Question

Instructions: Please read the passage “Slaves in Tulsa” below.  

The points of view presented to you in “Slaves in Tulsa” illustrate some issues related to global stratification. Some common points of view that people have about this type of issue are:

Some people believe that people who come from less developed nations and work in the US for less than minimum wage may do so because they are better off than they would have been had they stayed in their home country. Further, some suggest that it is beneficial to the economy of the US to have workers who work for less than minimum wage and who perform jobs that other Americans do not want to do, while others believe that it is detrimental to American workers who feel that these people are taking their jobs. Some also believe that when you come to the US for work, under any circumstances (documented or undocumented), then you should be protected under the law and given the same rights as all.

Your task is to think about the reading and answer the following two questions.  You must write your answers in the first person, you can respond to the two questions separately or in a five-paragraph essay, and your answers to the two questions must have at-least 600 words in total.

What are the ethical issues presented in the reading?

What ethical responsibility would/do you have regarding this information?

Slaves in Tulsa

Could slave still exist in the United States?  According to Kevin Bales, the United States imports about 50,000 slaves every year.  In February 2002, the Midwestern city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was shocked to learn that they had slaves working in their midst.  Workers recruited by a Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India, company signed contracts for labor overseas.  Many paid the company a fee of more than $2,000 to gain employment in the United States.  Workers flew to Tulsa where they worked as welders for an industrial equipment manufacturer.

These workers left their country with a promise of long-term residency, good jobs, and high pay.  What they found was significantly different.  The group lived in barracks on the factory grounds, sometimes working 12-hour days and earning as little as $2.31 an hour.  The company’s food was substandard, and many workers had to share beds because of a shortage of space.  In the dormitory, a sign stated that workers who left the grounds could be sent back to India and the armed guards patrolled the grounds.  Many also reported verbal threats and deliberate intimidation to keep the workers on the property.

After the workers were found, the U.S. firm claimed they were not involved in slavery and any fault was that of the Mumbai labor company.  The corporation claimed that the workers were merely temporary trainees, so they did not deserve the minimum wage or other employment benefits.  The court saw the matter differently and found the company guilty of exploiting the workers through human trafficking.  A fine of $1.2 million provided about $20,000 for each worker.

After the case broke, many local community members helped the Indian workers find legitimate jobs, and immigration hearings allowed them to legally stay in the country.  This case has a happy ending, largely because it occurred in a country with a free press and a strong government.  Unfortunately, most contract labor occurs in countries without either of these two important components.

Answer 1

The question really is not about labour contracts or slavery but a more wide-spread and pertinent one that how do we treat the under-privileged worldwide? Sad to say that even within nations that have strong laws and a free media such cases do occur many go largely undetected and uncorrected and a happy ending for one does not compensate for the pain and humiliation these people endured and millions worldwide are being subjected to. I shudder to think of the cases in other nations undetected, unreported a veritable continuous nightmare for the labour which immigrates to foreign lands in search of better opportunity be it domestic labour, technical, construction or others. Within our nations when we see the underprivileged class being ill-treated, how many times do we try to intervene or even report matters to the law. It's too much of a bother we just don't have time these people are just not important enough. I think humans are sadly losing the quality of just Being Human.

Tulsa is only an example of labour being cheated and misled by recruitment agencies in their homeland and exploited by the contractors in the foreign country. They are promised wages almost unbelievable and a tempting image of a high class lifestyle with fewer working hours and excellent working conditions. The reality being far removed from the projection is not the major issue here, the saddest part is they are veritable prisoners, it is one way entry system with no escape. Their contract can only impose a fine but the employers make sure they can't get away or communicate with the outside world to be able to arrange and pay this fine. One getaway would result in mass exodus and a huge loss to the employer. They need to keep them in concentration camps like conditions and we still are busy denouncing Hitler. Shame on us if we almost three quarters of a century later are unable to control such shame against humanity.

Actually, I think we only need to look into history to understand the root cause of this malaise and it does look like we are unable to get away from history, we recreate behaviour patterns of our ancestors, we boast of unprecedented development in communication technology, of innovations and creations we couldn't dream about two decades back also. Now we are developing artificial intelligence, finally we can have mechanical slaves atleast all who can afford them. Why do we have this desire to have someone who will do our most tough jobs, dirty work let's say, and we remain thankless and exploit these very people. Why do we like to use, exploit, humiliate and force into submission through domination. I think honestly, the seeds of slavery and exploitation were largely sown by the Britishers in their bid to rule and dominate the world. Wherever they went they ruled through slavery, exploitation, humiliation, domination by breaking the very backbone of the society and culture. It created a mindset of the powerful are always right and to rebel would be disastrous in any case. A veritable Monarchy in it's extreme form.

Should we be surprised then that it has almost become a genetic heritage that so many people are so accepting of slavery, exploitation, humiliation and injustice. The underprivileged in different countries show different behaviour patterns. If we speak of responsibility and accountability, who is responsible or accountable in the above case? Is it the labour themselves for not being aware of their rights or being well informed enough? To a small extent yes, in this world finally, you are most responsible for yourself we need to be independent they should have verified facts internet is available with everyone in India in all cities. Is it the Recruiter in Mumbai? Yes to a large extent and he should be the one awarded maximum punishment for indulging in fraud or cheating, unjust enrichment, in doing so he has also dishonoured an unspoken loyalty that should exist towards our fellow countrymen. Is it the Contractor in Tulsa. Yes, he has committed a crime against humanity by not following the basic meaning of the maxim Being Human. He was aware of the recruiters methodology, noone will willingly accept such pay and conditions in a foreign land. If he was not of exploitative mindset and fulfilled his legal and moral obligations towards labour of his organisation no issue would have arisen.

So we know each person involved is responsible for such situations mostly not always we only have to look at trafficking of young children in the flesh trade and all reason for calling ourselves human beings the highest form of living beings on planet Earth elude me. Aren't the animals better in so many cases? Aren't so many among us worse than the animals? They are so honest about their nature a predator is a predator, you expect it to attack. We seem to have involved finally into the most dangerous species, to others, to our own and to ourselves.