Sorry, "willing" is inaccurate. "Forced", either through necessity or violence, is the better word.

I support that sentiment. I don’t think anyone truly chooses to do these bad jobs. Perhaps they apply a fake veneer of choice, manliness, romanticism. But ultimately I can only conclude that people do it for lack of a better option.

Many of the (mostly men) people who do this work do so because it’s part of their identity and culture. I would recommend more conversations with folks who do the hard labor.that’s why coal miners vote in ways that don’t make sense!

The problem is not the job itself. Many people are fulfilled by working hard dangerous jobs. The problem is the compensation and status.

When it comes to "the modern world", slave labor has always been a tiny fraction of the overall labor.