Monday OT: 01/11/21 is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day (US)

Today is day 11 of the Gregorian Calendar year,
Sweetmorn, Chaos 11, 3187 YOLD
And let us not forget 13.0.8.3.3 mlc (the Mayan Long Count)

Slave auction at Richmond, Virginia

Slave auction at Richmond, Virginia, public domain via VCU Libraries Commons

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It is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. 
I just love all these awareness days, because they don't call for anybody to do anything, but just to be aware.  We recently had a Homeless + Homelessness awareness, so, at some time during the day of our choosing we were supposed to manifest awareness of the homeless "Damn, there are a lot off homeless people out there, absolute crying shame, ah well, Alexa - what's on TV tonight?"  So today we need to take a moment to be aware of human trafficking.  I did a photo search on that exact term to try to get some pics for this column and found a huge number of pictures of crowds of pedestrians, I shit you not.

Human trafficking is a horrible thing, in all of its manifestations and for all of its purposes and regardless of the identities of its perpetrators and victims .  It has been defined by the UN Trafficking in Persons Protocol as consisting of:

The Act (What is done)

Recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons

The Means (How it is done)

Threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or vulnerability, or giving payments or benefits to a person in control of the victim

The Purpose (Why it is done)

For the purpose of exploitation, which includes exploiting the prostitution of others, sexual exploitation, forced labour, slavery or similar practices and the removal of organs.

To ascertain whether a particular circumstance constitutes trafficking in persons, consider the definition of trafficking in the Trafficking in Persons Protocol and the constituent elements of the offense, as defined by relevant domestic legislation.

It can also be disguised as other things, including child marriages and some other marriages.  It is a practice that has been with us, at least in the west, for all of recorded history.  It used to be called slavery, and it certainly was a major source of revenue for some and grief for others.  It is still being practiced too, in many places today, both covertly and overtly.   In fact it is probably practiced in more places than not. One also cannot avoid asking whether the infamous US "school to prison pipeline" conjoined with for profit prisons and the practice of vastly under-compensated prison labor should not be considered to be simply a very convoluted disguise for officially condoned slavery right here.  Also courts which charge fines and collection fees that their victims cannot possibly pay and then jail those who fail to pay for contempt, and engage in similar contemptible processes.

There are many ways to exploit people, and I would think that some political prisoners easily qualify.  We kidnapped captures this suspect terrorist and stashed them without any trial in Gitmo to make you safe so vote for me.  The same with masses of people tricked, defrauded or terrorized into a plea bargain that lands them in the slammer regardless of actual guilt or innocence.  Show trials are clearly a form of exploitation, as are extraordinary renditions

And, as an aside, how can that not segue into wage slavery? Yeah, I know it is slang, but -

slavery

Percentage Slavery

I'm not talking about "being stuck working for a living", but situations where people are locked into a life where they are paid far less than a living wage, which goes straight to "the company store", usually in the form of "employee housing" and debt service, at least in today's US.  One gets a position on the bottom rung, usually as a "Management Trainee" or some similar title, is given an advance to cover the mandatory uniform or instructional materials, or on their future commissions, and then never quite earns enough to pay down the principal, which grows and grows due to accrued interest.  Maybe they borrow a few hundred to pay for special telemarketing techniques to sell a special product that nobody in their right mind would ever buy on commission or some similar scam.

A sufficient amount of coercion plus separation from the fruits or one's labor at a price sufficiently less than market value would seem to undeniably rise to the level of slavery. So, starting with slavery, at what levels of coercion and underpayment does it somehow become "commerce"?

The first Insurance Company in the 13 colonies

On January 11, 1759 the Corporation for Relief of Poor and Distressed Presbyterian Ministers and of the Poor and Distressed Widows and Children of the Presbyterian Ministers (now part of Unum Group) was "incorporated",  This was the first insurance company of any type in the US.

(see "The Weekly Underwriter" https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.c2605613&view=1up&seq=186  for an  interesting article. )  This raises assorted questions, such as: Why just ministers?  Was it because nobody else could afford insurance?  Did they have special circumstances such that they had an extraordinary need for insurance?  Why just Presbyterians?  And really, shouldn't that be god's job?  Ah well, just one of life's many mysteries.

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On this day in history:

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1630 – The prophet Muhammad and his followers conquered Mecca

1569 – The first recorded lottery in England.

1571 – The Austrian nobility (and nobody else) was granted freedom of religion.

1759 – The first "American" (US) life insurance company was incorporated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, then a British Colony and Royal Land Grant.

1787 – William Herschel discovered Titania and Oberon, two moons of Uranus.

1805 – The Michigan Territory was created.

1879 – The Anglo-Zulu War began because nobody had colonized that area yet.

1908 – Grand Canyon National Monument was created.

1912 – The Lawrence Textile Strike took place in Lawrence, Massachusetts.

1922 – The first use of insulin to treat diabetes in a human patient.

1935 – Amelia Earhart became the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to California.

1949 – The first "networked" television broadcasts took place. We are none the better for it.

1961 – The Throgs Neck Bridge over the East River opened to road traffic.

1964 – Surgeon General of the US  published the landmark report saying that smoking may be hazardous to smokers' health

1986 – The Gateway Bridge in Brisbane officially opened.

2003 – Illinois Governor George Ryan commuted the death sentences of 167 prisoners on Illinois's death row based on the Jon Burge scandal.

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Born this day in:

“Every human is like all other humans, some other humans, and no other human.”

~~ Clyde Kluckhohn

1503 – Parmigianino, somewhat cheesy artist
1786 – Joseph Jackson Lister, physicist
1814 – James Paget, surgeon and pathologist
1839 – Eugenio María de Hostos, lawyer, philosopher, independence advocate, and sociologist
1842 – William James, psychologist and philosopher
1850 – Joseph Charles Arthur, pathologist and mycologist
1885 – Alice Paul, American activist and suffragist
1887 – Aldo Leopold, American ecologist and author
1897 – Bernard DeVoto, American historian and author
1903 – Alan Paton, South African author and activist
1905 – Clyde Kluckhohn, American anthropologist and theorist
1906 – Albert Hofmann, Swiss chemist and academic, discoverer of LSD
1911 – Tommy Duncan, American singer-songwriter
1923 – Carroll Shelby, American race car driver, engineer, and businessman
1924 – Slim Harpo, American blues singer-songwriter and musician
1933 – Goldie Hill, American country singer-songwriter and guitarist
1938 – Arthur Scargill, English miner, activist, and politician
1942 – Clarence Clemons, American saxophonist and actor
1946 – Naomi Judd, American singer-songwriter and actress
1946 – Tony Kaye, English progressive rock keyboard player and songwriter
1948 – Terry Williams, Welsh drummer
1949 – Daryl Braithwaite, Australian singer, and songwriter
1951 – Charlie Huhn, American rock singer and guitarist
1952 – Lee Ritenour, American guitarist, composer, and producer
1958 – Vicki Peterson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
1962 – Susan Lindauer, American journalist and activist
1968 – Tom Dumont, American guitarist and producer
1971 – Mary J. Blige, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
1971 – Chris Willsher, English singer-songwriter, drummer, and actor
1972 – Christian Jacobs, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
1985 – Newton Faulkner, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
1997 – Cody Simpson, Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor

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Died this day in:

It only takes 20 years for a liberal to become a conservative without changing a single idea.

also

A monopoly on the means of communication may define a ruling elite more precisely than the celebrated Marxian formula of monopoly in the means of production.

~~ Robert Anton Wilson

1753 – Hans Sloane, physician and academic
1882 – Theodor Schwann, physiologist and biologist
1891 – Georges-Eugène Haussmann, urban planner
1928 – Thomas Hardy, novelist and poet
1941 – Emanuel Lasker, mathematician, philosopher, and chess player
1947 – Eva Tanguay, singer
1954 – Oscar Straus, composer
1965 – Wally Pipp, quite possibly sports history's most important first baseman
1966 – Alberto Giacometti, sculptor and painter
1988 – Isidor Isaac Rabi, physicist and academic
1991 – Carl David Anderson, physicist and academic
2007 – Robert Anton Wilson, psychologist, author, poet, and playwright
2008 – Edmund Hillary, Tenzing Norgay's companion on the way up Everest
2010 – Miep Gies, humanitarian
2012 – Steven Rawlings, astrophysicist, astronomer, and academic
2013 – Aaron Swartz, programmer

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Holidays, Holy Days, Festivals, Feast Days, Days of Recognition, and such:

World Sketchnote Day
Eugenio María de Hostos Day (Puerto Rico)
National Hot Toddy Day
Kagami biraki (Japan)
National Human Trafficking Awareness Day (United States)
National Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friend Day

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Music goes here, iirc, well, With apologies Wink

Albert Hoffman
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Tommy Duncan

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Slim Harpo

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Clarence Clemons

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Tony Kaye

 

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Terry Williams

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Charlie Huhn

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Lee Ritenour

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Vicki Peterson

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Tom Dumont

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Eva Tanguay

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It's an open thread, so do your thing

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Comments

Lookout's picture

The snow is passing north of us. Just light drizzle here.

Human trafficking, like Epstein coordinated and the elites participated? It is amazing how quickly the media managed to cover the story with, "move along, nothing to see here." Not surprisingly the MSM covered up the real story of CIA complicity.

I thought this take on the Twitter censorship to be on target, IMO. (4 min)
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO7paBcllck]

Another interesting piece on the Capitol invasion CT

The Alabama duo—Mo Brooks and Tommy Tuberville—is one I suspect the FBI will want to investigate. At all stages of the insurrection it seems Trump was working with two Alabama Republicans to ensure the insurrection and the opposition to Biden's certification worked hand-in-glove.

He continues...

What I'm saying is that we're in the first few days of a federal investigation that may take a year or more, but one early theory of the case is that Trump didn't just incite insurrection—he and his team helped plan it many days in advance, and coordinate it as it unfolded

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1347894265465217026.html

Alrighty, y'all have a good one. Thanks for the OT and tunes. Here's one of my favorite traffic pieces about making beer! (6 min)
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8878chOvfI]
I play this with one of my buddies. He sings it.

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6 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Azazello's picture

@Lookout
There has to be some element of plausibility, something in history, in the culture or in a person's memory that allows them to believe weird things without feeling foolish.
There would be no QAnon CT without Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Clinton.

up
5 users have voted.

We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

enhydra lutris's picture

@Azazello

be well and have a good one

up
3 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Lookout's picture

@Azazello

This is very believable...just sayin' it will be labeled CT

New information in media reports shows that Trump’s January 6 fascistic insurrection had high level support from within the Republican Party and critical sections of the police and military-intelligence apparatus. These revelations raise the need for a full-scale investigation into the plot to overthrow the Constitution and all those involved in it.

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/01/11/pers-j11.html
Interesting read.

Take care!

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5 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

enhydra lutris's picture

@Azazello

creating pizzagate out of thin air with their bullshit about pizza codes.

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2 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Azazello's picture

@enhydra lutris
Maybe there's a "grain of truth ..." is too strong a statement.
Some CTs are made up from whole cloth, no grain at all.
You mentioned QAnon's progenitor Pizzagate and
I would put Russiagate in that same category, completely made up.
But in each case the CT resonates, or recalls, some trope in the real world.
In the case of Pizzagate/QAnon, there actually was a powerful Democrat, Clinton,
hanging out with a convicted pervert, Epstein.
Russiagate was likewise fictitious but decades of Cold War propaganda and pop culture
make it believable to some.
That's what I was trying to say.

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5 users have voted.

We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

enhydra lutris's picture

@Lookout

thanks for posting it. It should have a wider distribution. Once again a comedian is an important truth teller. I don't use twitter myself, becausse of those hordes of people shouting wanker and other reasons, dating back to the first days of them only publishing bumper stickers (you must be this tiny to fit our platform). Nonetheless there was a certain approach-avoidance reaction to phrases of the generral form "did you hear what Trump said just now?" As I noted yesterday evening, Twitter acted in a manner that it anticipated would benefit the company more than all the alternatives, and that's it unless they change their minds. Our opinions don't count.

I suspect that I shall quickly wean myself off of all information streams about the Capitol invasion, So, for today, to binge or not to binge ...

Yes, John Barleycorn must Die, good song off of a good album that I don'r recall getting too much attentian when it was new. Thanks

be well and have a good one

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4 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

enhydra lutris's picture

up
3 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Raggedy Ann's picture

Although I'm aware of human trafficking, I've never been in position to do anything about it, except I don't go to nail salons. I think some of those women are being trafficked. I could be wrong, but I'm not participating, just in case.

Enjoy the day! Pleasantry

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6 users have voted.

"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

enhydra lutris's picture

@Raggedy Ann

I suspect, at least not knowingly, so being aware, and/or on the lookout is about all we can do other than to support entities and organizations that actively combat it. I guess don't buy prison made goods and stop private prisons as well as stop imprisoning so many is one area that we can attack to some degree.

be well and have a good one

up
5 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Azazello's picture

She seemed to be having trouble deciding whether to blame whiteness or Russia for the riots.

up
9 users have voted.

We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

enhydra lutris's picture

@Azazello

such a firehose of propaganda and ignorant drivel, as if it were remotely possible for her to even know zip shit about Putin and his motives and goals, or Democracy, for that matter, since she is among those who completely misuse and abuse the term at every turning. I stopped after the first sen=tence, but thanks for the video anyway. Maybe later I can try to sit through it all.

be well and have a good one

BTW - I have a draft of a little colum for some weekend afternoon concerning PUTIN as both Bogeyman and Fnord. Maybe I'll break down and throw it up sooner than that.

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9 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Raggedy Ann's picture

@enhydra lutris expressed my sentiments, exactly! Pleasantry

up
6 users have voted.

"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

Azazello's picture

@enhydra lutris
Why does Putin hate democracy ?
I don't get it.
I remember George W. Bush telling us that evil-doers attacked the Twin Towers
because "they hate us for our freedom."
Now we're being told that there's this evil-doer over in Russia who poisons people
and sows discord because he hates democracy.
Does Nancy actually believe this shit ?

up
9 users have voted.

We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

enhydra lutris's picture

@Azazello

arguendo that he did, why would he then attack the US? We are, after all, one of the world's premier anti-democratic forces.

be well and have a good one

up
5 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Azazello's picture

@enhydra lutris
Of course, "Putin hates oligarchy" might not be such a useful fiction.

up
5 users have voted.

We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

enhydra lutris's picture

@Azazello

up
2 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

lotlizard's picture

@Azazello  
The deadly, dysfunctional, interlocking dual embrace of Democrats and Republicans. Ugh.

Desperate, dispossessed voters claw at the façade trying to get to the truth, but every layer of lie they manage to peel away is replaced by an even bigger, more monstrous lie.

up
10 users have voted.
enhydra lutris's picture

thanks for posting it. It should have a wider distribution. Once again a comedian is an important truth teller. I don't use twitter myself, becausse of those hordes of people shouting wanker and other reasons, dating back to the first days of them only publishing bumper stickers (you must be this tiny to fit our platform). Nonetheless there was a certain approach-avoidance reaction to phrases of the generral form "did you hear what Trump said just now?" As I noted yesterday evening, Twitter acted in a manner that it anticipated would benefit the company more than all the alternatives, and that's it unless they change their minds. Our opinions don't count.

I suspect that I shall quickly wean myself off of all information streams about the Capitol invasion, So, for today, to binge or not to binge ...

Yes, John Barleycorn must Die, good song off of a good album that I don'r recall getting too much attentian when it was new. Thanks

be well and have a good one

up
5 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

smiley7's picture

Thank you for this reminder of human trafficking and agree it's good to pause and ponder even if one has no means for immediate recourse. Recall a very damning documentary which aired long ago and in it's power, the images stick to this moment; alas, can't find it.

So many challenges out the door and in the heart ...

Pondering fits the weather here, warm, lazy overcast not wanting to rain nor shine and in the winding of the old cogs i feel it a great time to sell shares of the Brooklyn Bridge; laughable on the surface and terrifying down deep.

Thanks again and a have a peaceful one.

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2 users have voted.
enhydra lutris's picture

@smiley7

it's good to pause and ponder even if one has no means for immediate recourse.

very much so

be well and have a good one

up
3 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

magiamma's picture

et al

Wow. Long coupla days here. Back in the saddle, as it were. Humans have been trafficking each other for a very very long time.

So in other depressing news there is this

Bird Die-Off Linked to Climate. (Wind Turbines not so much)

https://climatecrocks.com/2020/12/26/bird-die-off-linked-to-climate-wind...

The mass die-off of thousands of songbirds in south-western US was caused by long-term starvation, made worse by unseasonably cold weather probably linked to the climate crisis, scientists have said.

Flycatchers, swallows and warblers were among the migratory birds “falling out of the sky” in September, with carcasses found in New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Arizona and Nebraska. A USGS National Wildlife Health Center necropsy has found 80% of specimens showed typical signs of starvation.

Muscles controlling the birds’ wings were severely shrunken, blood was found in their intestinal tract and they had kidney failure as well as an overall loss of body fat. The remaining 20% were not in good enough condition to carry out proper tests. Nearly 10,000 dead birds were reported to the wildlife mortality database by citizens, and previous estimates suggest hundreds of thousands may have died.

damn! Have a good evening and take good care. Thanks for the ot.

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Stop Climate Change Silence - Start the Conversation

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enhydra lutris's picture

@magiamma @magiamma

presumably only if you do something with or about said knowledge. What can I say. I try to supply all the needs for those passing by here, all I can do.

be well and have a good one

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3 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

magiamma's picture

@enhydra lutris
Moi aussi. Owls are still hooting nightly. Both. Very reassuring. Crows ate doing their damnedest to take out the peregrines. The new neighborhood cat is now wearing a BitrdSafe collar. Spinning spinning spinning...

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Stop Climate Change Silence - Start the Conversation

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enhydra lutris's picture

@magiamma

pleasant, comfortng and reassuring, but none are resident near enough to hear, though on rare occasions we get one park it nearby and call for a while.

be well and have a good one

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0 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --