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A comment on Remembering Matilda, the last survivor of the transatlantic slave trade. Parent comment

Re:Remembering Matilda, the last survivor of the transatlant... by wat10000 on Friday January 17, 2025 @08:56AM (#42737532)
It seems borderline, given that the person has a choice of when and where to perform it. But I don’t want to be near any borderlines here, so, yes. Morality aside, it seems very ineffective both in terms of punishment/rehabilitation and for getting value out of the person.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Remembering Matilda, the last survivor of the transatlant... by HKH2 on Friday January 17, 2025 @12:24PM (#42740731)
Well we're talking about morality, so is it morally wrong? I'm fairly sure you'd say conscription is morally wrong, but is jury duty morally wrong? I'm not sure a government can continue to exist without forcing people to work in one form or another.
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Re:Remembering Matilda, the last survivor of the transatlant... by wat10000 on Friday January 17, 2025 @02:20PM (#42742185)
As I said, it’s borderline.

Jury duty is an interesting question. I’m not a huge fan of the jury system, although it may be the best of bad alternatives. Maybe there’s no good way around this one.

I get that you’re trying to trip me up (and succeeding a bit), but penal labor isn’t difficult or borderline or anything like that. It’s a straightforward “we can make money by forcing that person to work, and it’s not illegal.” There’s no justification beyond, they’re a criminal so they deserve it. Obviously, criminal punishment has to involve violation of certain rights, but I don’t see any reason for it to involve violating this right besides liking money and wanting more of it.

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Re:Remembering Matilda, the last survivor of the transatlant... by HKH2 on Saturday January 18, 2025 @06:54AM (#42747719)
Well I've already mentioned covering costs as a reason. Anything beyond that seems like a slippery slope.

You seem to think that forcing anyone to work is a slippery slope, and considering where we are now, there probably is some merit to that idea.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Remembering Matilda, the last survivor of the transatlant... by wat10000 on Saturday January 18, 2025 @09:45AM (#42748722)
“Covering costs” is just a different way to say “we like money and we can get some by enslaving that person.” It’s not a moral justification for anything.
[ Parent | on HN ]