is an example of how people really do easily forget, it happens in America all the time. Although it is a sad thing to say, I think a lot of problem comes from the fact that Americans can sometimes be selfish when it comes to buying their products. I can’t imagine many people going into a store and looking to see where the products the want to purchase is from. Sam made a good point when he was talking to the one student about his Blackberry phone. Even though we all know that pieces all the phone are made by people in terrible conditions, not many people at all would consider giving up their phone after they discovered how it was made. I think that America is blind to the whole idea of modern day slavery, mainly because slavery is not as prominent here in our country. I feel that if we Americans saw what was going on in other countries we would probably change some of our ways. I also think that if I personally traced to some one who has experienced some sort of slavery in their lifetime it would also affect my life a little bit more. There definitely needs to be steps taken to make changes in these areas of the world but being blind to the whole issue here in America is not helping at all. We are living fancier and more glamorous with everything we buy and the people making the products are living conditions and not making any progress in their money income. The whole concept is just really sad to me, but I think it is gonna be something really hard to change.
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I don’t think it is fair to say that White people do not fully understand the extent or lasting affect it has had on people of color, especially African Americans trying to “climb up the mobility latter.” First off I feel like so many of these issues are just another way to bash team “white.” Although I’m not 100% “white” so at the end of the day I could really care less, but that is just an observation. As far as purchasing products made by slaves, absolutely I do it. And not until this post have a really thought about it. Someone said in an earlier post, when you walk into Wal-Mart and you see a pack of twenty socks for three dollars, can you really pass something like that up? And the answer is no. We are college students we do not have that much money to spend on expensive items, and even if we did some of those items are made by slaves as well. It is not that I am so self absorbent and live in a bubble and don’t care that I am purchasing goods that were made by slaves in another country, I guess I just never really actually stopped to think about it. However, what you do realize what a terrible injustice that is going on it is rather shocking. I mean like Sam said in the video there is no way I am willing to part with my iphone or anything like that, but it does make you think. I think the problem is that we live in the land of opportunity and freedom, a place where our biggest worries consist of whether or not our favorite team is going to make the play offs, or where we are going for spring break. Because we as Americans do not experience first hand what is like to be a modern day slave, products sold in stores that were made by “slaves” don’t have as much as an impact on us. Plus there is no way to completely boycott all slave made items. There is a wide range of income levels in this country and even the poorest of the poor are purchasing items made by slaves. Not because they want to, or because they support slavery but simply because that is all they can afford. Same goes for people with higher incomes, it is not that the are supporting slavery, it is just what is convenient and what they can afford. At the end of the day I am going to say that is will be nearly impossible to get the entire United States to stop making purchases based on whether or not the item was made by slaves. I think there are steps we can take to increase awareness about modern day slavery and hopefully take some action to either improve working conditions or abolish the situation all together.
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Since the Civil War ended in 1865, slavery has died down a bit, but no one in the United States seems to realize that it still exists in some parts of the world. It sometimes is hard to fathom that some of the clothes we wear and some of the goods we own are made by slaves across seas. In the past century and a half it seems that America has turned into a mostly white society, where government controls everything that goes on. So how does one achieve the American Dream? The answer undoubtedly depends upon ones definition of the Dream, whether it be John Winthrop’s envision of a religious paradise in a “City upon a Hill” or Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed of racial equality. One component of the American Dream seems, however, to be fairly consistent and that is the quest for money. Not many will try to argue the fact that Americans are intently focused on the almighty dollar. It seems to me that Americans are playing a game where whoever has the ability to purchase a big house or a nice car, is much better off than those who don’t have these things. This statement makes me think of capitalism, because it is basically saying that the American who dies with the most “goods” wins when that ultimately isn’t the case. Too many Americans are pinning their hopes on what they perceive as easy money rather than adhering to a traditional work ethic to earn the money they make. This is why we don’t consider slavery to be around anymore, because slaves actually have to work just to make a decent living. By decent living I mean they have just enough food, drink, and shelter to keep them standing upright!
When talking about slaves, it’s hard to believe we help keep them bonded because we buy products that they make. Unfortunately, most of the money we use to buy these goods doesn’t go to the slaves and therefore they suffer! When I trace my ancestry back many generations, I don’t have any family members who were slaves. I had many great grandparents who served in the World Wars and the Vietnam War, but none were deemed a “slave” so to speak.
When I think about slaves and how they came to be slaves, I immediately make a comparison between blacks and whites and the equality that each one gets. I think, wow, after the Civil War whites began to take power over other races and it just grew from there. Ever since then blacks have not had equal rights and thus more blacks became slaves. Rarely did you ever see a white slave where their owner was a black male. However, it was very common to see the black slave being bossed around by the white owner. Fortunately we are getting closer to equality of all races, and once we reach that point I believe the thought of slavery will become an afterthought in American society and will be able to begin a bigger and brighter future.
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Modern day slavery is one of the worst yet most underestimated global conflicts that occur in the world today. The fact that almost every student at Penn State and people all over the country purchase goods made by slaves and do not even realize it truly speaks volumes. Why is it that a nation that fights so hard and advocates so strongly for freedom is actually a nation that is enabling modern day slavery? It is a question that not many people think about, including myself, until now. It is disappointing that it takes a blog in a college course to open my eyes to what is really happening in the world, but I am happy that it did.
When I sit and think about modern day slavery and attempt to understand why it is so prevalent still today, one thing comes to mind: business. Everything is a business, whether it is morally wrong or not. Unfortunately it is the type of society that we live in today where money is everything. If it is cheapest to practice slavery then it will be practiced, despite all of the devastating history that is behind it. Now I am not going to naïve or hypocritical in this argument because I know that I am a part of it. Morally, I wish that I was not. However, realistically what can I do? As Sam discussed in class, would I give up my blackberry or my clothing because I found out that it was created by slaves? The society that I was brought up in tells me to say no I would not. As much as so many of us want to say that we will do our individual part to put an end to modern day slavery, how much can we realistically do? I believe that it is a step in the right direction by just being informed about this issue through class discussion and reading Disposable People, but for as long as the world is still a constant business I do not see how much further we can go. Economically, it is not plausible to say that Americans must stop purchasing imported goods fabricated by modern day slaves. It is sad to say that because it is not in our backyard and does not directly affect us, we turn the other cheek. So many people in the world, including myself, simply see dollar signs. We shop at Walmart because we can get the items we need at the lowest cost, not thinking twice about where they came from. It is unfortunate that our society has us looking over what is morally wrong in order to do what is best for ourselves, but what is more unfortunate is that we will never change.
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The fact that slavery is still an issue today is terrible, but what I think is even worse is the rest of the world’s ignorance towards slavery. To be honest before this class I thought slavery no longer existed. Now since I have been reading Disposable People and going to Soc 119 I have learned that slavery exists and is very popular around the world. I learned that slavery is more beneficial for business today than they were in the past. How ridiculous is that? That means that slaves are cheaper and more disposable. That also means that there are more reasons to have slaves in today’s time than in the past. Today, an average worker could afford a slave where as in the past you had to be very rich to afford a slave. Therefore, if slaves are easy to get than it doesn’t pay to invest money in them (food, shelter, and clothing) because when they get sick you can just get rid of them and buy another one. This was a very difficult concept for me to grasp because I thought that our world was progressing, but in the world of slavery we are digressing.
Another huge problem with slavery is the difficulty of stopping it. Large corporations like Walmart use slaves to produce their products. This is why Walmart can afford to have so many cheap products. The reason why this is so difficult to stop is because everyone goes to Walmart because it is cheaper. Why pay five dollars for something at a corner store when you can buy it for half the price at Walmart? The majority of the population is not willing to pay more to ensure that the company’s products are not made by slaves. Therefore, from a person perspective (who is against slavery) one person not shopping at Walmart isn’t going to change Walmart’s methods of doing business or put it out of business, so why shop somewhere else?
The truth is that as Americans we do have a say. We vote everyday with our wallets. This means that everytime we buy something we are voting for or against something. For example, by spending money on Nike shoes you are supporting everything that Nike stands for. It is harder than it sounds, but if you are against a company’s policies don’t shop there. One person can make a difference! Who knows maybe a life can be saved or a slave can be freed. We as Americans are to blame along with these major corporations that use modern day slaves. We need to stand up for our beleifs and stop being ignorant towards others (foreigners).
In conclusion, we (Americans) can make a difference by choosing where we purchase our goods.
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Re: It’s easy to forget
When Dr. Richards talked about slavery in the class, it reminded me of a video that I had once watched. In the clip an American journalist travelled to Haiti and witnessed modern-day slavery in person. A 10-year old girl named Neika could not play like her peers in many parts of the world, but had to do housework for her ‘host’ family 7 days a week. Just at the same time, her owner’s two children were able to go to school normally. Neika got up at four in the morning to fetch water for the family. If she ever did anything that was considered wrong, she would be beaten.
Haiti may sound a bit distant, but these talks about modern-day slavery bring me to another concept brought up by Dr. Richards – the concept of the luck of birth. None of us ever made a call on where, during what period or in which skin color we were to be born, so the direct implication is – we could just as well be slaves in Haiti or any underdeveloped part of the world. To think about it this way, it makes child slavery instantly feel a lot more painful – any of us could be in Neika’s position today with with a snap of God’s fingers (provided if you believe in God and if He has fingers). The only difference is luck – the same rule applies to most other things in life actually.
When we usually talk about slavery, we immediately relate the term to West Africans shipped to the Americas 300 hundred years ago. However, just because slavery is now illegal in this country, it does not mean it stopped existing in the world. It never did and will probably never do in the future. The fact that a lot of the goods being sold at Walmart are produced by slaves is quite shocking. It means every one sitting in the classroom today owns something made by slaves, but so? Who is going to take the trouble to trace every production process and completely insulate oneself from the issue? None of my friends will.
This is an extremely complicated issue. We can possibly capitalism and free trade are partially for the blame, but the root causes of slavery are poverty, lack of regulation and poor moral standards. In Haiti, people sell their own children because they had no money to raise them. Those who buy the children then sell them to slave owners or enslave them themselves. It is simply difficult to discuss moral values when stomach cannot be filled. The current Haitian government would not do anything to prevent slavery and said this was nothing but a local culture. All this is heart-wrenching to know, and I still have not a clue how slavery can be eradicated from the world if poverty keeps existing.
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Modern day slavery certainly is something many of us don’t really ever stop to think about. As I was reading “Disposable People,” I found myself in pure shock as I learned the circumstances that so many of these people face daily. This slavery is disturbing and really heart breaking, but, as Sam pointed out in class, it didn’t make us vow to never wear the clothes we own that may have been manufactured by slaves. I don’t think we ever truly feel affected by the slavery that is occurring overseas because we aren’t really blatantly exposed to it in our country. The fact that there are currently 27 million slaves throughout the world is mind blowing. Hearing that even developed countries have existing slavery is even more astonishing. It’s hard to imagine that slavery exists all over and it’s unbelievable that nothing truly can be done to put an end to it. We could protest buying anything manufactured by slaves but that would be extremely difficult. That would mean that every time I went shopping I would have to think whether a slave created the item. And I think most people feel the same way in that sense as it seems that just about anything and everything may be produced through means of slavery.
It essentially is easy to forget. African slavery existed in America and is still somewhat of a touchy subject today. However, when Sam asked students to raise their hands if they could trace their ancestors back to slavery and then pointed out to them that their own clothing has probably been made by slaves, I think it gave everyone a completely new perspective. Before that lecture, if someone had said to say the first thing that comes to mind when I hear the word “slavery,” I would definitely automatically respond with something relative to African American slavery, as I’m sure most of the other students in class would. Having read an entire book about slavery and attending lecture, our perspectives have changed in some way. We never really think about present day slavery because we don’t see it affecting us the same way the slavery before the Civil War did.
We were all disgusted when we learned all the gruesome details of slavery today. I personally can’t believe that something so terrible could be occurring and probably seen as completely normal in other countries. It disgusts me even more that many of these people are tricked into slavery by being told they are being given an amazing opportunity for the betterment of their families. Existing slavery truly is a sad, unfortunate issue and I really wish there were a simple conclusion to put an end to it once and for all.
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The title of this blog “It’s easy to forget” is very appropriate when discussing the problem of slavery that still exists today for the simple fact that it is just that –easy to forget–. We are so socially conditioned and ignorant that it is easy for us to believe what we hear – that people are equal, people are given the same opportunities, that there is no such thing as slavery anymore – and we all admittedly like the sound of those things so it makes it even more pleasing to just accept it and move on with our day when in reality, all of these problems in society are still occurring today.
What makes it so easy for us to accept or “forget” it is the fact that between us being told those lies and also us not physically seeing with our own eyes what is going on, we either a) do not believe it or b) do not want to believe it and have these constant lies to back it up. So when we stroll in to Verizon to buy our new blackberry, the thought of slaves producing some parts that allow us to receive our BBM’s does not even cross our mind.
However, we can not totally blame ourselves. When we look at the big picture we have to realize that since day one we are taught that the end of slavery occurred over 100 years ago – everyone is free now. No one is in the fields producing crops on plantations and getting whipped by their owners. Yeah, that visual may be true but what we do not consider are the people in factories, making the assembly line go faster so that all of us can consume our wants at the rate that we feel is necessary.
It is just easier to believe the lies that we are taught so we do not have to feel so bad once we put on those nice new pair of uggs (one product I do not have to worry about owning that could have potentially been produced by slaves). It allows us to only think about how comfortable and warm our feet will be while walking to class, not how uncomfortable the feet of the people were who made them instead of being in class.
Of course I do admit that this is a lot more appealing then to think of those who suffered to make these things possible, but I also want to say that this just is not right and we need to be taught about how although something could have been publicly ended 100+ years ago, it still is possible for it to exist today.
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Slavery is a terrible thing. You can ask anyone in the United States and the majority will give you that response. The African American race went through terrible times and even though they were freed they still have to deal with prejudice and racism every day. As a white person with no ancestors who were slaved I cannot relate to this, nor will I every try to say I can or completely understand. The African American race even though freed and given the same opportunities to rise to the top and achieve the American dream were never given the same chance as white people. Segregation and discrimination held back the African American race and made life very difficult. I like to think that our world is more accepting and with affirmative action the African American race has equal opportunities in life. Still today slavery is a very touchy subject and many white people try to stay clear of the conversation. Saying this many people have absolutely no idea that slavery still exists today. Slavery is still a huge problem all over the world and I find the African American perspective on this issue very interesting for the fact that their ancestors were held back and tormented by this practice. When Sam Richards asked the girl if she would give her blackberry back because slaves manufactured it, she said absolutely not the same answer everyone would have responded with. However, it is interesting to see how the practice “out of sight, out of mind” takes precedent. Just because we do not see slaves and the terrible conditions they go through everyday and the animalistic lives they live does not mean it does not exist. However, it does not stop us from shopping at Wal-Mart and buying the cheapest brand possible. If I have the option of buying an American brand product versus a product from a place that practices slavery and is ten dollars cheaper I hate to say it I am going to buy the cheaper brand. Sometimes ignorance is bliss, because I do not know the countries that have slaves I do not no which ones not to buy from. This sounds absolutely terrible but it is the truth. I think it is even more interesting for people with ancestors who were slaves. Like Sam said the people who he asked if their great grandparents would be accepting of them buying goods from countries that use slaves they would roll over in their grave. We need to start looking at it as if it was happening in our face because if it was no one would buy the goods from these countries. It is good that Penn State University is making changes; they dropped their sponsorship from Russell athletic because of the slaves that were used to develop their goods.
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It is very easy to forget that slaves are not just an issue of the past. I actually think slavery is worse than it has ever been. This is because when slavery was legal; laws controlled how the slaves were taken care of. Now that slavery is considered illegal in America, (not sure if that includes the whole world or not) there are extensive measures taken by slave owners not to get caught. Since many slaves in America are illegal immigrants anyways, all that happens to the owner is the deportation of the slave. I also think it is worse today because majority of Americans believe it is abolished. Therefore there are only minimal actions taken against it and there is no reason for it to still exist. I know there are a lot of people who would argue with my last statement, but those are the people who don’t mind the fact that they are living the good life while others are suffering in order for them to live that way.
I admit that I am guilty of buying the lower costing product even though that particular product was probably made by industrial slaves who make as much as I spent on the product in a year. I would love to not have to do that, but there is no way to tell what was made by slaves and what was not. I am also the stereotypical “starving college student” and I do not have money to buy the overpriced product. It would be really nice if there was a “slave” label, but that would ultimately cost too many people their jobs and the slaves would reach a new level of extreme poverty.
The only solution I can think of to this problem is a place called Plato’s Closet. They really have the right concept going on. They buy clothes that people don’t want anymore and sell them. The only problem with the store is that they usually are looking for the brand name and brand new clothes. Most people try to sell their old, non-brand name clothes and get frustrated. I point in the direction of Goodwill for those people. These places are only to help solve one little problem of slavery, which is the slaves who make clothes or items associated with clothing. What about the “commercial sex industry” in Thailand? All of the women involved are slaves. There is nothing being done about this horrendous situation, because the government is heavily involved and it is the way of life for many Thai’s. I am pretty stuck on helping to fix this situation. I know women from Thailand and I was appalled to learn about their economy of slaves. That is hell on earth and there is no way it is going to continue throughout my lifetime.
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This article is very effective in its simplicity. The message is sent in its entirety in the video. The thing is with this subject is that it is hard for us to let go of luxuries that we know are made by people suffering daily and by people who have no way out in life. Do we need slaves? No. Or do we? The fact of the matter is that we find it hard to live worse for others. Or we simply think that if we (personally) don’t buy the products, someone else will. That is ignorance and ignorance is bliss. It is not the case, and if enough people see to that others stop suffering, we might actually get somewhere.
I think it’s like my roommate’s vegetarian girlfriend. She wasn’t one until she saw what happens to animals. She didn’t even need to see it in real life, but on a video of how slaughter works and the conditions that the meat-holders (livestock) were in. She became a vegetarian. So I am sure that if we are presented with the living conditions in an emotionally moving way, many of us will “convert.” And like the media has perfected, we can’t just be shown it once, but many times, over and over so that the message sinks in. That, in my opinion is how we can start to make a change. However, not everyone will, because we don’t believe that our steps can make a change. This is what needs to be done by people with determination.
All in all, it is a saddening situation for the slaves and for their descendants. In fact, for the dead slaves it’s worse because they can see that their descendants aren’t even trying to change, nor will they embrace it. So long as a profit can be made off them, slaves will exist. In fact, the most saddening part is not even that, but the fact that slaves exist in the USA; as prisoners of the modern, privatized prison system. They are made to work for the guards at a price. A low one, but in conditions of slavery, and are made to do so on a regular basis, unchecked. I think that that has to be addressed before we can look out of the borders. But then again, the nations in which the slaves exist have no resources that the USA can utilize, so it seems uneconomical to do so and that is an absolute shame. Same thing happened in Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia (the middle east in general) and Venezuela, Ecuador and many other countries as well. The CIA sends their “hounds” to give loans to these countries and start American owned businesses there at a cost; interest. That is basically what destroys the economy and forces the residents into slave labor. Sad, but true.
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I look around my room and I see my 32 inch flat screen TV, I’m using my MacBook Pro to type this out, and I love my cell phone, it’s my life. I’m not going to trade these items in for anything. I never really thought about it, that our products and clothing are made my slaves in other countries, and frankly no one else really does either. Why? Americans want what we want, and we want these items the most efficient way possible. Really we don’t care where they come from as long as they get to us and are available. Yes, we know that these items are being made in sweatshops, but we don’t want to think about that. Who would? It’s depressing. Goes back to what was mentioned in class, we don’t think of genocide when talking about the Indians. Why? Because that’s depressing, it makes us feel better to bounce over that; we like to sugar coat things. We live in a society where items and clothing run us. The United States isn’t booming with production, and if it were, we couldn’t afford it. If that Blackberry was made in the United States it would be an astronomical amount of money, and who wants that?
Having items made by slaves and in sweatshops is unavoidable, and will mostly likely always be around. Yes, there are groups all over the United States that are trying to put a stop to this, and it is a very wonderful thing they are trying to do. It is very sad that basically all of our products we use, in our everyday life are made by slaves in other countries. I will not argue that it isn’t, cause it is very sad. Those groups are only a small fraction of the population in the United States. Their message maybe be amazing and for a wonderful cause, but it’s a very small voice. Not everyone will jump on this bandwagon to stop slaves making our products. They are entirely way too important to us; which is sad if you really stop and think about it. It’s almost like a double standard that the Unites States has going on. We worked so hard to achieve success in ridding out the concept of slavery, but yet we still find it acceptable to send our products to sweat shops to be made. Then they come back to us and we buy them, without batting an eyelash. We end it here, but we don’t mind it anywhere else. Just as long as our hands look clean I guess it’s all right, lets just look past that small detail. It’s easier to do look over a problem then to acknowledge it and fix it.
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Even with such a prominent history of slavery, the United States fails to see how the institution is still being used all over the world today. Even though so many are enslaved, it is very difficult for a thriving and advanced nation such as America to key onto its existence. Because modern day slavery exists primarily in countries with high poverty rates and its practice is illegal, the US just isn’t in sync with its presence. There is no way to get good data about the prominence of slavery because it is legalized nowhere. Americans are certainly aware of the history of slavery in their country, but you cannot expect them to be familiar with it in other countries since it is so hushed.
I would not have known nearly as much about modern day slavery if it weren’t for this soc class or Disposable People, so you cannot expect the US as a whole to know about slavery or even further, do something about it. Many people may be motivated to say they’re going to boycott buying products of slavery, but if a large portion of products are in some way produced by slaves, it would be way too difficult for a single person to impact its presence. It would be nice to say you won’t purchase certain goods, but it’s hard to determine or truly know which of these products are made through slavery. Even if a group of people were somehow able to protest purchasing slave made goods, this won’t put a big dent in the problem. Many of the countries exporting products of slavery are corrupt where leaders and law enforcement accept its presence. If these leaders turn the blind eye, there is little hope in getting them to cooperate with a demand to stop slavery, let alone convince them to regulate its termination.
Another aspect to consider is the materialistic world we live in. As Americans, we are too reliant and caught up in consuming goods to make a change in modern day slavery. Like we talked about in class, parts of Blackberries are slave produced, but very few people would be willing to give up the luxury in the name of stopping slavery. The great majority of Americans, including myself, are too hooked on nice clothes and technology to truly care about the effects of our consuming them. Because we see no direct impact of the institution, it is difficult to get a good sense of its severity. In reality, you may feel guilty about the origin of your clothes or cell phone for a little while, but the majority of us are going to forget about it because slavery hardly impacts us here in the States. Also, we greatly appreciate low prices that are available to us because of the free labor. You cannot blame manufacturers for using the cheapest materials they can find because consumers would certainly be upset with price raises, even if it meant not using products of slavery.
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It is amazing how much we can put out of our minds and not acknowledge in the world. There is so much going on and an incredible amount of problems that are over looked. Even issues in the United States are ignored, such as the lives of most Native Americans. My eyes are being opened to many issues. The trouble is, once I leave the classroom I do not go and try to change what is wrong. It is very easy for me to simply get back into my routine. So even when 700 + of us students are presented with the facts, how many of us are willing to do anything about it? Very few, as is seen by the fact that few made an effort to ensure that they did not use slave made goods. When I am complaining and thinking how bad things may be, I am always troubled when I realize other people in the world have it much worse than I do. I always wonder why am I not doing more or why are other people not doing more. Why are people that are incredibly wealthy spending their money on useless items when other people in this world are starving? We have an ability to become so absorbed in our lives and situations; it is difficult to realize that we are supporting inappropriate acts, such as slavery in other countries.
Citizens of the United States are taught early on in life that slavery is over and we are a free country, which is a nice idea to have growing up, but very skewed. We assume that slavery in the world is over, which is far from true. What is even worse is that we support it! Here we are the USA, which stands for freedom, etc. and we are supporting slavery. It is absurd. Adding onto that, when we know what we are supporting and it is put right there in front of us we still do not make changes. At most, we think about taking action, but do not! We end up right where we started only more informed. We support slavery, how do we change that? With the economy and money issues, who is willing to pay more? What companies would choose to spend more money for a just cause? The answer is very few. Even if stickers were placed on items to be purchased, I feel that many would still buy them thus supporting an unjust world of slavery. I found it very interesting when the point of African Americans also supporting slavery. Their ancestors had been slaves and now they inversely support such acts that affected their own lives today. It is all a twisted circle of human race. It is difficult to come up with a plan to solve this problem. It is very easy to just step back and say it doesn’t affect me, so oh well. The easy way out needs to stop being taken though! When will we take a stance and try to change what we know is wrong in this world?
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I really loved the way Sam started out that lecture. Just by making people who were of African American descent. He always seems to enlighten the class as soon as he opens his mouth. When he asked who had materials or anything made from slaves and so little people raised their hands it wasn’t surprising because people don’t want to think they do own things that some other human being was forced to make and beaten for. It was terrible to think about once he brought up the cell phones or clothes we wear. No one buys a shirt or a video game console and says wow im not buying this a slave could have put their sweat and tears into making this. Of course once Sam brought it to our attention I know myself as along with almost at least half of the class had to be feeling pretty guilty. I mean I walk into a store and love a pair of shoes or jeans that I spend well over fifty bucks for, without thinking wow someone literally slaved over this, no price should be put on it. But this is the way our society is today. I am not advocating that everyone has forgotten that slavery existed or still does. Just the simple fact that not everyone has that thought in their mind , when they purchase something. The statement “It is in fact easy to forget, or to choose not to remember” is one hundred percent true. When purchasing goods people choose not to remember where they came from or who slaved over them, just so we don’t feel guilty. I myself am guilty of this thought and it makes me sick that I have done it. Some of the biggest corporations like Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart, which have mostly customers who are in college towns, make some of the most money and probably have some of the biggest percentages of slavery behind them. Although we choose not to think about the facts, we should not be oblivious that they exist.
The book disposable people that we had to read for Sam’s class really is a wonderful and interesting piece of work. It makes you sad, angry, shocked and you want to do something all at one time. Slavery in present day DOES exist and we need to do something about it or it will never stop. That book really does show that other human beings can just disregard someone else’s life for the benefit of their own whether it is through slavery, or more so through sexual favors and wants, and that is sickening. And the fact that Sam made it clear that we all do that to an extent of our own really hit home.
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I have a hard time believing that there are still slaves today but it’s a very sad truth and even sadder that I have not heard of very much being done to combat it. As the video showed, even when the African American person found out there were slave made parts in their cell phone they still wouldn’t give it back. That person could very well have had slavery in their ancestry and yet they are going to keep using that phone like that class example never happened. Honestly I would expect no different from anyone in that class who can trace their roots to slavery because of one key thing; other peoples suffering really doesn’t have a lot of bearing on them.
Its pretty crazy to think that a lot of the clothes we wear is made by slaves. When you tell someone this what is the common response? “Man your shirt was made by little child slaves!” one guy says and the other guy goes, “Oh man that’s terrible” but does he take the shirt off? Does he throw out all the same shirts he owns from that company? Absolutely not because its not like its that guys little brother who is in bondage making shirts. Its some kid he doesn’t know out in a foreign country that could be doomed to make clothes for nothing forever. It’s a horrible depressing story but as soon as you are done reading this are you going to go do something about it? Probably not.
That brings me to my next point; I think another reason that we don’t think about it so much is because it isn’t as prevalent in the USA as it is over seas. We are importing most of our products anyway and lets be honest the big business’s we buy from are not going to brag how they made their product with cheap slave labor. I doubt regulations on manufacturing are as tight in Asia and Europe where the slave issues are happening. If someone discovered a puma shoe making plant was keeping its employees against their will and not paying them for the ridiculous hours in a big US city the government would throw a fit and look into all the factories in the USA. But since this is more going on across the pond we don’t really have a lot of motivation to help.
Obviously slavery is not a topic to come up in typical conversation especially in today’s world where Americans fully believe slavery has ended with Abe Lincoln. Unfortunately this couldn’t be further from the truth, slavery just ended in America, as far as we know, and slavery operations are now more covert and covered up then ever before. The labor slaves are doing now is not what is stereotypically thought of when slavery is talked about in American history. It is one of those major problems that are just slipping under the radar of international importance
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Slavery sucks. I mean in a way it was good in the long run for me, if it wasn’t for racist empirical Europeans who simply stole human beings of African descent to work and be there slaves simply on account that they were black and inferior to the white Europeans, then they would have never continued their lineage in America, and I wouldn’t be typing this blog for a race and ethnic relations class, but rather I would be kicking it in the “Mother Land” with my brothers and lions and things to that effect. So personally, I’m kind of happy of the events that molded the land, because it resulted in opportunities for me nearly 300 plus years later. Don’t get me wrong, slavery in the United States was a horrible thing, I mean have you ever seen Roots? I know that I couldn’t finish that movie originally when I was forced to watch it in like 5th grade. Firstly, that damn movie is entirely too long. Secondly, I was afraid of the scary black slaves. Which is an interesting thought, as an African-American the actors and characters which they played in the movie Roots represented my ancestors. Ancestors that suffered rape, mental abuse, institutionalize demoralization, inhumane and barbaric physical abuse, and the fact that they were made into sub-humans, disposable objects created for one purpose, serving their European tormentors; however, when portrayed in the movie Roots, they freaked the hell out of me. Or more so the concept of slavery freaked the hell out of me. I hated the idea, that someone could simply come into my home and take me, simply because they had better weapons. It is pretty effed up when one thinks about it, but I digress from the main issue here, that this institution of hate still goes on for millions across the world today and that I have a helping hand in supporting its existence.
This is where the real effed up things in my head start to bother me. It is worse than a 12-year-old version of me being afraid of a portrayal of my slave ancestors. It’s the fact that I feel little to no problem, or let me rephrase. I feel little to no obligation to change the fact that slavery is still going on, simply because it does not affect my sphere of existence. I like the stylish phone that I have. I love my Nike sneakers. I love my Polo Sweaters, especially in this cold Penn State environment. Hell, and most of all, I love my Penn State gear which allows me to show my pride for the Blue and White, and despite that fact that all of the aforementioned products most definitely has at least fibers or pieces that were either manufactured or collected by slaves… I feel no need to stop purchasing them.
This has caused me to really evaluate life, so now I must leave you and end here so that I may enter into some deep thought about this problem.
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It is easy to forget that slavery still exists all over the world. I have lived in suburban Pennsylvania my whole life until I came to Penn State, which sits nicely in the Happy Valley bubble outside of reality in the middle of central PA. My daily routine is normal, as I wake up to breakfast, go to class, and come back in the afternoon with time in between to go to the gym… or go shopping. Most of the things I buy, were made by slaves, or if not slaves then poverty stricken workers who make no more than a few dollars a day. Never do I think about the millions of people around the world that are probably my same age that hardly sleep because they are scared for their lives or worried about their next day’s tasks. The slavery that existed in our country in the 1800s was abolished in the 1865, and the blacks who were oppressed and forced to work without pay for white landowners were freed to make their own lives for their families. But today, people are still enslaved in the same way that African Americans were in that dark part of our country’s history. Modern day slavery and human trafficking go hand in hand a lot of times. Illegals are brought into the country on the false pretenses that they are going to be offered real paying jobs but then are forced to work in factories where they work nearly around the clock with no pay. In a 2008 Washington Post article titled Modern Day Slavery, the United States is cited as the worldwide leader in attempting to protect innocent people from lives of poverty and servitude. The United States has committed over $528 million to fund international anti-trafficking programs since fiscal 2001. But unfortunately, it is going to take a lot more than money to solve this problem. Many anti-slave advocated and non-profit groups suggest that slavery today is more prevalent around the world than it ever was. I couldn’t believe that when I read it. Asia and Africa are believed to be the most prominent continents where slavery exists and researchers suggest that women and children are most commonly used as slaves today. From some research I did online, I found a 2005 article from the non-profit group, “Free The Slaves” that over 14,000 laborers are brought into the United States every year. And what is the reason for the prevalence of slavery today? The demand for cheap labor is greater than it has ever been and some companies are cutting corners by exporting their work and manufacturing plants to foreign countries where slaves work endlessly for the company to ensure its profits. When you look at your clothes, where are they made? Most of mine are from Asian countries or little Pacific islands that I’ve never heard of. The governments of the world are attempting to crack down on preventing and rescuing modern day slaves but it’s not going to be an easy process because much of it goes under the radar.
http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2005-05/Millions-Live-in-Modern-Slavery.cfm
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In today’s society most people do not really think about the issue of slavery. Most think it ended back with the civil war. However, this is not the case. Slavery is still being used all over the world. I personally knew that slavery was still in existence however, I did not realize the extent of it until I started reading disposable people. The book is a real eye opener and I am glad it was assigned to the class. Especially a race relations class, since most people see slavery just as being when African Americans were used as slaves in the united states. Many are unaware that when they get dressed in the morning, talk on their cell phones, or eat a chocolate bar that they are supporting slavery. When I walk into Wal-Mart to buy food and other goods I am looking for deals to possibly save myself money and still get what I want. I do not think that in order for me to get the items at such low prices that slavery was used. The thing is myself as a person I am still going to use my cell phone, wear my clothes, and continue to go grocery shopping and look for deals. Now after reading disposable people I am going to pay more attention and ask more questions about where the products I am buying are coming from. However, slavery is such a big part of or world today that it is kind of hard to escape. Unless we as a people start to become more aware and try to do something about this like Kevin Bales has done, slavery will never end.
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Yes, it is easy to forget, but I believe the bigger issue about modern day slavery is that it is easy to ignore. There is a common saying “out of sight, out of mind.” Modern day slavery is just that. Because it is not a plight that garners a lot of media attention or something that we can tangibly see in our communities, it is easy to act like it doesn’t exists. In fact, I would argue that most people are honestly ignorant to the harsh reality of modern day slavery.
In America, we are constantly on the go. We worry about and stress over the smallest details of our lives. We are so caught up in our own worlds that we often fail to take a step back and reflect. For instance, we scour the stores for the best bargains but rarely do we think about what we are sacrificing to obtain the prices. If we looked deeper into the consequences of our actions perhaps we would realize what we are essentially fueling–slavery. We might recognize that slavery is in fact a reality and a battle that needs to be fought.
When it exists in other countries, slavery is hard to feel connected to and responsible for. Since it is another world to us—another culture, other people, other customers—we are not personally effected. Our ability to empathize diminishes. When we hear the complete story, for instance, by reading the book “Disposable People,” we become more aware as we can see these people as human. Conversely, when a news channel mentions modern day slavery in a sound bite, the information is easy to push it aside. We aren’t thinking about our friend’s kids and our neighbor’s nephew. Instead, we think of a culture far, far away that we don’t want to understand and that we don’t need to understand. This, I believe, is a result of ethnocentrism.
Facing modern day slavery is a trying task. As Sam said in class, we are not ready to give up our BlackBerries, our iPhones, our fashion, and our toys. We will still look for the best deals, the latest technology, and the biggest trends. Again, this is often without reflecting on what we sacrifice to obtain these items. In my opinion, we must not only raise awareness about modern day slavery but also break down feelings of ethnocentrism and allow people to understand these slaves as fully and completely human—not strangers in a far away land. We all possess the same basic human rights and we must remember that.
The issue of modern slavery is very relevant in the World Systems Theory. This theory says that for core countries to thrive, periphery countries must be used. So, since the United States is the pinnacle of a core country, we are depending on the slavery present in other nations to help us achieve our economic success. Our world would be very different economically if we rectified this gross human injustice. Perhaps as globization continues, and we become more connected with these people, we will understand them better and recognize our responsibility to end slavery.
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After discussing slavery in class and reading the blog about how many people use it their advantage, it got me thinking about how I felt about the certain issue at hand. It is clear that everyone in our society today takes advantage of the new type of slavery that is taking place all around the world. It is not the type of slavery that took place during the early years of our country. It has transformed into something that no one can figure out how to stop. It cannot be done by legislature or government, and not by other countries because every single country can profit from this new age slavery. Everything from parts for our cars, clothes that we wear, food that we eat, and many more every day things that we use are made by slaves from all over the world. I hate to say it but most of us don’t even realize what this new form of slavery is and that practically almost everything we buy these days somewhere along the lines is touched by slave hands. I, myself am a victim of buying products that are produced by slaves and it sometimes does not even cross my mind. Whenever I walk into Wal-Mart, it does not even cross my mind that a vast majority of their goods are made my slaves in other countries. Many other Americans can agree with me that the only reason why most of us shop at Wal-Mart is because of the low prices. Many of us never stop to think why their prices are so low, but it is because they use the new cheap slavery to produce many of their products. Wal-Mart use to be the all- American store that prided itself on being there for the American people. Now the company sends its jobs overseas to lower production cost and increase revenue. It is not only Wal-Mart who is taking advantage of their lower cost. Many companies based in the U.S. are sending jobs to poorer countries like Nike and even Hershey’s candy company. It seems like many corporations are shipping their jobs overseas just to increase their overall profit and revenue. Are today’s companies really that shallow to use cheap human labor from mostly slaves in foreign countries just to make a quick buck? For that matter, what does it say about U.S. citizens going along with this plan just to pay less for certain, sometimes inferior goods? That should say something about what kind of society we live in today. People care more about increasing revenue and low costs than of another human being’s life. We are putting money before a person’s life! There is no clear-cut answer right now for this new form of slavery, but something needs to be done. It is up to every single person in the world to start making a change for the better or nothing will be accomplished if we just keep pretending that it does not exist.
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As a white person living in America, slavery is not something that I can easily relate to. Since I am white, I cannot trace my ancestry back to being slaves, and since I live in America, I do not see signs of slavery around me in my everyday life. Even though I am not closely associated to slavery, I am completely against it. Ever since I was taught about slavery way back in elementary school, I have been appalled by it. I could never understand how human beings could take advantage of other human beings in such a cruel and inhumane way.
Now, after taking Soc119, my eyes have been opened to just how contradictory the thoughts and actions of myself and the majority of Americans are when it comes to the issue of slavery. We all say how much we are against slavery, and yet we all support it when we buy goods made by individuals who are forced to work for little or no pay under threat of violence. Sam even pointed out how descendents of African American slaves, who certainly would be against slavery, own many things that are made by slaves. I can remember being told one day that slaves make Nike shoes. I thought that was terrible and yet the next pair of sneakers I bought for myself was a pair of Nikes. I think that it is much easier for us to pretend that slaves are not making so many of our goods because we do not actually see slavery in action. I have been told that there are sweatshops all over the place, and I think that it is terrible, but that is the extent of what I do about it. Maybe if the issue was right in front of us we would be more inclined to do something about it. I guess when it comes to the subject of slavery we tend to be hypocritical and lazy.
Wow! My mother just called. I told her I was writing a journal entry on slavery. She then told me that she had just read an article in my hometown newspaper that said law enforcement had closed down four local massage parlors. The young women working at these establishments were brought here from South Korea and forced to work as sex slaves. Wow again! There is slavery in Berks County! There are slaves working just a short drive from my own home!
Slavery is hidden yet it is all around us. Even though we all want to pretend slavery doesn’t exist, it unfortunately does. I like to think of myself as a person who is against slavery, yet I have not done anything in order to prevent slavery in the world today. Like myself, people need to be made aware of the issue of modern day slavery and we need to find ways to mobilize people so that we can work together to find a way to put an end to this very disturbing issue.
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It is indeed easy to forget that slavery still exists in our world today. Prior to taking Sociology 119 and reading the book Disposable People, I was very ignorant to the fact that slavery was still around in many places. One of which being our very own United States of America. I had no idea that slavery was still so prominent, especially here at home. The fact of the matter is that we all contribute to slavery. While some are oblivious to the fact, some are knowledgeable about the use of slaves and still do nothing or very little about it.
Weather we know it or not, slavery touches mostly each and every one of us in some way or another. Chances are that something located in the room that I am sitting in right now was made by a slave. Slaves are out to work with no pay and forced to produce clothing, machinery, and much more in mass production. Our electronics, clothing, maybe even some food products are made by slaves.
Slavery is a problem that exists that is put on the back burner for several reasons. In my opinion, law makers and enforcers do not make it a priority to seek out these slaveholders and distribute punishment. The reason, I can’t say I’m quite sure of but, it is not right that in a country that prides itself on being the “home of the free”, slavery exists.
Convenience plays a factor in the ignorance of the world’s slavery problem too. People that know about the existence of slavery in the world do not want to admit it because they just know that they would never be able to live without their brand name clothes or designer boots. This may sound a little materialistic, but fact of the matter is that it is indeed materialistic.
It is easy to ignore the problem when it is not publicized. We all want to help starving kids in Africa, cancer patients and the homeless, which are all great things! However, if there were more people “advertising”, if you will, the issue of slavery in the world, maybe more people would feel like they should or would want to do something about this problem. Maybe they would start protests. Maybe they would organize committees to stop slavery. People might make a sincere effort to stop buying items they know were produced by slaves or refuse to use products produced by slave made machinery. It is easy to ignore something if you are not being reminded of it so often. It is hard to imagine that slavery still exists today, and in such large numbers. If we all make a conscious effort to stop buying slave made products, maybe we can lessen the use of slavery in our world.
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When I walk into the mall and I see amazing deals, like 4 t-shirts for $10 or those sunglasses for just $8, I always wonder to myself, How is that possible? In economics, I learned that businesses are only out for one thing; profit. However, when they are selling items at such a cheap price it seems impossible to be making money off their items. As a consumer, I do wonder but I never complain because the cheaper the product, the more I am saving, and that’s never a bad thing for my wallet. Yet, as I am saving money, people are being enslaved to make the products so cheap. Modern day slavery is a catastrophe that many people are not educated about. Americans always have this idealistic mentality that slavery ended in 1865. However we never really think about slavery outside our borders.
Today, there are about 27 million slaves who are abused and working for absolutely nothing. They are the people sewing our shirts, creating cell phone parts, being forced into prostitution, and making our car parts, etc. Almost everything that we use on a daily basis has somehow been affected my modern day slavery. However, it is impossible to tell the difference between items that use slavery and items that are not produced by slavery. Right now, hundreds of people are walking around Penn State flaunting their shirts and socks made by slaves and they have absolutely no idea. It is truly a shame that we are not educated about this topic because I feel that if more people knew about modern day slavery then more people would stand up for the cause.
Of course everyone loves a good deal. All consumers love when products are cheap and they even love it more when they find the price unbeatable. Wal-mart attracts millions of shoppers each year because they promise consumers the lowest prices. When the mall is selling jeans for $40 and they are selling almost the same garments for $15, you start to wonder how consumers ever lived without Wal-mart. However, shoppers go in and out of the aisles carelessly, they have no idea how each item was produced, created, shipped etc. They only know that it is on the rack and it is in their price range. I know that when I go shopping, I never think about the production phases or how they are sold at such a cheap price. I just know they are in front of me, they fit me well, and I am going to buy them. However, now that I am educated about the tragedy, I will be a bit more cautious, questioning myself and asking “is this a product of modern day slavery?” It is impossible to know which products used slaves and which did not. I believe that we should educate consumers around the world about modern day slavery and then perhaps people will start to take a stand on such a cause. Modern day slavery needs to end. Our wallets cannot benefit off of someone elses life.
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After reading this blog along with the book Disposable People, it really got me thinking about how it is extremely easy to remain ignorant about modern day slavery and its affects on the world. I personally would not like to even imagine exactly how many products I have purchased over the years that have been made by slaves. The thought of it just makes me sick to my stomach. I would never want someone to be made to live in conditions of servitude just so I can have a cell phone or a pair of shoes.
I could never even imagine what day to day life is like for a modern slave. Even after the book Disposable People thoroughly explained many circumstances and conditions that these people in bondage had to endure. The worst story for me while reading this book, was about the brothels in Thailand. Hearing about how this young fifteen year old GIRL, was made to have sex with hundreds of men a month just to be able to eat broke my heart. I think the worst part about this story is how young she is and the acceptance she had for how her life is. With all of the issues I have had to deal with in my life I do not think that I would ever be prepared to handle what this child does on a daily basis.
Modern slavery does exist, and it seems to me that it is much more prevalent then I ever imagined. To even think that there are around thirty million slaves in the world is disgusting. When I think about how far people have come in society, it blows my mind that there are people in this world who work twelve hour days, seven days a week just to be able to eat. There are people in this world forced into prostitution and made to have sex with hundreds of people, risking their lives in the process. I know that society still has a long way to go but stuff like this just should not happen. I know life is not fair but this is cruelty on an immeasurable scale, something that I do not think that most people can grasp. To be honest, most people are not going to be spending their time thinking that so many people in the world have to deal with being in bondage and servitude. Many people are not comfortable with thinking that these types of things still do occur. I do think our professor was right when he asked the person with the cell phone if he would stop using it if it were slave made and the person said no, he probably would not stop using it. Because, in all honestly most people would not give up their modern day conveniences, even if they do think slavery is wrong.
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Ok, as I black person I do feel for every slave around this world. As an American I am disgusted by my government and world leaders that nothing is being done about this issue. But the fact of the matter is we all want to sit and turn a blind eye to this issue, yes even black people! Why? Because it’s not us, it is not you or me out in those fields or mines working for nothing. America figures that since they handle their slave problem (which took a few hundred years to get around to it, but they got there: And I am forever grateful), that other countries will do the sa,e, in their own time.
It’s a shame how America pick and chooses our battles (I have to say our, because I am an American, and unfortunately their bullshit, is my bullshit too). We would never start a war with China, why? Because China got us by the balls! And we would never go over and fight for the millions of slaves around this world, why? Those are the slaves that are producing many of our goods. And we cannot afford to jeopardize the relationships we have with their owners. So what do we do, we turn a blind eye, and keep the business going. It’s all about the money, can’t let a little thing like “ethics” and “morals” stand in the way of that almighty dollar. Trust and believe if Iraq had been giving us a good deal on oil, we would not be there now. And everybody knows that. We don’t let anything stand in the way of our money. The entire idea of “helping the Iraqi people” is bull**** we just figured that now since we’re over there, we might as well help some people.
Being that I am a black person I should speak on the fact that I do (just as with every American) own slave made items. Do I feel guilty and shame that I am helping oppress other human beings the same way that my people were oppressed? The answer is yes, and we all should. And I am going to give up every item or piece of clothing that was made by those slaves? Are white people going to give black people our 40 acres and a mule also known as Repressions? Are white people going to give the Native Americans back THEIR country? These are all questions that we must ask ourselves and our respective teams. But why don’t we start with the white team. Because the fact of the matter is, the white team is still running the show(yeah, there’s a black man in the white house, but the white man still owns the deed). The black team just walked in the door, the front door to be exact. And nothing happens with the white teams’ approval, so Dr. Richards the next time the team is in the locker room, why don’t you and the other captains answer those questions. Because I’m sure the Native Americans are eager to hear you guys’ response, they have been waiting for a long long long time now, and don’t you think they deserve an answer?
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Like Sam said, it is easy to forget about slavery in today’s world but it is also very easy to just not think about it at all. As a person who has literally no ties to slavery (that I know of) I understand that I cannot fully comprehend the adversities that African Americans faced that I as white person have not had to deal with in my life. I think I enjoy Sam’s lectures so much because he brings up topics that I don’t think I would have thought of myself, and it is really eye-opening to stop and think about them. With that being said, I know that slavery still exists in the world today, but I never really gave it much thought. “Out of sight, out of mind”. I am not saying that that this isn’t an issue that needs to be addressed, but I feel that most Americans are so caught up in their own lives, they are not thinking about if parts of their cell phone were produced by slaves. I know that whenever I am out shopping, the last thing on my mind is where my purchases were made and produced, or who made them and in what kind of working conditions.
I would love to say that from now on I will be checking the labels on clothes before I buy them, or only try and buy products made in the United States, but I am not sure if that is actually feasible for me. I do not know all that much about slaves working in sweat shops and making products for consumers like myself, but I did spend time learning about young girls and women sold in slavery. Young girls as young as seven are being taken or sold to become sex slaves. Many of them spend their life in these red light districts where they are subject to beatings, and many of them contract various sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS.
It seems crazy that we are aware of all this slavery going on in other countries, but I do not know of much going on to try and put an end to it all. I feel like the problem has become so large and widespread I do not see it coming to an end anytime soon. As long as companies are going to use cheap labor to manufacture their products, and then sell them to willing consumers, I do not see them changing their strategies. These companies are only interested in making a profit and obviously don’t care about the conditions of their employees. People in the US refuse to do these kinds of jobs, yet we are the people who buy the products. Double standard.
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After reading the article entitled, “Its Easy to Forget” I was amazed at how true that statement is I never really thought about it much either. Many people in today’s world take things for granted too, especially wealth. In general, people living in the United States have a much better standard of living then people living in other countries. Common goods in people’s houses are made in sweat shops over in foreign land. Big named brands such as Nike have people working like slaves in other countries for little more than a couple cents that it cost them to make the product. Most of us in the United States do not even think of slavery, we think it’s a thing of the past that ended after the civil war. When in fact, the world of slavery is still thriving today and many big name companies are benefiting from it. I’ve heard people in the past talk about companies like Nike making their products oversees in some cheap labor sweatshop, but I never really thought about it. Many of my friends won’t even buy Nike shoes anymore because of the videos they watched on YouTube. The funny thing is everyone’s saying equal rights, equal rights, but why isn’t anyone doing anything about these sweatshops. I’ve never heard any world leaders say they were going to put a stop to companies having sweatshops set up in different countries. People oversee should have the same right and standard of working place as we do here. The soc class has really opened my eyes to things and ideas I never would have thought about otherwise. In today market place companies are becoming more and more competitive with one another to be top dog in there sector. If becoming top dog means hiring cheap slave labor to do the work cheap and efficiently than there going to do it. It benefits the company buy lowering their expenses they would’ve paid workers with in the U.S. I’m a strong believer in human rights and this is not right for a person to work 23 hours a day in an honorable working conditions. They rarely get a break, and sometimes go 23hrs with no food or drink. They get paid cents every hour since there are not national minimum wage requirements there. Plus there are no workers unions there either which many companies have grown to hate over the years. The unions are requesting more and more out of their employer, and when they push them far enough the employer will move the company oversees to cut costs and increase efficiency. There have been many stories in the newspapers over the past couple years, showing companies moving their operations over sees for the cheap labor leaving many people unemployed. We live in a complex world where not everyone is treated fairly; we should be mindful of this and start taking active steps to help put an end to it.
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Out of everything we’ve talked about in class so far, I think this topic is one of the most interesting. It’s most likely very true that we are all hypocrites, because almost everyone would agree that the reality of slavery still occurring in parts of the world today is immoral, yet we are all fine with continuing to buy products we know were made by slaves. In fact, some of our favorite things like our cell phones, favorite shoes, computer parts, etc. were almost certainly made by poverty stricken people forced to work for nothing. Actually if we had to give up everything that was made by slaves even if it just had a small part to it that was slave made, I’m sure we’d be left with pretty much nothing. It’s truly crazy to think about. When I first heard about the group of Penn State students who are opposed to where our apparel comes from I just kind of blew it off, but now I understand more where their reasoning is coming from. We are purchasing, enjoying, and thinking nothing of our products that were made in sweatshops. This means that some people are not only working for free, but the conditions of their environment are awful and unhealthy. Then they go home, if you can even call it a home, and have nothing to eat. It’s especially heartbreaking when children are forced to work and yet are starving. No child should have to be born into that. Same goes for the women who are valued less based on their gender—it’s horrible what they go through and are still expected to provide for their families. Like most Americans who are probably oblivious to the fact, I honestly was unaware that slavery was still occurring until I got to college. Since the U.S. is one of the most developed countries in the world, more of our labels should say made in the U.S.A in my opinion. I think it’s unrealistic to all of the sudden just stop buying items made by slaves, and I agree that there has to be other ways to stop modern day slavery. The first thing that needs to be taken care of is awareness. I feel like this topic is only taught about in college race classes nowadays. It’s not something we see on the news or hear people protesting or making uproar about that often, anyway. I think if more people in this country and elsewhere became aware, something intelligent and effective might be put in place. I think it’s so cheap when I hear about all the big companies that move themselves overseas in order to find cheap labor. Even if I’m wrong and a lot more people than I think know about modern day slavery, I wonder why it’s not discussed more often, or worse, just forgotten about. I am just getting into reading “Disposable People,” and I think it’s going to be a great book, definitely one that I should share with others. Even though racism probably won’t ever be put to an end completely, modern day slavery can be.
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This class, and the book we’ve been assigned, “Disposable People”, have really opened my eyes to modern –day slavery. To be very honest, I had never taken the time to consider whether slavery still exists in the world today or not. Reading “Disposable People” especially got me thinking about all the ways in which slavery has directly and indirectly effected (sadly, probably aided) my own life. ) I’ve been shocked to learn that slavery not only still exists around the world AND in my own country, but in abundance. I think the Bales novel said there were about 27 million slaves in today’s world. Whoa.
I’m not completely oblivious to the fact that there are people all around the world being paid almost nothing (literally) to craft the material things that we all own today. I mean, yeah for a while now I’ve refused to purchase anything from Wal-Mart because I don’t want to support child labor and any type of non-rewarded labor in general. But I never stopped to think that this labor could very well be slavery. That many of these people were possibly coerced into doing the work they’re doing. That they didn’t have a choice, and now also don’t have a way out.
I was horrified to read about the young girls working as prostitutes in Thailand. I can’t explain what I was thinking when I heard about this; it doesn’t sound real. It sounds like a nightmare. It’s especially disturbing to realize that most of them were tricked into coming to these brothels and now have to accept this life as their own; present and future. As do other slaves all around the globe. And there are slaves in developed countries!
What is really eating at me is that, now people know about this. Now I know about this. Someone interviewed one of the girls in Thailand, and wrote a book about it. And no one has put a stop to it?? I understand it’s not exactly an easy thing to do but it sounds crazy to me that there are people living these lives as I just sit here typing this assignment. I’m not one of those people that think “there’s nothing I can do about it.” That’s why I started boycotting Wal-Mart (ha?). The brothels in Thailand are something that really do seem out of reach though…I mean, so I will not go to the brothels in Thailand…(how do I show that I don’t support brothels; this would not make any change in my current lifestyle). I’m just still trying to get my mind around the idea that a portion of the world knows that slavery exists, and turns a blind eye to it. I’ve always been an idealist, however involuntarily, so I guess I don’t see the “real” side of the world. But now that I do see it, I feel a need to help in some way. How?
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I never really thought about the fact that slavery is still around until I took this class. I think it is true that most people, especially white Americans, believe slavery ended after the Civil War all of those years ago. The truth is that slavery is still thriving abroad, and as much as we don’t want to believe it, it is here in the United States as well. By reading Disposable People, I am finally seeing the many ways slavery survives today, and how modern slavery differs from colonial slavery. The truth is that the new slavery is cheap, profitable, and there are few restrictions, so I understand why it still exists and why it is so lucrative. I understand why large corporations have slaves working in sweatshops to produce goods at low cost which will later be sold at an inflated price. But I also understand the complete inhumanity of the act. Holding people against their wills through lies and manipulation is heartless, but the profitability of the process makes it difficult to explain why we haven’t yet stopped slavery and why we still purchase slave made goods.
From the business perspective, slavery is smart. The goal for most businesses in today’s society is to minimize costs in order to increase profits. There is no method other than slavery which will generate the least cost for a company, which is why more large companies than we know institute the inhumane act. Recently information was released about very Nike and other large corporations, stating that their shoes and other products are made in sweatshops. Because such a prosperous, well-known, profiting company like Nike is implementing cheap labor such as this, it is easy to see why it is difficult for Americans to stop buying slave-made products. There aren’t many people that will just STOP buying Nike products because of the way they were made. The fact remains that quality goods and customer loyalty remain, even when these products are produced by slaves. So as long as companies continue to produce quality goods, customers will continue to buy, continuously generating profits. And the cycle continues…
I do not believe that the consumer will be the one to initiate the push against purchasing slave-made products. As I have said, as long as there is quality, the product will be purchased. I think it is more likely that corporations would have to begin the movement. Once a business decides to make the decision to undertake some extra costs and disregard the option of having their products made by slaves, slavery will eventually become less lucrative. The slaveholders will eventually lose their clientele and have no need for slaves. The key word is eventually. There is nothing we can do to end slavery instantly or to completely stop the purchase of slave-made goods. It is up to Corporate America to make the first move, and until then, humans just like ourselves will be beaten and killed by their peers to make the clothes we wear on our back so happily.
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This article jumped out at me when I was going through race relations project this week. The discussion professor Richards brought up in class on slavery that still exists in the world today really sparked my thoughts on the problem and if it ever will end. I did some more research on the topic of slavery after that class, that is if you call watching you tube videos on the subject research, and apparently many products we may take for granted here in America including our cell phones and computers have items in them that come directly from overseas use of slaves. This is troubling on so many different levels; I haven’t researched this fully out but I would imagine Americans are the number one purchaser of technology such as these things that are made by means of slavery. Sure there is no slavery in America, it hasn’t been legal since the civil war, but in many ways Americans are still responsible for slavery throughout the world.
Will this problem ever end? I don’t think so, Americans need their technology. If they were to just stop producing cell phones there would be outrage by the American public. The people don’t care how they get there devices, they just want them. Sure, hearing disturbing information about this persistent worldwide slavery will make people bat an eye, nobody wants to hear that they are a reason that many people are still living there lives in slavery. But that’s all it is, if people hear this sad truth they feel bad and ten minutes down the road its long out of their mind; they have calls to make or e-mails to receive, meetings to plan with their new hi-tech device. What is the good hearted American going to do about this problem? They’d love to help stop slavery but they’re not willing to decrease their standard of living, and why should they? They were brought up in a society where technological advances overshadow all else; everyone wants the newest and best machines to make their lives easier, and if some people have to suffer so that they get the new blackberry that’s a fair trade off.
This seems ridiculous, the idea that our convenience is more important than others lives. But look at the history here, Americans leave a carbon footprint three times as bad as they should, we are the main reason global warming is occurring. And even though all the best scientists have continued to tell us that if we want to continue living on this planet we need to drastically cut down our carbon emissions we don’t. We try and “go green” by using paperless methods and working economical thought into the nation’s economic plan. We’re not willing to decrease our standards of living for the entire human race, why would we care about a few people in third world countries living in slavery?
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To start this blog entry, let me say straight off the bat that Sam has yet again brought up a topic that many people talk about but perhaps don’t truly think about in today’s society. To be perfectly honest, the image that comes to mind when I think of slavery is the classic Southern plantation, Scarlet O’Hara and Mammy, and the struggle of blacks in American society.
The fact that I see this image of slavery so clearly in my head is what makes me more ignorant to its very real existence all over the world today. In fact, I hadn’t really considered the fact that the clothes I buy, the products I use- even the food I nourish myself with are often a product of the blood, sweat and tears of modern day slaves. What scares me to realize is the fact that I support slavery…and consciously now, mind you.
Truthfully, when given the option, I do buy products that are advertised as being sweatshop free, and not made by slaves, but usually those products are worlds more expensive than their slave labor counterparts. I wear American Apparel clothing almost every day, and one of the things they pride themselves on is the fact that they are made sweatshop free, in the United States…however, they cost about twice as much as any other hoodie or tee shirt I would want to buy from say, Wal Mart or Target.
I can say that I want to save the world, and that I don’t support slavery, but when it comes right down to it, its almost impossible not to in some small way. Especially in today’s society where everything from the Penn State clothes on our backs down to the 4 dollar coffees we drink is made by hands that aren’t free.
What I’m almost ashamed to admit is the fact that just last semester two students in my speech class did presentations on modern day slavery, and even then, as shocked as I was, I didn’t really make conscious changes in my life to eliminate my slave made products. Sure I may have bought the more expensive coffee, or worn my American Apparel tee shirt, but when it comes down to it, for every one anti-slavery decision I make, I make about 5 more that support slavery.
So what do we do? How do we eliminate the problem? Certainly I don’t know. Slavery’s importance to American society seems rooted in its very existence. We may have abolished slavery here, but there’s still a Wal Mart in every town in America (State College has two!) It’s a vicious cycle, we don’t want to pay more for our products, but we don’t want to support slavery, but the only way to do that is to spend more money… I’ll ponder this conundrum in my American Apparel hoodie, and suggest you all to do the same.
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It’s easy to forget
Slavery is an issue that has haunted America for most of its history, and rightfully so. America was behind the time in ending slavery and even after we were behind on what we claimed were equal rights. Still to this day what we say are equal rights are far from equal. Black people in America still have many disadvantages and many obstacles to overcome. I believe that this is true because of past decisions that have and will take many more years to overcome. When slavery was around in America the idea was the black people where worth less than a white person simply because of the color of their skin and that belief has continued to this day in some places around America and the world. And because of that belief black Americans have had a harder struggle to succeed than many white Americas. And as a white male I believe that all of that is true and unfair.
But whether fair or unfair in my personal life I know that I had no affect on slavery of the enslavement of any person. I have never choose to buy things from companies that use things such as child labor to produce their goods at cheap prices but the fact is I most likely have simply because American companies have always wanted the lowest price and will go to any means to get their prices lower. If imp at fault for buying products made by “modern day salves” then I say America and mostly American businesses are to blame for those decisions.
One opinion I have always had, which I have thought is controversial and maybe even wrong, is that in my 20 years of life I have never surprised any person of any race. Why I say this is because I am always almost offended when a black person talks about slavery and tries to put blame on white people of today. My opinion is that I never asked for slavery and I do not believe in it in any shape or form. But it has been around for as long as human cizilation has been around and as terrible as it was I have no control over the past and I am truly sorry for what was done in the past but I just think that something such as slavery or racism of that time can be held against me because I had nothing to do with it and I would not have anything to do with it.
I hope that one day we can all look past the mistakes we have made and make a better world for every person of every color, black, white, brown, and everything in-between.
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It’s easy to forget that slavery still occurs in our society today. People think since the civil war ended that slavery has just been dissolved. Slavery has just disappeared the public eyes among societies. People living in India, China and many other countries all have individuals who fall to slavery. People think that African Americans are the only people who have been slaves in the past but in reality slavery has been going for centuries all over the world and still does. In some countries families will have more children just so they can sell them off to work seven days a week in factories and labor intensive environments. The children work to help support the family but in reality the more children in each family just results in more poverty. In many other cases individuals will work for companies that enslave the workers without actually owning them. They will be forced to live in certain small housing that the company “provides”. They have to work seven days a week day and night and many times their pay can only be used to pay for the rent and can only buy certain food from the company. These individuals become slaves not having any opportunities to advance their lives so they get stuck in these certain institutions. They take advantage of the fact that some areas are so poor that they have no other option but becoming slaves because no other options are available to them. The companies maximize their profit by paying the slave like workers so little and selling the product for maximum price. These products vary from high-end clothes to cell phones that are sold to other countries like the United States. I know I probably own many things that have been made by slaves in other countries. I don’t like the idea that I’m supporting companies like this but how am I supposed to know what products are slave made or legitimately made. I can’t say that all the things I own made by slaves I would be ok with getting rid of. People are always going to want the cheapest possible product so obviously we are prone to buying the cheaper goods. People don’t really understand why they are getting some things for so cheap but it’s because the people making them are getting paid close to nothing. It’s business mixed with corrupt regulations that I can’t change personally but the world as a whole needs to look more closely at because it’s ridiculous that in such an advance time like 2009 that slavery could still exist.
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I did know that slavery existed a long time ago and I believe is happening right now I just do not see it. I am reading the book disposable people and every thing is just so crazy. I have never thought slavery exists now and that are so much more around the world today than years ago. Since I have this class I have notice that everything is real and that still going on right now we just do not see it here in the United States. I feel bad for all the slaveries from the past and from the ones who still slaveries now. I see all the things and I start thinking about how they work so hard all day and part of the night without stopping. Then we purchase goods that they have manufactured. The girl said that she wont give up her blackberry, I think no one would do it; we do not have to either it is just really sad how they work so hard for others to get so little money or not even “nothing”. If we all stop and think about it every thing in the stores are made by slaves. However, when we there buying things we do not think about it. It will affect me so bad if every time I go to the store and see all the things that they made and how they did it; with all their hard work and sweat. I would not buy anything at all anymore. It is just crazy. I get really upset knowing that we wear things that the slaves made. They all work not because they want to but because they are so force to work without will. I really thought that slavery had ended in the United States. I am thinking about how sometimes us trough away so clothes that we do not wanted any more or just the fact that we do not like it; and we just feel like trough ting it away not thinking about whom it made or things like that. I really have to stop and think about what I do now with all I purchase. I agreed with Sam about hypocritical but I think is not our fault that we are buying things that the slaves are making. I believe we can not do anything about it and if it is something I believe will be the government to do that. The government can help slaves more. I believe for all of us are easier to forget about the topic. But it is so sad. We all know how back then it was really hard life. There were lots of slaves, wars and who knows what else they had to go trough. Slavery has been a major problem for a long time now.
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Modern day slavery does exist, unfortunately. Some people claim that nothing is wrong with current social structures; they say it depends one’s effort to be successful in life or not. Is it really? I don’t think so. It may apply to only certain group of privileged people in the world. Only certain privileged people compete with other privileged people, and that’s it. What I really learned and felt in my 10th grade was that the world is really an unfair place for many innocent people. I lived in one of the Middle East countries when I was in high school. I did not realize the life style can be so different from a country to country, especially from a place where oil is found and not. I lived in Kuwait, bottom of the Iraq, where tons of oil is exported to all over the world. The country was rich and the Kuwaiti people themselves always enjoyed luxurious lives. I travelled a lot, and lived so many different places in my life, but I’ve never been to live any place more ostentatious than oil-producing countries. In contrast to those Kuwaiti lives, the lives of people from developing countries such as Philippines, India or Bangladesh are so different. As soon as we moved to a new place in Kuwait, a girl knocked my house and asked if my family would need a maid. She looked so young and fragile. My mom asked her about her age and nationality, and surprisingly she as as old as I was at that time (16 years old), and from Philippine. I was shocked. I couldn’t believe a girl in my age was looking for a maid position in other family in a foreign world. What is the difference between her and I? We both were born at the same year and have lived same amount of time. It actually does matter where one is born, and under which parents. In this case, it did matter to be born with rich, educated diplomatic parents, or poor parents with low socioeconomic status in a developing country. My mom did not hire her because my mother thought she was too young and she did not want to feel pity whenever she faces a young girl in her daughter’s age. My mother also couldn’t believe the fact that a girl at the same age as her daughter is looking for a job in another country alone, far away from a family. I attended the most expensive private American school in Kuwait and was on the process of high school education, seeking for getting a higher education degree in college, but the girl had to do other people’s house chores to survive and support her family. Are we different? I think we do, the uneducated maid girl cannot live better than educated girl even if that that was nobody’s choice. This is wrong. I actually encountered the modern day slave…It was not fun. I felt guilty for living better than certain people because I knew that I am no better than them. Everything just happened from the birth, though. No one can change their inborn socioeconomic status, if it is high, then one does not have to worry about money, but only cares of his or her well-being; however, if it is low, one must struggle with one’s fate from the beginning of birth until death…
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Modern slavery is something that no one really thinks about, yet it affects so many of us directly. The clothes we wear, the technology we use, most of it is made through slavery. I think it is extremely difficult for us to reconcile these facts. Because let’s face it, we’re not going to give up these things.
I’ve learned in past classes that, there are simply not enough resources in the world for everyone to live like Americans. I think this also feeds into the idea of social Darwinism, survival of the fittest. Most people won’t give up things so that other people can have a better quality of life.
I’m not saying that it’s right, but that’s how it has always been. People are selfish creatures who do not want to give up their quality of life for someone else to live better.
Most people think that slavery ended a long time ago and that people today live freely, but that is not the case at all. In many parts of the world, slavery is still a reality that many people face. In some instances, American corporations facilitate this slavery with cheap labor outsourced to countries where the workers might as well be slaves.
I don’t want people to start hating themselves for owning these things, because let’s face it, who’s going to give up their Blackberry? But people need to be aware of the fact that it still exists when they want to talk about slavery in the past as well as inequalities today.
I think people (and I include myself in this) take for granted a lot of what they have and don’t realize that it still exists today.
What really bothers me is that no one really talks about it, reports on it or even knows that it exists. We are so stuck in our little bubbles that we don’t even think about the plight of those elsewhere.
I just wonder why it isn’t reported on the news. It’s almost as if it’s being completely ignored by the media. I mean I know there are tons of things going on in the world to report on every day, but I think it’s ridiculous that it’s not even mentioned.
Maybe it’s because we don’t want to break that bubble, ruin our perception of our cozy world where everything is fine. I mean, we all want to feel good about ourselves, and knowing that you own clothes that are made by slaves does not make anyone feel great.
I don’t think it’s good for people to ruminate on it and let it ruin their lives, but at the same exact time, it is important to understand that it is happening in the world.
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Many people think that when the Civil War ended, so did slavery. I used to be one of those people. While slavery officially ended in the United States, it has continued and over time once again become embedded in our culture. While we may not see slavery as we once did, as it once existed, it is still ever present in our society. Prior to taking SOC 119 I was one of the many who assumed that slavery had ended. Now, however, I understand that while slavery may not be right in front of our faces, it plays a significant factor in our everyday lives.
Take our cell phones, for example. As Sam said in lecture, there are parts of everyone’s cell phones that are made by slaves. Yet, that is not common knowledge in today’s society. When you are browsing phones in your local Verizon or AT&T store there is no disclaimer revealing to you that parts of your new device may have been made at the expense of someone else. If these factors were to come to public light, I would like to have faith in our society that the manufacturers would then be scrutinized. However, I cannot be fully confident with that statement.
No one wants to believe that we live in a world that promotes and, further, benefits from slavery. This is especially true for people who know that their ancestors were slaves or forced to do things that they did not want to do. I believe this is why we turn a somewhat blind eye to situations such as these. Yes, we all know that living and working conditions in developing nations are not held to the standard that they are in the United States. Most of us can even say that we are aware of major US companies, for example Nike, that take advantage of these places around the world and, to a certain extent, exploit the native works there just on the sole reason that they can. No one wants to work for $2 per day when they can get $5 and no one wants to be a prostitute because they feel they have a debt to repay.
I cannot fully say that I will stop using slave made products. This is namely because I honestly do not know what types of materials are, in fact, made through the use of slavery. However, I do think that if there was a way for me to become aware of these manufactured goods I would honestly do my best to choose the next best alternative. Further, I would like to hope that the same would go for my family, friends, and the community around me. Yet, I know that we, as Americans, have a state of mind that if a problem or a situation is not right in front of our faces, if it does not directly infringe on our safety or our happiness, we tend to look the other way.
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There has always been slavery in the world, and there will continue to be slavery, because people are not going to change their way of life. I am aware that I own clothing and other products that are made by “slaves” in other countries, but sorry to say I am not going to give that up. Slaves all around the world are helping making other people’s lives more luxurious even though they are living with nothing at all. This is because the people in power are trying to produce products at a minimum cost, and slaves provide unlimited labor for almost no cost at all. People are not going to stop buying products that are made by modern day slaves, so we have to find a different way to end modern day slavery. Most people are unaware of the fact that they buy products produced by slaves, so they are not going to change their way of life to end modern day slavery in third world countries. People that know about modern day slavery need to take action, just like the author of “Disposable People”. White people do understand that there is slavery that still exists, but I do not think they will ever be able to relate to slavery like African Americans. Before I started reading “Disposable People”, I can admit I never knew to what extent slavery was at today. I know I am lucky living in the United States since people in Thailand, China, and other countries know about slavery first hand. I also realize as a white person that I have more opportunities just because the color or my skin. Even though racism has come a long way it still exists in this country. Affirmative action is one theory that helps eliminate racism, but I do not agree with hiring someone just to meet a certain quota. Racism and slavery can almost go hand in hand, because all of the slaves are looked at as the lowest person. Let’s face it the world is never going to be perfect because the people in power are not going to just give it up to help benefit other people. To make a difference, the United States needs to start taking a look at the slavery that is happening in other countries. The governments of countries with slaves need to be looked at more carefully to help get rid of slavery. As of now, people are just looking the other way since they are benefitting from slaves either directly or indirectly. Anyways, I do not see modern day slavery changing anytime too because too many people benefit from the products that or services that slaves produce.
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I found the journal entry on slavery to be quite interesting. Obviously slavery is still alive and well in this world, even in today’s day and age. As much as we have advanced and grown as a country, the practice of slavery is sadly still around. I thought it was very interesting in class when Sam was talking about how everyone, even the descendents of slaves, own something today that was made by slaves. Not many people realize that, and I thought it was quite interesting to the see the reactions of people when Sam talked about that particular subject. So now that everyone is more aware of the fact that there is still slavery in the world, what can we do about it? Well, in my opinion, not all that much. American companies, and actually all worldwide companies in general, are always going to look for bigger profits. If bigger profits means exporting jobs to somewhere like China where they can pay people a quarter of the money they’d be paying people elsewhere, then they will do just that. Mainly because the governments in those countries don’t have any laws protecting the work rights of their people. So as long as the governments in those countries continue to ignore the fact that their people are modern day slaves and being treated in less than humane ways, there really is no way to stop this form of modern day slavery. Take Wal-Mart, for example. Everyone loves Wal-Mart because of the awesomely low prices, but not many people think about exactly why the prices are so low there compared to mom-and-pop stores who may charge a little more. They just think, “Oh Wal-Mart always has the cheapest prices around, so I’m going to go there”. The reason Wal-Mart has such low prices is that the pay next to nothing for the labor force because they have factories and manufacturing plants in locations around the world that allow that to happen. So as long as people keep buying their groceries and clothing and other items at Wal-Mart (and places like it), there will really never be an end to modern day slavery. I, myself, prefer to spend a little more money and buy groceries and other items at smaller businesses, because I know that they aren’t exporting jobs and subjecting their workers to inhumane conditions. I’d rather be a patron at a place like that than at Wal-Mart any day. So, the bottom line is, we ourselves can’t do much about modern day slavery, but we can make conscious choices to help out the people and businesses who choose to say no to that horrible practice by shelling out a little more money, but knowing that we have made a small, but positive, difference in the world.
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The truth of the matter is that we live in a world with options, but without money, your choices are quickly confined to one. Buying slave-made and sweatshop clothing is clearly the cheaper option, and not all of us have the luxury of purchasing $30 t-shirts at American Apparel. Also, through my studies as a supply chain major I have learned a lot about manufacturing of clothing, home goods, and a lot of the other things that we as Americans consume on a daily basis. Unbeknownst to many Americans, to have the label “Made in the USA” does not necessarily mean that the all the materials going into a product are produced in an American factory. A lot of the specific components of American made products are actually manufactured in the same lands that host slavery and sweatshops. Why is this you ask? The seller of the “Made in the USA” product that you are paying top dollar for is making more of a profit. Again, the American public is being scammed. On the subject of slaves buying slave made clothes, my feeling of this is that our world is based on hypocrisy, and honestly, how easy is it not to be a hypocrite. My guess is that it is nearly impossible. Some vegetarians eat eggs, religious people do sin, and at the end of the day, living a truly honest life is nearly impossible to achieve. Some people do this however, but the thing about these people is that they forfeit a normal life to do so. Also, one must not forget that African Americans are not the only slaves that we have in our country today. If you are Greek, German, Arab, or Jewish, chances are that your ancestors were once slaves under the Roman Empire. So many of us come from history of slavery, and the fact that slavery exists is a terrible but very apparent truth. It has been happening since people have walked the Earth. To this day, places tucked away in various corners of our planet still possess the prehistoric mindset that human lives can be bought or sold to benefit another human being. A life and its connecting freedom have a price tag on it, and it is something that the world has not come to move beyond. Do I think buying slave made clothing is wrong? Yes. But, I can sit here and say that I most likely will not be able to live a life without slave made clothing and products. Until a shirt that is truly made in America can have a similar price tag as the one that is produced overseas, there is little chance that I will make the conscious decision to buy non-slave made products.
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What is it that makes us forget our past? Why are we all so hypocritical? We are supposed to learn from our past so that we don’t repeat our mistakes. In America, we fought a WAR to end slavery. Yet, here we are, years later, still using and wearing products made by slaves. Since we don’t see it and it doesn’t happen under our eyes, we are blind to it.
I have to say, during that class I was very moved by what Sam was saying. I always heard of mass production in factories and people receiving minimum wage and being mistreated, but I never really thought of them as “slaves”. During the class, I was thinking to myself, I couldn’t believe I was wearing something that was made by a person who is a slave. I can’t believe I would be a supporter of that. What did I do though? Probably the same thing the other 750 students in the class did, NOTHING. Of course I remember the lecture, but did I think about it afterward? No. I sat back and did nothing. During the class I was probably texting on my cell phone too. I am a hypocrite and I think the majority of the people in the class are. I would like to think that if my ancestor were a slave it would hit more close to home, but I probably still wouldn’t do anything. It is sad that I am too wrapped up in my own life to talk to my roommates about the issue after class and spread the word. That would have been easy for me to do. Instead, it was easier for me to forget.
When I sat down to write this journal, I was thinking what could even do to change this. Sure, it is sad; but what can I do about it? The thing is I am one person and the majority of slavery is in countries far away from me. It is not like I can go over there. It is not like I know who is making my clothes or my phone. Am I supposed to stop using them all together? However, after I thought about it more, I realized there is something I can do. Instead of jet setting out to save the world, I can start with me. If I increase my awareness about slavery that exists today, I am improving myself and opening my eyes to the world. By bettering myself, hopefully I can increase awareness among my roommates or my parents. Hopefully, then they can talk about the issue to the people around them.
Thinking about this issue and how I could help has also made me think of how I react to this class in general. I don’t think that I could make a huge difference by taking this class. However, by spreading the information I learn to others while I am in this class and by opening my perspective of the world and race relations, I think I am bettering myself and slowly making more people aware. I think that awareness is the key to everything. It is way too easy for people to turn a blind eye to issues like race and slavery and completely disregard it.
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As a young Jewish male, I have only a basic understanding of slavery. Yes, you can say my people were once enslaved thousands of years ago, and even enslaved in the concentration camps during the Holocaust, but I, myself, have never lived in slavery. I have not lived in a time, or in a place where I have witnessed slavery personally. For African Americans they have a much greater understanding. Even an African American equal in age to myself, who grew up in the same neighborhood, or even went to the same high school, has a better understanding than I. It is simply because their ancestors have been slaves, and have passed down the stories. So, African American children have been passed down, through their families, the stories of slavery; how they were treated, and what things were done to them. The current African Africans are only one century away from this prejudice time. This means, that if things hadn’t unfolded as they did, they might still be slaves today. One century seems like a long time, but in proportion to all time, it is infinitely small.
Now, when slavery has been abolished in the United States, which is home to millions of African Americans, there still exist slavery in other parts of the world. Not necessarily African Americans, but people of all sorts of backgrounds are captured, drugged, and released into a black market of slave trade. In certain regions of the world this industry thrives, and it is truly scary to think that after all the progress that has been made with slavery in some countries, is not completely erased. In the modern world, in distinct regions, people are sold just as animals, and goods are sold. Ok, well Sfrican Americans living in the United States purchases goods, which have been made by slaves, on a daily basis. Most of them are unaware of the nature of how the good was made, and who actually made it, but it actually makes no difference if they know, or not. As Sam said, Blacks who know that their products are produced by slaves in other areas of the world, would still not be swayed from using it, or even buying more of that product. They would not be willing to boycott a product, even though the priduct was made by a source of slavery. Weren’t their recent ancestors prejudiced, and whipped on the fields of the south? Yes, they were hung, and beaten daily. So why is it that an African American girl with a blackberry would continue to use her phone if she knew that it was directly related to slavery? The answer is simply because she is not seeing the actually crimes be committed. She is reaping the benefits of the product. Maybe if she saw children in china, Eastern Europe, or anywhere being beaten or killed to make her phone, she would not use it. But because she really only gets word of this, she is not fully invested in her perception of it.
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Slavery is a form of forced labor in which people are considered to be, or treated as, the property of others. A lot of people do not imagine that slavery still existing in the world today. I declare myself as one of those people. I thought that slave was ended long time ago. But we need to see that slave is everywhere in the world. The food that we eat, the clothes that we wear are made by slaves. It is very sad to know that people are working without payment or just 2 dollars or less for a day. Slavery is not a think of the past. Many people assumed that it ended in the 20th century. But the real reality is that still exists in many forms by human or sex trafficking, or bonded or force labor. It is worldwide including the United States. But it is taking more actions in places such Sudan, India, Africa, etc. This is a new form of modern slavery. Reading the book “Disposable People” that is a very interesting book we can see the different forms of slavery. We can compare the old form of slavery and the new form of slavery. For example, the prostitution in Taiwan, the hard labor in Brazil, and child hard labor in India. I learned many things that I did not know before about slavery. A lot of slavery is taking place by contract or debt bondage most of them by debt bondage. The debt bondage is a loan that slaves are force to pay off doing hard labor. Slaveholders force those people to work hard if they want to pay their loan and they cannot leave if they do not pay their loans. Then they sign debt bondage that they should pay before leaving their job. They are force to stay as slaves because they need to pay their debt if they do not pay their debt it would be impossible to find a job in the future. Also, a lot of slaveholders deceive telling that they go to work to send money to their family. They do not explain the working conditions and when they arrive to work they discover that everything was a lie. We only need to think and imagine the hard situations that those people need confront. I was feeling very sad when I started to read this story about slavery in the world today. Slaveholders switch slaves, they treat them has nothing as their property. As Dr. Sam says we all wear or use products that are made by slaves. For example, the parts of the cell phones that are made by salves. And we do not think about this. For these reasons we have to think before open our mouth.
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It’s Easy to Forget
We forget the things that we think that not are important for us. Today slavery is one of these things that we forget about it. The word slavery is defining for me lake a big problem that the government does not want to show that today it is happening. The most popular people of color is the most popular to be a slavery. The slaveries do not have right or chase to soy what they think or want. The white people are defined the people that affect the slavery today. Another thing it is that white people make discrimination to slavery with color is particular African Americans (black people). The black slavery make the same work the white people make but they do not receive the same payment that white people have. Slaveries have to pay many things for their families but they do not gain the good payment the important thing that they have to pay. African American just what to obtain the Americans Dreams, but it is impossible because white people didn’t give an opportunity.
Most of the people think that do not contribute to make the “new slavery” but we keep these slavery when we use the clothes that are making for slaveries. All material that we use is making for one person that is slavery. We can forget many things about the slaveries but the slaveries never ended. The world has many different types of slavery but the people didn’t know that slaveries are trade with violence. Much slavery has to resist everything because if they say what they think that boss beat them. We just buy all the things that we want dose matter how much cost but we didn’t know how much the slavery win for this clothes.
I think that slavery needs to be end because any people have to be slavery for someone that have more power then others. I know that maybe some of my clothes are make for slavery but I cannot approve that many people use others to makes then more rich. I neither think that nor fear because we need to make the own work to have all the things that we want. We can change the world for much slavery that face violence but today in the world all people prefer to close the eyes and do not see what the reality is. The people forget that some of their ancestries had been slaveries so they do many bad things to make more hard the slaveries life. In my opinion all people do not need to forget the entire real thing that has happen in the world because slavery is a small word but has much big definition that affect many people but some can help this people.
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Even though I am not of African American decent, I can relate to this because I myself have products that are made by slaves. I think that it is really sad that we do not realize or think about this often. Whenever we are buying something, we don’t even think the fact that some of the components are made by slaves. I feel guilty after knowing that I have products made slaves. In fact, I never really thought about this up until this class. I find it very interesting but at the same time it is really sad to know about this. The reason why I feel guilty now, is because the more products I buy the more I am helping slave holders enslave more people. I truly believe that this is not going to change at all. Just because some products are made slaves does not mean I am going to stop buying them. Yes, it sounds terrible that I will not stop buying slave made products, but who is going to stop buying them. I honestly believe that it is not just me the one who is not willing to not buy slave made products, I think that society as whole will not stop buying them products.
I think that there should exist some other ways towards ending slavery. Because if we are depending on the people to not purchase slave made products, that is obviously not going to happen at all. It is like saying there will always be peace in the world. People will not give up their luxurious lives just for the fact that they’re contributing to increase slavery or support slavery. Even though people are not conscious that the item might contain slave made parts at the time of purchase, after reading an article like the one I read, it opens people’s eyes and makes them aware of the true reality. This in fact, however, may not change their habits of buying slave made items. Therefore, slavery will not end at all. If we stop buying slave made products than we will not have anything at all.
Though, I think we should be very thankful for the luxurious lives that what we have. Not many people, like us, Americans, have the privilege to own so many great things but sadly enough they are made by slaves. I feel very sorry and guilty for buying many things that have been made by slaves but this is not going to stop me from buying more products made from slaves. It makes me feel bad, but it is stuff that I need. So, I rather feel guilty and sorry than not having what I truly need. Yes, it sounds horrible but I believe this is the reality. What makes me feel good is that it is not only me the one not giving up the stuff I own, most people, if not all, would not give up the stuff they own either.
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I am embarrassed to admit this, but until I heard about this topic in class I had no idea there were modern day slaves. I actually thought slavery was completely abolished decades ago. I have heard about sweatshop problems and a little about the problems with Walmart but I didn’t realize the extent of this issue. The stories and statistics that I have heard and read in these last couple of months are mind-boggling. I can’t help but ask, why did I not know about this? Was it me? Do I just live in my own little bubble and if it doesn’t affect me directly or right in front of my face do I not know about it? Is it not in the media or have I just not seen it? Are there many other people like me that have no idea this are going on? I have to believe that there are many other people, like me, that had no idea there was such a thing as modern day slavery. If everyone doesn’t know about it, how can we expect any change?
I was under the assumption that we were the home of the free. And although conditions may be bad in other countries the idea of slavery seemed like a ridiculous thing that was abolished year and years ago. Then I also have to realize that there are also people that know about this problem and simply don’t care. With all the problems that Walmart has regarding its employees and the way they obtain their products and are able to sell them at such low prices, people don’t care. To many consumers, if it’s cheaper the reason behind it doesn’t matter. We are in a recession and to many consumers the financial reasons are more important than their moral reason to boycott Walmart. If you had to choose between money problems that affect you and you’re loved ones or boycotting Walmart to help slaves that you don’t even know, many choose themselves. Is that selfish or survival? Even if we know about these problems, it is easy to put it aside because times are tough and there is no recognizable face to the problem. If my little sister were one of the children being abused to make cheaper products I wouldn’t think twice about boycotting. But a stranger doesn’t come close to home when I have other problems that I see as more immediate.
I like to think that things will get better when the economy gets better. And although it doesn’t make it right, I can’t blame anyone for choosing themselves over strangers. We are facing hard times and as they say, it’s every man for themselves. When the economy gets better hopefully people will choose moral values over financial worries.
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In response to the post entitled “It’s Easy to Forget” Sam stated that after slavery was abolished all former slaves were free to climb the mobility ladder due to the fact that they are now, under United States Constitutional law, free citizens of the nation. However, it is true that they are all indeed “free” to do so; it is unlikely that they will be able to do so due to obvious restraints. The “stair race” example in class proves this theory. The white individual was placed higher up the step than the minority individuals because in general he has a much better chance of making it to the top, not necessarily because of his privileges, but their restraints as well. When you break it down, this class had none of the necessary tools to begin to climb the ladder of opportunity. Slaves were not educated, or if they were it was limited, which is a huge step in the wrong direction. For a chance at bettering your life, even in our world today starts with education. One needs specific tools to be successful in a higher paying job. Even today it isn’t even about the skills, it’s about the degree, which, going back to my previous statement requires education. Also, they had little or no money to start out with, so often times they went back to slave like jobs with little pay.
Racism and discrimination clearly have their strongest roots from slavery. Overall I believe African Americans even in today, still have a large chip on their shoulder toward the situation, and they have a right to. Slavery ruined lives of generations of African Americans, and they had no foundation to build off which means that it will take a large amount of time until the race in general truly gets to their feet in a sense. It wasn’t like they were automatically accepted by society after the civil war either; it took decades for complete equality. Jim Crow laws, which coined the saying “separate but equal” did not disappear until the civil rights era.
In the film clip from class, Sam talked about everyone owning objects that were made by slaves. In the book we were required to read “Disposable People” it discusses how slavery still exists all over the world today, just in different forms. Debt Bondage is slavery under another name, in which the owner, which usually goes by a different name, holds individuals with an unpayable debt. This problem is much more prevalent that most know, myself included prior to reading this book. Being white, and never seeing slavery first hand I still feel uneasy about talking about slavery. It truly is inhumane and needs to be put an end too, but after reading “Disposable People” I know understand this problem is far from being stopped.
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