Let's start this section off by looking at how the Economic Dilemma overlaps with the Spiritual Dilemma (Christian Beattitudes? Jesus view on Oil Conservation? Islamic Banking?). Clearly, I have a lot more to do to organize this section. But for now, let's start with a few random impressions on SLAVERY. Yay!

OK, so I went and did more research on Islam and Slavery. Noo was right, it's much more fascinating than I had previously thought. To me it was just a clear case of hypocrisy where Muhammad had freed slaves, and yet Muslims still continue today to have slaves (e.g., Sudan) and other Muslims who were busy criticizing the US for its lack of slavery reparation and calling the Israeli's racist weren't speaking up about the ongoing or historical abuses by their fellow Muslims.

But in fact, Muhammad didn't abolish slavery. He encouraged the freeing of slaves, yes. And he gave slaves better rights and could be seen to have a plan to phase slavery out by placing limits on it. With Quranic procedure, after a while all of the slaves in a society would become incorporated into as full citizens. At least this is the mythology advanced in the website article here. The article is long but fascinating! Actually, skip to the bottom for a really hilarious (!) thing which puts the Islamic slave trade in perspective with modern economic dilemmas, and come back to this rant here.

Long article short, the Quranic phase out plan didn't work. The problem was, of course, that, people, being human and all, still wanted their slaves. And, within the Quranic limits, one of the few avenues left for slave supply was prisoners of war, and purchase from other non-Muslim countries - e.g., Frontier slave economy. And as those slaves became naturalized/free/phased out, more would be needed.

I'm not sure how big an impact this had on developing the slave trade in Africa which could work into a reparations argument (demand creates supply), but as the superpower of its time, Islamic economic preferences didn't hurt. So, yes, Islam was pretty progressive for its time, (even creating conditions in which you could have slave armies and a slave king! The paradox.) but didn't go the distance in abolishing slavery, and the forces of capitalism and the urge to subjugate others is not so easily phased out.

Alas, instead of Muslims saying, wow, what a dilemma, we made some progress on the issue, but we can be better (blasphemy. How can you improve on the Quran!) - they just left it at that and worked the loopholes and got COMFORTABLE with it. God bless human beings. (actually, if you know of Muslim sites that discuss how to make progress on these issues, please let me know! I will link to them here. My site is young! And growing. If there are no sites, I'm stuck with this confirmation bias.)

A note here, of course: Slavery is a touchy subject and anyone whose identity group is accused of it is bound to be defensive when it comes up. The primary tactical defensive measure in such discussions is to quickly point to someone else's groups worse slavery history/behavior. (Leading to double ad hominem attacks). Rationalization and self-justification and condemning others to justify one-self. Very natural. Have some compassion. Frankly, if I was alive in the good ol' Roman days, say, and lucky enough to be born to a position of power and privilege with lots of slaves, I'd probably rationalize and enjoy and not even question it, so...

The point here is that in this discussion one is busy trying to look good and righteous which misses the economic point of the discussion. Forget looking good. You come from a long line of barbarians. These airs are silly. If you just face the issues and talk about them, people can see that you're working on the issues, taking responsibility and then they can relax and enjoy the good stuff. This process may result in noticing common ground in how empires deal with minorities and people outside their frontiers and how they can learn from each other's strengths and weaknesses. Paradoxically, it moves the discussion away from judgmentalism and others then also start to take responsibility.

But this slavery thing is a trip. And that brings me to another great article, about how this anti-WTO activist infiltrated a textile trade conference disguised as a WTO rep and gave this key note speech that was warmly received. An interesting perspective on slavery in that speech. It's too sadandfunny. Here! http://www.igc.org/trac/bulletin/2001/0062.html; or go straight to: http://www.theyesmen.org/finland/ Hilarious. Watch the slide show. Check out that giant gold phallus.

This speech calls slaves the "Involuntarily Imported Workforce" and say it's much better to transition to the "Remote Located Workforce" actually:

"Now leave the same slave back at home--let's say, Gabon. In Gabon, $10 pays for two weeks of food, not just one day. $250 pays for two years' housing, not a month's. $50 pays for a lifetime of budget clothing! Health care is likewise much cheaper. On top of it all, youth can be gainfully employed without restriction.

"The biggest benefit of the remote labor system, though, is to the slave--because in Gabon, there is no need for the slave not to be free! This is primarily because there are no one-time slave transport costs to recoup, and so the potential losses from fleeing are limited to the slave's rudimentary training. So since the slave can be free, he or she suddenly becomes a worker rather than a slave! Also terrific for morale is that slaves--workers!--have the luxury of remaining in their native habitat and don't have to relocate to places they would be subject to such unpleasantries as homesickness and racism."

Finally, of course, before we all get indoctrinated by anti-WTO activists, check out Paul Krugman in praise of cheap labor: http://web.mit.edu/krugman/www/smokey.html The dilemma continues.

Heh. Being human is so much fun and confusion.

ps. the reason I have time to ramble like this is because I am such an efficient and productive worker who has taken to wearing nylons the past few weeks - these make me more efficient. "Support" hose. Have you not noticed that all superheroes wear tights? No kidding. So that makes me appreciate the practical value of the "Management Leisure Suit" idea. Heh.