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Would we still use slaves if technology never went further ahead?

BlueVeins · 22-25
Slavery exists as it is, but it seems somewhat doubtful for acceptance of slavery to grow, since that would depress wages and increase unemployment, which breeds instability. Having said that, the reverse can happen; slavery leads to a decrease in technological progress since inefficiency is acceptable when labor costs are low.
popmol · 22-25, M
@BlueVeins true :p
hunkalove · 61-69, M
We still have slaves. Wage slaves. People who work for an unlivable wage. Millions of them!
popmol · 22-25, M
@hunkalove thats terrible
ninalanyon · 61-69, T
Probably. They might not be called slaves though and they would be paid.

Have you ever seen Upstairs Downstairs or Downton Abbey.
If technological development stalls and inequality keeps rising perhaps we will see the return of domestic service which was pretty close to slavery.

But historically it has been the other way about: having slaves means not needing to develop technology because someone else is doing the work and that someone else is a renewable resource.
popmol · 22-25, M
@ninalanyon well with ghengis khan and hitler i didn't mean specifically to technology but the general world :p
ninalanyon · 61-69, T
@popmol Yes, I understood that. My point was that technological change tends to happen regardless of who is in charge. More slowly under some regimes than others of course but eventually it causes pressures that force changes even in regimes that actively try to prevent it.
popmol · 22-25, M
@ninalanyon well religion in the middle ages put quite a damper on that though!
BanPlastic · 31-35, M
We'll never actually know, but regardless, industrialization was worse for the planet as a whole. Slaves and industrialization were mostly products of capitalism.
popmol · 22-25, M
@BanPlastic were they?
Driver2 · M
@BanPlastic tell that to the thousands of slaves in China producing their products.
Keraunos · 36-40, M
Yes. Industrialization is the only reason the slightest serious consideration was ever given to abolishing it.
Keraunos · 36-40, M
@Nomad7 Not sure if you're just having some laughs by baiting or seriously think that, but I meant precisely what I said in my original comment.
Nomad7 · 22-25, M
@Keraunos It was coincidental, not causal
Keraunos · 36-40, M
@Nomad7 I'm not really saying that industrialization [i]caused[/i] abolition. I am saying that it is impossible that abolition could have happened without industrialization. Rather like how photosynthetic plants did not create humans, but humans also could not conceivably have evolved in their absence.
SW-User
Seeing as slavery was abolished a long time ago, I doubt it very much. What people would use was paid labour a lot more. Sure.
popmol · 22-25, M
@SW-User well i meant technology before they stopped it
SW-User
@popmol At some point, with or without technology there would have been revolutions when new generations didn't take on the roles automatically.
popmol · 22-25, M
@SW-User well that might be true xD
FenixGears · 41-45, M
Perhaps not, because automation can be used. Companies can use robotics now.
popmol · 22-25, M
@FenixGears YES, thats why not slaves but what if we never had it
FenixGears · 41-45, M
Many believe that employees in a capitalist society are slaves of a sort.
popmol · 22-25, M
@FenixGears when paid little and no vacation yes
Driver2 · M
There still is slavery
popmol · 22-25, M
@Driver2 but popular!
Mrsbetweenfatandfit · 26-30, F
Slaves are still used now in many places I believe. Sexual slavery I think is the most common across the world though.
popmol · 22-25, M
@Mrsbetweenfatandfit well they dislike it but if you know its happening in a random country you can't do much about it.
Mrsbetweenfatandfit · 26-30, F
Dislike seems far too light a term to describe ones feelings on something as horrific as slavery.@popmol
popmol · 22-25, M

 
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