It suddenly occurred to me that the idea of enslaving a class of people under the promise of the "American Dream" is the modern rehash of when the British would put Indian soldiers in the vanguard and promise any who survived immediate promotion to officer rank.

The dream of life-changing remuneration motivated the soldiers to fight, meanwhile the British seldom, if ever, had to pay out.

NOTE: I cannot remember where I heard this and a quick check for a citation failed me. If anyone could verify (perhaps it wasn't the British and Indian...) please do!