Slavery Lives

William Wilberforce played a crucial role in ending slavery in 19th century England. It wasn’t long afterward that Abraham Lincoln was able to do the same in the US. Until these last few years, I had always assumed that slavery was a thing of the past, that we eradicated it, and we had moved on from such a dark chapter in human history.

However, things can’t be further from the truth.

Slavery still exists in many forms:

Private Prison Systems
Taxes and Fees
Federal Reserve
Student Loan and Housing Debt
Human Trafficking

First, private prisons use the inmates as free labor to support corporations. The majority of these individuals are African-American or Latino, and most are serving time for non-violent drug-related crimes. Their labor is exploited and used to prop up corporations that have chosen to collaborate with these private prison systems, which make money based on the number of beds they fill; so, the prisons also lobby heavily against cannabis law reform, and continue to flood communication avenues with propaganda to keep the masses inundated from the truth. It’s time to end the private prison systems, and it’s time to legalize cannabis. These two things will deal a direct blow to the monstrosity of a system that they have created, and we let them. Well, I say, “No more!”

Second, taxes and fees are a form of slavery. It’s important to note that the income tax was never officially ratified, yet if you fail to file or pay any taxes this year, and you will be visited by a member of the IRS and face “criminal” penalties. How is it that the government can enforce a law that never officially passed? Follow the money. That’s what it is about, that, and keeping us subservient to the Federal Reserve.

Third, the Federal Reserve is a form of enslavement. The taxes that are illegally collected by force are actually used to pay the interest to the Federal Reserve, which is:

a private company, much like the prisons
a company that loans money to the government with interest.

This scheme has been going on since the 1910s, when the ruling elite crashed the market, wrote a banking bill, and moved us away from the gold standard. Ever since, they have been manipulating the market to make the middle class and poor even poorer. This is evident since the crash of 2008. The market has recovered, but the profits have not made it down the food chain, and we stand by complacently while they continue to rob us.

Fourth, the final way we stay enslaved is by student loans and housing debt. Now, I understand that it is necessary to borrow money when you don’t have it. However, if you have ever looked into how interest works, then at roughly 5% interest on a home, you end up paying for the home twice over the life of the loan. Banks get away with this because we let them. I really think part of it is because we got away from the Old Testament practice of the “Year of Jubilee.” Not to mention, they are able to make this money using a practice called “fractional-reserve lending,” which means that they need 10% of the money secured on a loan in order to offer one. So, they can strap you with $200,000 in debt, and they only have to have $20,000 readily available. For those that are bad at math, it is essentially “creating” money and driving inflation at an alarming rate. This has been happening for decades.

Fifth, human trafficking is the practice of kidnapping or conning people, mostly young women, forcing them to travel long distances, and work in underground brothels. It may sound like a 3rd world problem, but human trafficking is present in large numbers in America, too. If you have seen the movie, "Taken," then you have a taste of what trafficking is like. This is an evil that many authorities seem silent or content with. You would think instead of locking up non-violent illegal drug offenders, that we could make room for the pimps and organizers of something like human trafficking. I guess that just makes too much sense.

Finally, there may be other forms of slavery that I have not considered, but these problems are real, and ignoring them does not help solve them. This is why I am passionately outspoken on many topics. There is alot wrong with this world, and as a 30-something adult, I am not comfortable with the status-quo. It’s time to change things. Will you do your part? Or will you ignore the warnings? The choice is ultimately up to you, but there will be consequences, in this life, and in the next.