Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by RetroTechie 20 days ago
Inequality is a big factor. Story says the woman in this case felt she was compensated. Like feeling 'lucky' to enjoy (some) perks of living in a rich household. If that family had been as poor as her (or her mother), that stops being true. Then it becomes hard to keep a slave from walking away without resorting to violence.

Another big factor is the victim simply not knowing any better. Not being able to read might have helped with that (and I'd guess she probably wasn't allowed a phone, to keep her isolated from outside).

Point is there's a lot of space between "whips & chains" and "paying below minimum wage". Unfortunately some people are really good at exploiting that space.

1 comments

Your first paragraph says that poverty makes people accept things they wouldn't if they had more money. Poverty is the problem there.

Education and a society's culture are certainly important too.

Yes poverty is a factor. But inequality too - it helps to create [the powerless vs the powerful] situations. Even if those on the bottom may not qualify as poor.

> Education and a society's culture are certainly important too.

Agreed.

In the powerless VS powerful situation, taking aside poverty, what do you mean? The powerful manipulating the justice system with money?
> The powerful manipulating the justice system with money?

That's a good example. Curtailing voter rights is another. And then there's money -> influence on media.