The US state department keeps track of what countries use prison labor, and many activists do so as well. For my part I doubt few if any inmates need to be in prison, but that is for another day. The fact is prison labor has long been a part of the USA economy. I recall getting a letter in the 1990s from Nordstrom telling me to be careful to never use goods made by prison labor overseas. This struck me as odd, since Nordstrom was selling Prison Blues jeans, made by Oregon State prisoners.
It is bad when other countries do it, but good when we do it. Wars, torture, bailouts, assassinations, terrorism. I think it is bad no matter who does it.
The US Constitution was written in a way that assumed slavery would disappear in USA eventually. The war between the states was in some ways, about slavery. When the war was over, congress made slavery a permanent part of the US Constitution. Few people realize this. It is very short.
Text of the 13th Amendment
Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Now try to read that without comprehending that slavery was made a permanent part of the USA polity. The only change is whereas slavery before was in private hands, now it was in government hands. Just as in time schools, banks, housing, medicine, food etc was in private hands, it is not largely in government hands.
Now you may say "Well, no, the government never really turned anyone into slaves." Hmmm... what about prison labor to benefit the state? And what about Parchman Farms? Former slaves who ended up there called is "worse than slavery."
This system is falling apart worldwide, as well it should. The question is what will come next. The one thing one can do is to re-learn the basic human action of trade. We are going to need to rebuild the world.
1 comments:
Our Government does the same with UNICOR ... Using prison labor, Unicor manufactures furniture, uniforms, wiring harnesses for aircraft, and military vehicles, and a host of other products. Prisoners are paid 30 to 35 cents an hour. Prisoners can then spend the money to buy commissary items. The major (or only) company supplying commissary items to the prisons is Keefe Foods. A interesting point is who, or whom, owns Keefe Foods. It is a private held company!
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