You are apparently with the majority that do not understand the historical connections between debt and slavery. In fact, the ancients considered that no man who was in debt could be free. The origins of slavery lie in debt: an indebted man owed service to his creditors. The debt could be incurred through borrowing, as punishment for a crime, or through being captured in war. (In the last case, the debt arose through the captor's agreement not to kill the captured person.)

Throughout most of history the owner of a slave could expect about 5% or less of their slave's productive output. The other 95+% was used by the slave themself, to pay for their maintenance. I have found one instance in Poland where for less than a century serfs were required to pay 10%.

By contrast, ordinary working class Americans pay 40% or more of their income to various levels of government. Yes, some of that returns to them in services (which they may not want or may even be opposed to), but a great deal of it is diverted to special interests.

"It would be thought a hard government, that should tax its people one-tenth part of their time, to be employed in its service." - Benjamin Franklin




Baldur