rezendi

Disposable People, by Kevin Bales, is a brilliant and horrifying study of modern slavery. I read it as research for Book 3. (One might reasonably ask if it's really research when I'm already two drafts in; the answer is "sorta" - but DP is so good and thought-provoking that the pretext is irrelevant.) Bales travelled around the world investigating slavery, asking hard questions, and thoughtfully analyzes the economics and sociology of exploitation. I recommend the book to everyone: he's a terrific researcher and good writer. (And all proceeds go to free the estimated 27 million slaves in the world today: see www.freetheslaves.net).

So why are some of his conclusions so infuriatingly wrongheaded?

( Politics, economics, globalization, and slavery. Very long. )

Disposable People is a brilliant book, and I urge everyone to read it despite my disagreement with its conclusions. But it's sad to see a man so passionately opposed to slavery urging people to fight the very movement most likely to free the world's slaves.