Disposable People by Kevin Bales is a well-researched heart wrenching documented tale of slavery across the world. Slavery is illegal throughout the world, yet more than twenty-seven million people are still trapped in one of history’s oldest social institutions (Bales). Bales goal with Disposable People through his own research is to understand what the driving force is of slavery today and ways that it can be stopped. Bales writes a comprehensive and analytical breakdown of the causes and effects of “new slavery” and how it differs from “old slavery”. In his preface to the 2012 edition, Bales mentions that he regrets using the terms ‘new slavery’ and ‘old slavery.’ Using examples from Disposable People this paper will identify the ways in
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This type of slavery is best recognized by society today as a standard for all slavery. Thing have changed a lot since that time and so have the definition of slavery. For instanced in the case of Thailand were prostitution and sex slaves are a focal point. This “New Slavery” has many difference from what Bales calls old slavery like the price and up keep of a slave. The number of people in the world has drastically lower the price of a slave. Just like a printer today it is cheaper to buy a new printer then to purchase ink. On average a pimp can see his investment in a girl paid backed in just two to three months vs in old slavery were an average slave was three to six times the average man yearly salary. Girls are being sold by their parents to pimps in the city for a yearly wage most of the time. Once the pimps receive the girls they are worked mercilessly until they become useless. Unlike old slavery up keep of a slave now was non-existence. Slaves are given no time to be sick or weak and a slave health care plan was less than a band aide. Once a girl catches aids she becomes disposable she will either be killed and left in the river or sent back to the home that sold her in the first place. This major difference from old slavery shows that distinction is needed from the old to the new. Old does not mean worst and new does not mean better or easier it is useful by informing the reader that time has changed. The slave owner did not want to loose on their investment as were the slave holder feels no obligation towards the
This type of slavery is best recognized by society today as a standard for all slavery. Thing have changed a lot since that time and so have the definition of slavery. For instanced in the case of Thailand were prostitution and sex slaves are a focal point. This “New Slavery” has many difference from what Bales calls old slavery like the price and up keep of a slave. The number of people in the world has drastically lower the price of a slave. Just like a printer today it is cheaper to buy a new printer then to purchase ink. On average a pimp can see his investment in a girl paid backed in just two to three months vs in old slavery were an average slave was three to six times the average man yearly salary. Girls are being sold by their parents to pimps in the city for a yearly wage most of the time. Once the pimps receive the girls they are worked mercilessly until they become useless. Unlike old slavery up keep of a slave now was non-existence. Slaves are given no time to be sick or weak and a slave health care plan was less than a band aide. Once a girl catches aids she becomes disposable she will either be killed and left in the river or sent back to the home that sold her in the first place. This major difference from old slavery shows that distinction is needed from the old to the new. Old does not mean worst and new does not mean better or easier it is useful by informing the reader that time has changed. The slave owner did not want to loose on their investment as were the slave holder feels no obligation towards the