[Bryanw92]

Not really. Slavery was abolished, but the concept of enslaving one person in the service of another continues. When I am forced at gunpoint (because all tax laws ultimately come down to a squad of jack-booted thugs aiming their German SMGs at the person that refuses to pay) to hand over a signficant portion of my earnings to the government so that the money can be given to people that didn’t work for it, that’s slavery.

When this is mentioned, someone always makes the argument that taxes are voluntary because I could choose to earn less than the threshold for paying taxes, but that is not an option for most people.

At least the southern plantation owners had some stake in the health of their slaves. After all, they paid for them, housed them, fed them. The modern-day plantation owner (the government and welfare class) think of their tax-slaves as disposable property.

Slavery is evil, but it far from over.

[allmost]

I understand and agree with the reality that lesser forms, and the implied form here, of slavery exist today. I view the oppression as evil. Concerning this thread. Much of slavery discussed was a result of warfare and debt. The biblical reality of enslavement to prevent future attacks and debtor’s prison and imprisonment has, thankfully, been rendered (in most cases) unnecessary. Times have changed. If we abide by the biblical rules of enslavement for debt, we would all be slaves in this country. How much do we Americans owe per household? Over a half million.

[Freepmanchew]

Is slavery evil? Or is it the people who are evil. The bible points out that there are times when a person will want to be a slave of a good owner. How can an entity of employment be in itself evil?

We look at labor as something we sell for goods returned, in modern society that is money, but throughout history men have swapped their labor for goods. l

Have you ever read the story of Ben Hur? There is precedence for benevolent slavery, or else God would not allow for those who wanted to be owned by a good person.

[AuntB]

“At least the southern plantation owners had some stake in the health of their slaves. After all, they paid for them, housed them, fed them. The modern-day plantation owner (the government and welfare class) think of their tax-slaves as disposable property.

Slavery is evil, but it far from over.”

Good point!