Michael Jackson's big brother Marlon wants to bring tourists to Nigeria by building a $3.4 billion luxury resort—complete with a slavery theme park, a replica slave ship, a slave route, a life size replica of a slave ship, a music pavilion, and an amphitheatre. Visitors to the park, located in Badagry, the departure point for thousands of slaves, can relax after visiting the memorial or museum with a trip to the casino or a round of golf.
Tasteless does not begin to describe the vulgarity of 21 century capitalism.
When transnational agribusinesses, like U.S.-based Cargill, began pushing for the passage of NAFTA they had one quiet yet hopeful goal in mind: complete market control of their key agricultural sectors. As a result when prices rise for major staples such as rice and beans Cargill can stop buying from the Mexican market and turn to their own reserves and flood the market. The most sinister aspect of this "fair" trade deal was that U.S. taxpayers are supporting these giant agribusinesses with massive subsidies. American farmers receive 7.5 to 12 times more in government help than Mexican farmers. The result has been to drive the small farms out of business leaving Mexico's peasants with a Hobson's choice: migrate or starve.
Welcome to Slavery
Since the passage of NAFTA there have been multiple federal prosecutions for slavery in the Florida agricultural industry. Agricultural contractors are charged under slavery laws dating back to the end of the civil war for forcing illegal immigrants to work in the fields under threat of violence.
Since 1997, law-enforcement officials have freed more than 1,000 men and women held in virtual slavery by their employers. Threatened with violence should they attempt to escape and able to speak little or no English, most slaves refuse to testify, which means their captors cannot be tried.
"Gov. Crist should publicly acknowledge and condemn the existence of modern-day slavery, meet with the CIW and federal officials about solving the problem, pressure the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange to support the CIW's agreements with more socially responsible corporations, and take action to abolish slavery in Florida."--Tenessee Democrat, Daphne Holden
The conditions under which these workers toil would have been condemned in many states almost a hundred years ago. To earn all of 45 cents a tomato picker in Florida must fill a 32-pound basket. If conditions are perfect a 12 hour day working at breakneck speed might yield that worker $ 50 but the chances of that are extremely slim.
As long as there is poverty cheap labor will always be ready and available. The question that needs to be answered as we sink into another global recession -- beyond the level of moral obtuseness required to dream of designing a theme park to celebrate slavery -- what exactly have we gained in this race to the bottom?
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