'Star Wars' and Slavery: A Quandary Awakens

I can recall a time when certain raw units that appeared to be quite disparate were gathered, brought together, and hand-shaped by wise professionals of the art of making these units fit together and respond to written and vocal codes such that they responded identically to the instructions issued.

Initially they were prepared by giving them an individual rough sizing treatment whereby their appearance and actions were made to respond to vocal codes such that their self-maintained appearance and movements were identical. Then they were assembled into larger and larger groupings such that large masses could be fune-tuned into maneuverability by vocal, visible, or radio-transmitted signals such that the groups could be moved from Point A to Point B without losing coherence and integrity.

Periodically, their performance in larger grouping in passing before a certain point where highly skilled inspectors reviewed the precision and replication of appearance, responses to codes, and complex regulation. As many as four or five hundred individuals could execute the commands of a single voice, the whole mass acting as one. They could be regulated and caused to change shape and direction by audio tones issuing from musical instruments, or by visible signals issued by bits o cloth attached to long poles.

Typical individual members of the assembly were trained to acknowledge the receipt of instructions by feed-back responses like "Sir, yes sir!" or "Negative, Sergeant" or "Roger. Over and out, Captain!" Someimes a positive assent was "OO-rah!"

Whole large blocs were brought into compliance by issuing codes like "BAT-tal-YUN, AT-teeehn-SHUN!" or "Raahht HAYCE!" and "For-rard HAHRCH!" Cettain movements were interpreted at the sub-unit level, so the whole mass seen to move coherently, with a common understanding. These instructions would be smartly executed, at the command of ONE VOICE audible over three or four hundred feet, uninterrupted by any other sound, until a signal like "To The Colors" followed by regular beats and frequencies were issued by an assembly of units performing complex audible sounds, resulting in time-regulated synchronizing of the whole unit. Commands to perform such maneuvers as "Troop the Colors" reviewing the individual sub-units could be issued, followed by an exact, precise, expected result took place.

After the commands like "Parade, REST" followed by "STAn-dat HEEEZE!" and "Smoke, if you've got 'em" unregulated motions of individual elements would be permitted. After "Companee AT-ten- SHUN" and "FALL OUT!" the elements could engage in an even greater range of unregulated behavior within a range of activity not proscribed by general or local regulations.

But this unregulated activity could be abandoned in an instant by issuing instructions calling the assemblyto order.

After being found to conform to accepted behavioral standards, each of these trained individual elements was marked as "Government Issue," or "GI," and assigned to specific tasks anywhere in the world, executing them according to precise rules and regulations. Recognition of close compliance to the will of superiors might earn a spoken confirmation such as "Well done, Airman" or some written commendation in the DA201 Personnel file jacket. Superior responses might be commented on orally by such an observation as, "Outstanding, Marine!"; a reward diligently sought for the proactive carrying out of one's orders, with initiative and resourcefulness benefitting the whole unit or Service branch.

This is not slavery. It is performance according to specifications, otherwise defined as "quality."

Unfortunately, many untrained and uninformed social elements steeped in non-conformist behavior see this as detrimental to their ideals of personal independence and relief from the limitations of accountability, and therefore to be avoided. They think the ability to accept and carry out orders is a form of being obsequious and slavish, a process of dehumanizing its participans.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.