Whenever I mention wage slavery. If it were that easy.

I do disagree with the logic of this person's tweet, but I believe that using the term wage slave hurts the cause more than it helps it. My main concern here is how to engage BIPOC in the cause, not to discredit or minimize the pain and suffering endured by those under in capatilism.

Using the term wage slave in present day america encourages the listener/reader to compare it directly to the atrocities of american slavery. While I do agree that work or die is a common characteristic of both situations, there are distinct differences between the two. And ignoring these differences just disenfranchises and disengages BIPOC.

If anything the differences speak more to how american chattel slavery went above and beyond the minimum threshold of what is required for something to be considered slavery. It reached into genocide, eugenics, medical expermination, physical torture, rape, stealing children and the dehumanization of people into literal animals. I understand that some of these things happen under modern-day wage slavery, but it's akin the difference between coercion and duress, abuse and neglect, and first-degree and second-degree murder. They're both awful and often the results are the same, but they are different. And there is no need to compare the two when each are individually reprehensible on their own merits.

But when it comes down to it, wouldn't the cause benefit from speaking in language that seeks to engage and reach out to BIPOC?

/r/antiwork Thread Link - i.redd.it