News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on US prison workers produce $11B worth of goods and services for little to no pay. Parent comment

Re:US prison workers produce $11B worth of goods and service... by orwin on Saturday June 18, 2022 @06:59PM (#31794564)
Yes, kinda? I mean, we basically replaced slavery by machine work, no? Its "free labor" as machines do not try to escape, and are fed with stuff we find underground so they don't compete for our food.

I don't think slavery would have been abolished without the industrial revolution.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:US prison workers produce $11B worth of goods and service... by unmole on Sunday June 19, 2022 @07:00AM (#31798193)
> Its "free labor" as machines do not try to escape,

That is most certainly not the usual interpretation of free labor.

The overwhelming majority of slaves in the US were field hands in plantations growing cash crops. How exactly did rudimentary agricultural mechanization around the time of the American Civil War in any way precipitate abolition?

[ Parent | on HN ]