Plantation America
And here you thought slavery was a century and a half behind us.
Who ‘owns’ us now?
Well, it’s a complicated question and not quite as clear as in 1861, when black people in chains were actually sold in markets and counted toward a man’s wealth.
By the way, that square in Washington where Trump held up a bible was a one-time slave market.
One can argue about whether there are other types of chains that fetter employment in these modern times, but the instruments are there if one cares to look. Today’s ‘wage slaves’ are independent contractors, which is a very upscale term for jobs with no benefits (JWNBs, you heard it here first).
Here the luxuries of such assets as the employer-contribution side of social security, healthcare benefits, profit-sharing, retirement programs, paid days off for sick time or personal needs, child-care and life insurance, paid vacation, flexible work schedules as well as workplace perks like on-site snacks and meals aren’t part of the deal.
Wow, that’s a lot o…