Rendering Unto Caesar: Slavery 101
Science and philosophy teach us that if we want to understand something we must look past the surface phenomena to find an underlying cause or essence. The Sun appears to move across the sky, but this is actually a manifestation of the movement of the Earth. What we see misleads us into drawing a false conclusion. When an institution depends on the false conclusion, the truth poses a threat to the integrity of the institution.
One such institution is that of chattel slavery where a class of people are forced against their wills to serve another class of people. This peculiar institution uses a very specific type of property relationship. The servants are the property of those they serve as if they were mere beasts of burden. The relationship demands that the owners disrespect the wills of their servants. Furthermore the servants are forced to pretend that they respect the owners. Showing respect is more important that experiencing respect.
Looking at the surface of this political and economic system one might see the material poverty of the servants and the opulence of the owners. One might see the agony of the servants as they are abused by the owning class and its hired help. One might see the whip, the shackles and the chains that are used in this brutal venture. Without these phenomena one might conclude that slavery has been abolished. A deeper look at the essence of the institution is required in order to determine the effectiveness of abolition.
Is there still a class of property owners who disrespect those who serve them? Is there still a class of people who feel compelled to show respect for another class of despicable people? When coercion replaces force does it really improve matters? Does the life and death of a child of property owners matter more than the life and death of the child of those without property?
Here in San Francisco the Sheriff's department is trying to fend off a law suit in Federal court by a man who was brutally mistreated by a deputy. The event was captured in a video recording. By the description there was no way that the deputy could claim self-defense. This is the kind of treatment that might be expected at the hands of a slave plantation employee. The perpetrator would have gotten a slap on the wrist for a crime that would have put the average Joe behind bars, but the previous Sheriff pulled the plug on the wrist slap. The city's attorney seems to be more interested in conserving the taxpayers' money than he is in seeing justice done.
Links: Chris Roberts on the Darrell Hunter suit. KTVU on the Federal ruling permitting the suit.
One such institution is that of chattel slavery where a class of people are forced against their wills to serve another class of people. This peculiar institution uses a very specific type of property relationship. The servants are the property of those they serve as if they were mere beasts of burden. The relationship demands that the owners disrespect the wills of their servants. Furthermore the servants are forced to pretend that they respect the owners. Showing respect is more important that experiencing respect.
Looking at the surface of this political and economic system one might see the material poverty of the servants and the opulence of the owners. One might see the agony of the servants as they are abused by the owning class and its hired help. One might see the whip, the shackles and the chains that are used in this brutal venture. Without these phenomena one might conclude that slavery has been abolished. A deeper look at the essence of the institution is required in order to determine the effectiveness of abolition.
Is there still a class of property owners who disrespect those who serve them? Is there still a class of people who feel compelled to show respect for another class of despicable people? When coercion replaces force does it really improve matters? Does the life and death of a child of property owners matter more than the life and death of the child of those without property?
Here in San Francisco the Sheriff's department is trying to fend off a law suit in Federal court by a man who was brutally mistreated by a deputy. The event was captured in a video recording. By the description there was no way that the deputy could claim self-defense. This is the kind of treatment that might be expected at the hands of a slave plantation employee. The perpetrator would have gotten a slap on the wrist for a crime that would have put the average Joe behind bars, but the previous Sheriff pulled the plug on the wrist slap. The city's attorney seems to be more interested in conserving the taxpayers' money than he is in seeing justice done.
Links: Chris Roberts on the Darrell Hunter suit. KTVU on the Federal ruling permitting the suit.