On my way home from work, I heard this conversation on the BBC World Service with Kevin Bales, lead author of a report that finds 36 million human beings are slaves:
[Bales]: Slavery today is what it's always been. It's about the complete control of one person by another, violence being used to maintain that control, and that control aiding and abetting in the economic exploitation of that person. It's very interesting that—
[Tim Franks, BBC]: And not just economic, you also talk about sexual exploitation as well.
[Bales]: Well indeed. Interestingly, a lot of people today believe that there's something called sex trafficking, which is trafficking into sexual exploitation, and then they think that there's everything else. But one of the things that's important to know about slavery today is that every woman in slavery, whether she's in a factory or on a farm or in a domestic service is going to be sexually assaulted. It's almost a given.
[Franks]: That's an extraordinary thing to say. Extraordinary and depressing.
[Bales]: It is depressing.
[Franks]: But the Venn diagrams, they overlap that much?
[Bales]: Absolutely do. In fact it's rare to find woman who's been enslaved, in whatever form of slavery—debt bondage, you name it—who hasn't been sexually assaulted. It's about that power that men, criminals, have over women who have been enslaved [Kevin Bales, interviewed by Tim Franks, "Report Uncovers 36 Million People Living as Slaves," BBC World Service, 2014.11.17].
Naturally, I think of our Congresswoman Kristi Noem, who has set human trafficking among the jewels in her campaign crown. Even the Pierre paper recognized that opposing slavery isn't exactly a difficult, distinguishing position.
Saying slavery is bad is easy. Spending the money to stop this crime against humanity is the real challenge.
There are a lot of ways to combat this, and in some ways one of the most important that we rather wish in the Walk Free Foundation would move a little faster rests on the fact that every government in the world has passed a law against slavery, but really no government in the world has sufficiently invested in enforcing that law. We estimate that to eradicate slavery or to take it down to a point where it's so rare that it's just amazingly rare would cost about $20 billion over a period of about 20 years. But at the present moment, if you add up everything all governments are spending, it comes to about $250 million. We're low. It's quite simply low [Bales, 2014.11.17].
$20 billion? The U.S. Army has that much in its couch cushions.
Rep. Noem has voted to spend more money on grants to victims of human trafficking. Much of her legislative action, however, has focused on ordering reviews and rules, not more money.
Bales doesn't specify how governments ought to spend that $20 billion, but let's grant his expertise and his price tag. Let's say $20 billion would free millions of people from slavery.
Would we even need to debate? We'd hand the State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons $20 billion (right now they get $20 million) and say, "Free the slaves, now!" We could pay $9 billion of that bill by getting rid of subsidies for crop insurance (come on, Kristi: is crop insurance really more important than freeing those women and children you like speechifying about?) We could eliminate corporate tax loopholes and use the $150 billion to free every slave in the world and buy them groceries for a year.
Or we could just raise taxes, say $20 per capita, and tell the world, "Here's $6 billion to end slavery—who's with us?"
$20 a head, a little global cooperation, and we free tens of millions of people from slavery. Rep. Noem, why don't we do that?
Kristi is tweeting about appearing on Faux News to talk repealing Obamacare...because and the right to make your own health care decisions.
So much in just a short tweet...She might be talking about women in South Dakota forfeiting that right...or maybe it's the insurance company death panels...or...oh good grief!
Not sure how any amount of money could end slavery without some kind of plan, Tailored to each different culture/ society/nation. In many places slavery is indistinguishable from matrimony. The institution is so deeply entrenched in some cultures just throwing money at it won't solve it. Have you already forgotten the result of legal efforts to liberate the women of the FLDS? The women went back. They didn't want to be released from what the rest of us view with horror.
http://interested-party.blogspot.com/2014/08/poll-slavery-bigger-ethical-misjudgment.html
http://interested-party.blogspot.com/2014/05/bouie-coates-case-for-reparations-not.html
". . . every woman in slavery, whether she's in a factory or on a farm or in a domestic service is going to be sexually assaulted."
I dearly wish that was a lie. In fact, sexual assault of women is on the rise.
Ms. Beal, it's not that women, or anyone else, enjoys being a slave. Slavery is not only about physical control. Psychological control is very important. Victims of slavery are utterly dependent upon their captors for their very lives. Pain and terror are powerful controlling tools.
"They didn't want to be released," is a very ignorant and simplistic comment. And it's wrong.
It gets real simple real quick. There won't be any money wasted on ending slavery beacause the koch bros have greater needs.
Sounds like wingnut women,Ms Beal. Get behind that man of yours and cater to his every whim. gawd demands that you be subservient. You are his to do as he pleases. Your job is to nurture his offspring and not question his decisions.
If you don't believe this,you haven't been paying attention. Evidence is all around you if you'd only seek.
"""very ignorant and simplistic comment. And it's wrong.""". As a minister, you have an odd way of influencing folks, Deb. How about a very uninformed and simplistic comment?
Very sexist comment, mfi. No apology is expected from you.
It is an uniformed and simplistic comment Les. I don't understand your comment. Do you disagree?
Those were not your words, Deg. "Ignorant and simplistic" to a woman who possibly has a reason to be uninformed and simplistic with her statement. Judgement is not ours.
Les, I wasn't making a judgment. My words are an observation, a statement about the nature of that part of her comment. That's not the same as making a judgment about the worth, value, or intelligence of the speaker. Therected is an important difference and it was intentional on my part.
There is an
Don't know what happened there.
Look in the days ahead for Kristi to join Mike and John in attacking a President who would use an executive order to affect immigration law...spoiler alert...it won't be Reagan or GHW Bush.
The GOP, perfecting hypocrisy everyday?
If the state media doesn't point this out to them, they should resign and let Denise take their spot.
Alright, let's just say that Kristi Noem gave you every cent you ask for to free slaves across the world. Would it solve the problem? No it would not. In fact, because of the law of unintended consequences, it might embolden the human-traffickers to kidnap more innocents so they could collect greater reward for their heinous acts.
Throwing money at a problem doesn't always work. The government has a problem realizing this.
The real way to solve some of the modern day slave problem is to show the world that it is morally wrong and inexcusable to accept this type of behavior in addition to using money to free who we can.
Mike B, I appreciate your comment. And I have a question:
How will you get those complicit in slavery to recognize that it is "morally wrong and inexcusable"?
Boko Haram has kidnapped hundreds of girls. What would you have done to change their behavior? Or all the slave keepers in the US? There are fine, upstanding, white, Christian Americans who have slaves. What can be done to convince them to repent, turn themselves in, and change their criminal behavior? Or the American businessmen who are sex tourists, especially in Southeast Asia?
Mike B, I'm not trying to jump on you, but I am trying to illustrate that your answer is not an effective one. Investigating and prosecuting the criminals who perpetrate sex trafficking costs money, especially given what are often trans border acts.
The Role of the Christian Women in the Family, Church and Society
By: Rev. Larry D. Ellis
Many Christians, both women and men, believe very fervently that, while husbands should certainly love their wives as Christ loves the church and gave himself for it, God has divinely appointed the husband to be the one who makes the final decision in matters within the family. Many of these men would seek the advice of their wives, especially if the husband was not well informed on the issue. However, should the husband and wife disagree, he would make the decision and his wife should gratefully submit to his God-appointed decision-making authority. They say that the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. The wife receives the benefit of the husband's oversight and spiritual protection. If a woman remains single, this role is to be provided by her father or some other older married male. This is believed to be the God-ordained authority structure for the family.
Les,I guess gawd is sexist,too.
You aren't God, Lar. Get over it.
true dat, les; but living with her has its perks.
Mike B-how can we expect third world citizens to have our "moral system" when wingnuts in America don't have a clue what a moral is?
Watch this knucklehead get all sweaty when asked a simple question. This is how to do it and then you can expect this kind of cowardice. Democrats get in trouble for answering questions honestly, republicans blather bullshit on top of bullshit. Laugh of today without much humor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psgl0M0wD3A#t=124
Hahahahahahahaha! Larry, that was excellent!
" How will you get those complicit in slavery to recognize that it is "morally wrong and inexcusable?"
Deb, thats a good question. Unfortunately $20,000,000,000 wont fix it. Force will be the only thing to promote change.
If you cant get those people around the damn slavers to make a show of force, no matter how you spend that money would be a waste.
Those people that have slaves will continue to have slaves until those around them force change. Lets face it, what we consider immoral, those people see as a right protected by the attitudes of their neighbors. One only needs look at our country's history to see how wide the canyon was separating those that believed in slavery to those who thought it was morally reprehensible.
Now consider this. The number of slave owners before the civil war in this country, pales in comparison to the number of human owners world wide today. Some who delt in slaves then have the same names as those that are still dealing slaves today.
Sexual slavery in the US could be stopped in its tracks if the people wanted it stopped. You pass a law that moves those in the biz right on to the list of those on death row.
I know what most of you think of the death penalty, but unless the punishment fits the crime, the possession of a human being, the risk will never be high enough.
Unless you have a really great plan, dont start asking for money. Unless your ready to take a life to save a soul you are starting a fools errand with no chance for success.
The Blindman
Blindman, although I usually with your positions, your death penalty argument appears to be based on an incorrect premise, namely that there is some correlation, and deterrent effect, between capital punishment and the commission of serious crimes. Apparently, 88% of criminologists believe there is no such deterrent effect.
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/study-88-criminologists-do-not-believe-death-penalty-effective-deterrent
Studies of homicide rates in countries with and without the death penalty suggest that the countries with the death penalty have homicides committed at about the same rate as countries without the death penalty, although many of the latter countries with no death penalty often have somewhat lower homicide rates.
https://fullfact.org/blog/death_penalty_homicide_rates-2905
While the second study concludes: "Our calculations suggest there isn’t enough proof that capital punishment is or isn’t an effective deterrent to murder," this statistical analysis seems to indicate that using the death penalty to deter human slavery and trafficking may be wishful thinking rather than actually working to end or reduce such crimes.
BCB I respect what your studies have to say. I also know that people in prison, learn to do the darndest things from lifers who will never again see the light of day. Why would we want to provide a place for a slave owner to teach his crap?
I have a friend that graduated from the federal prison system. One of the prisons he served at had the nickname of "Meth University," because there were so many teachers in the art of cooking meth.
But i could be wrong. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=d-J8_oXmWpo
And thats the way it is Thursday November 20th 2014.
The Blindman
when prison statistics, costs, crimes and prosecutions are tallied, we are spending phenomenal amounts to warehouse humans with disabilities and illness, exposing them to inhumane conditions. our criminal justice systems may amount to nothing more than sheer stupidity couched on fears of the public. at the appropriate time we should discuss this. Daugaard ran on such a criminal justice "reform" that is likely only a paper tiger.
of course the civil justice system serves those who can pay, and SCOTUS appears to be no more than career unelected politicians with black robes according to recent and other news reporting and opinion pieces previously cited.
Blindman, Nice Tim Wilson link. I did not know that he died earlier this year - that is a loss of some great humor. That also is the second time this year I learned that another musician I admired had recently died - Bob Brozman, the National Guitar genius.
Prison is a unique educational institution. I had a relative who learned to brew hooch in his jail toilet. I had another friend who went in on a vehicular homicide charge and turned his life around. He spent hours upon hours talking to high school kids about his crime, drunk driving, and the stupidity of wrecking lives. I suppose there are all sorts of possibilities for deeper evil as well as rehabilitation, so I cannot support the death sentence based on either a deterrence theory or fear of what a prisoner might or might not do with his life in prison. That basically leaves retribution.
I recall a case in which Justice Scalia argued the retribution justification where the prisoner confessed to raping and killing an 11 year old child by stuffing her bloody panties in her mouth and suffocating her. Scalia chided those judges who argued the guy should not be killed, but given a new trial. Trouble is, later DNA evidence completely exonerated the prisoner, Henry Lee McCollum, which would not have been possible had the state killed him. By the way, the confession was obtained when McCollum was a teenager with an IQ of less than 70, and police lied to him and basically tricked him into confessing to a crime he did not commit by telling him he could go home if he confessed.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/09/03/1326746/-Scalia-cited-now-exonerated-man-as-reason-to-support-the-death-penalty
That also makes retribution a questionable justification in my mind for imposing a death penalty.
I'm not a fan of capital punishment, bcb. But. My niece lost her 5 year old Sascha and a 4 year old friend in a daycare fire started by the meth head operator. It's a hard one to figure. Does she deserve less punishment than the monster who raped and suffocated the little gal?
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I visited with a friend Larry about a child we are advocating for against his meth mother. I know all about this Les, he said, I met my four month old grandson at his funeral when we passed him around. His daughter a meth addict is now going to prison for two years, ten years after the death.
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This is just getting to simple with DD's turn them loose plan. I'm starting to think cap punishment could be the more reasonable way out of this mess.
Les, The cases you describe are really tragic and I offer my condolences for the losses experienced by you and your family and friends.
The desire for justifiable revenge in such cases is certainly understandable. I fear that obtaining that revenge may not be as helpful as we might hope, since revenge does not bring a loved one back nor could revenge cure the pain of missing that loved one. Indeed, for many people, the feeling of responsibility for a revenge killing can add even deeper psychological pain to the suffering, especially if there are any lingering questions about the guilt of the person executed, or about the pain caused to the family of that person by the execution.
BCB is right about the detrimental effects of searching for revenge. In my experiences with families, the non-revenge seekers seem to recover and move on more successfully than others.
Some things can never be made right. Some things can never be made sense of. I know that you know this, most people know this. But when people are submerged in grief, rage, shock and pain, their brains don't function as well as in normal circumstances. The goal of terrible grieving is not to fix a terrible wrong. The Purpose of grieving is to recover functioning.
Even people who undertake some type of lifetime crusade in an effort to "make sense" of a tragedy, aren't always doing the best thing for themselves. It depends on what their cause is and what part it plays in their lives.
In my opinion, Grief is probably the most difficult things a human being ever experiences. It's universally dreaded. Its also a universally human experience. The better we can learn to get through it, the better our lives are.
End of sermon.