150 years ago, some humans were property. Chattel slavery. As valuable commodities, their owners fed them, housed them, and kept them as healthy and productive as possible. A hard economic system to defend, still – at the time, some people thought that slavery was a decent system for people who might not make it in life on their own. But not everyone approved it – who wants to be a slave to the land owners? Many opposed such a thing (i.e. abolitionists).
In other areas of the country, there was no chattel slavery. But some humans worked in factories for low wages. They were not valuable. New immigrants arrived every day, and workers were easy to find, easy to replace. Factory owners didn’t feed people, didn’t house them, didn’t care if they got sick or old. Workers ended up in the streets when they weren’t productive. Women might become prostitutes. It was an economic system based on freedom, and it has generally been respected because people made their own choices. But not everyone approved it – some people called it wage slavery; who wants to be a slave to a business owner? Many opposed it (i.e. socialists).
In the south, they didn’t like wage slaves.
In the north, they didn’t like chattel slaves.
What do we have today? The government feeds people, houses people, takes care of sick people and old people. If you work, the government claims ownership of your wages – they let you keep some, but they decide how much that might be. Many workers are not valuable: new immigrants arrive every day, and workers are often easy to find, easy to replace.
What we have today combines some of the worse aspects of wage slavery and chattel slavery. We are slaves to the government. And many do not even see it. They think the term might be overblown. I don’t think it is. We are owned. We are not free. And people think it’s great and that we need more of it. “Just give me free sh—!”
Whether north or south, most people today are serfs working for the political class in one way or another.
If the government got out of the way, we would be a lot better off and we could make this country great again. We could be free. Right now, we are slaves in need of liberation.
Roger that. Little “independence” in today’s USA. We’ve gone way outside the lines the founders intended to limit govt infringement on our, what used to be called, liberties. But, I heard a quote from Carlos Mancia(sp) the comedian, “Even on our worst day, the US is still the best place in the world.” I may have gotten a little of it wrong but if you’ve ever spent any time outside CONUS, you know that some places might be okay for a short period but in the long run.......not so much.
“We are slaves to the government. And many do not even see it. They think the term might be overblown. I don’t think it is. We are owned. We are not free.”
I think many unassimilated minorities have viewed things this was for decades, and now young people are doing the same; it is much more obvious now with the ObamaCare ruling (changing the relationship between the state and citizen with forced purchasing of health insurance) and the reduced opportunities/decreased economic mobility.