[lifeisstillgood]

He recently appeared in the EconTalk podcast and its worth hearing too (will find the link). But they touched on Sparta and the thing that struck me was just how unequal - something like 5% or less of the population of Sparta (and it was a big state by Greek standards), only 5% were "free" - everyone else was a Slave.

The level of violence to stop that becoming an uncontrolled uprising must have been huge.

[inglor_cz]

Modern Gulf emirates have a similar ratio of citizens to guest workers. Western profesionnals are treated with respect, but manual workers from India or Philippines are basically slaves in everything but name.

How the history repeats itself, this time among hi-tech skyscrapers.

[hutzlibu]

When the gangsters keep the papers of the workers, the lines do indeed get blurry.

But it is still quite a difference between exploiting someone weaker and actually owning a person and be legally able to do anything with him or her.

[inglor_cz]

I would say that one is de facto slave if their superiors can rape or kill them without legal repercussions.

[hutzlibu]

I would agree to that.

They still would have to fear, that someone leaks the video of it - and some superior needs a scapegoat to punish, because everyone here respects human rights etc.

A legally owned slave, was legally OK to be raped or killed. And ok to proudly tell everyone about it.

[brezelgoring]

>They still would have to fear, that someone leaks the video of it

Is it really a deterrent, though? You said yourself that it'd be scapegoated and its not like they depend on good PR to keep their goodies, they own the country after all.

Also I can't help but wonder what these people talk about behind closed doors, do they really play by the same rules you and I would be held accountable to behind closed doors?

[hutzlibu]

"they own the country after all."

They still need good relationships with the west. Open slavery would not be tolerated.

[WelcomeShorty]

https://www.econtalk.org/bret-devereaux-on-ancient-greece-an...