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Re:Why wasn't the steam engine invented earlier? Part II by fellellor on Friday July 15, 2022 @10:12AM (#32108419)
What is slavery if not systematically, grossly under compensating someone for their work? Modern industrialised economies have plenty of tools to simulate the effects of slavery. Although without the fun stuff like whipping and other forms of gratuitous cruelty.

In its essence slavery is an exchange of labor deal where the buying party has it way better than the selling party.

Re:Why wasn't the steam engine invented earlier? Part II by jhgb on Friday July 15, 2022 @01:36PM (#32110742)
> What is slavery if not systematically, grossly under compensating someone for their work?

No, it's the notion that you have second-class citizens or even non-citizens with limited legal rights enforced by the state, said limitations usually being in the realm of property rights, personal freedoms, etc. At least that is fairly easy to define, whereas "grossly under compensating someone" is a vastly more nebulous term (who decides what is and isn't "under-compensating"?)

Re:Why wasn't the steam engine invented earlier? Part II by HeyLaughingBoy on Friday July 15, 2022 @04:46PM (#32112636)
Not even close!

At its essence slavery is complete ownership of another person. Whether or not you put that person to "work" is a separate issue.

Re:Why wasn't the steam engine invented earlier? Part II by kortilla on Friday July 15, 2022 @07:40PM (#32113902)
> What is slavery if not systematically, grossly under compensating someone for their work?

Try starting with the textbook definitions. Pretty much the defining factor of being a slave is that you are owned by someone else and have to follow their orders. You can be highly compensated and still a slave (see the myriad of anecdotes about “kind” slave owners who paid them well).

Re:Why wasn't the steam engine invented earlier? Part II by samatman on Friday July 15, 2022 @10:16PM (#32114718)
Want to tell if you're being exploited or enslaved? Leave.

If a gang of armed men kidnap, brand, and return you, you're enslaved.