• shitstorm [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    I want to put more research in this, but I have a loose theory about modern American slavery. Statistically prison labor makes up a relatively small percent of production, but the meta-structural purpose of it isn't just to provide cheap labor for some companies. Prison labor exists to be lower the overall wage-floor, the ultimate threat to the workforce. McDonalds doesn't use prison labor for all their chicken production, but by using it causes non-forced chicken farms to lower their prices to compete. They do this by lowering wages or one of the other terrible practices in the chicken industry.

    • SerLava [he/him]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Yeah and the other factor is that it's a form of terrorism

      • shitstorm [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        I prefer "white nationalism" over terrorism. The T word is basically meaningless and IMO should be largely removed leftist discourse. White nationalism or fascism much more accurately describes the state of the extreme and violent right in America and Europe. It doesn't leave a grey area for "counter-terrorist efforts" to oppress brown people.

        • SerLava [he/him]
          ·
          edit-2
          4 years ago

          Good point, although all those terms are a bit ambiguous in this specific context, so maybe I would say they're a gun pointed at the head of all workers

          Edit: the slavery is the gun specifically

          • shitstorm [he/him]
            ·
            4 years ago

            Absolutely, one of the cruelest forms of coercion in an intentionally coercive society.