Monday, June 01, 2009
10 Quick Facts about Human Trafficking and the Sex Trade
It is amazing that these horrors are still going on in the 21st Century. Sadly, it didn't end with the Emancipation Proclamation.
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8 comments:
I joined you in the facebook petition "Not for Sale." I don't know what they are doing about this but it's absolutely appalling. I wonder how many men would hire such services if they knew the person was being forced to do it. Of those who do know this I can only wish there really was a hell.
The International Justice Mission put up a bunch of facts on their site about trafficking I bookmarked to. Slavery is exponentially more widespread today than it was in the 17-19th centuries.
There are a number of anti-trafficking efforts based here in Phoenix. We're actaully seeing a lot of community energy and action to end this terrible crime. Check out www.traffickingaz.org
The demand for these "services" is a depressing reminder of the prevalence of sin. Its not the purveyors that is so disturbing, its the banker next door, the respectable bourgeosis sociopath
logodesi,
Slavery is exponentially more widespread today than it was in the 17-19th centuries.
Really?
In what country?
Per capita?
In 1850, the slave population dwarfed the free population in South Carolina, and the slave population of Virginia was almost one sixth of the total (free) population of New York.
Doc,
Yes, per head. Many of them are in south asia, particularly India. The following stats from IJM:
"• According to the United Nations Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, an estimated 20 million people
were held in bonded slavery as of 1999.
• In 2004 there are more slaves than were seized from Africa during four centuries of trans-Atlantic slave trade. (Kevin
Bales, Disposable People)
• In 1850 a slave in the Southern United States cost the equivalent of $40,000 today. According to Free the Slaves, a
slave today costs an average of $90.
• Approximately two-thirds of today’s slaves are in South Asia. Human Rights Watch estimates that in India alone there
are as many as 15 million children in bonded slavery."
legodesi,
I don't see how you work that out. 20 million in 6 billion is 0.033%. Slavery in the US in the 1850's was of the order of 10%, and in South Carolina was maybe 60%.
In fact, I just checked Wikipedia and it says:
According to [Free The Slaves], these slaves represent the largest number of people that has ever been in slavery at any point in world history and the smallest percentage of the total human population that has ever been enslaved at once.
Slavery does not appear to be "exponentially more widespread today than it was in the 17-19th centuries".
I'm not saying slavery isn't a problem, but it's inaccurate to say that mankind is making no progress. The world is a far far better place for humans today than it was centuries ago.
"Slavery in the US in the 1850's was of the order of 10%, and in South Carolina was maybe 60%."
You'll need to work on total population numbers. That's what's makes your comparison incomplete.
"these slaves"
What is "these slaves" in reference to?
Slavery exponentially more widespread. That the percentage is lower is accounted for by the population growth, but slavery has increased in terms of millions of people. Slavery decreased in America, but it's still one of the most profitable industries in Asia. I call that exponential, since it's grown by multipliers of ten/one hundred.
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