Colonization of time

[RICHARD ROMEO]

But it seems to me that the publicity that
story got -- and the speed with which their situation changed when they
*did* make the authorities aware -- is a good indication of how shocked 
we
are by anything even approaching slavery. Wouldn't the 18th-century 
slaves
of M&D have considered the Mexicans' crowded living quarters and paltry
earnings -- but no whippings or death -- a pretty good deal?

AND

That real slavery -- the whip-and-gallows kind -- has been pushed back to
isolated cultures (and the labor camps of totalitarian states) seems to 
me
one of the unambiguous Good Things of the modern world. No doubt in 
getting
and spending, we lay waste our powers, but a wage slave is NOT a slave.
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m--

not sure if you're being ironic but seems to me you (and the NY Times) 
are arguing semantics.  Words have many meanings and slavery is a fine 
example.  Your two comments , one comparing 18C slaves and those NYC 
Mexicans and the second stating that wage slavery is not slavery, well, 
for the first is like comparing death by a random gun shot to being 
clonked on the head by some billy club weilding maniac--geez, they both 
suck, and to imply slaves of 200 years ago seeing themselves happy being 
deaf overcrowded Mexicans forced to sell things on a subway, well my 
daddy would say that sounds downright foolish.

as for wage slavery not being slavery: well, ever worked for UPS? 

"Commerce is indeed a powerful system, but a voluntary one"--this 
statement makes no sense in the real world.  Aren't M&D aware of this, 
specifically when after all they saw at the Cape & St Helena, they come 
back to London and tell everyone what a jolly time they had and all the 
great folks they met.  We all compromise, it's necessary and it sucks.

them crazy baldhead academics babble and love their jobs and rant about 
what that average schmuck's got to deal with everyday.

listen to "Only a Fool would say that"--Steely Dan.

Richard Romeo
Coordinator of Cooperating Collections
The Foundation Center-NYC
212-807-2417
rromeo at fdncenter.org