Modern Slavery

It seems unbelievable, but I have heard enough stories like the one I am about to discuss to know that it is true.  There are people in this country being forced to work for no pay, in despicable conditions.  They are basically modern slaves.  How is this possible, you might wonder?

Modern slave drivers are smart.  They lure gullible foreigners to the great land of America with promises of honest work for respectable pay.  They make sure to choose folks who will have the largest language barriers to overcome.

When the workers arrive, their passports and money are stolen.  Having no way to communicate with the general populace, and no papers to prove their identities, these men and women are stuck.  They are literally modern slaves.

The story that made me think about his topic today can be found here:  FBI: 6 accused in forced labor of 400 Thai workers.  The 400 Thai men and women were shipped like cargo across the US and forced to work, the whole time facing threats of deportation.

According to FBI agent Tom Simon, this case fit the mold of modern slavery.  "'In the old days, they used to keep slaves in their places with whips and chains. Today it's done with economic threats and intimidation,' Simon said."

I have heard similar cases involving Africans and Middle Easterners.  This post will be used to document these unfortunate soul's stories.  

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9/4

More information regarding the arrest of 6 individuals involved in trafficking slaves from Thailand can be found here.  This paragraph best explains why the workers couldn't just run away:

"The recruitment fees paid by the workers were reportedly as much as $17,000 each, with much of the balance to be paid in the United States, subtracted from the weekly wages. The indictment alleges many of the recruitment fees were financed by debts secured with the workers' family property and homes, which the government says kept many of the employees at the mercy of the defendants."
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9/8
In this video, you can see the deplorable living conditions some of the Thai workers had to endure.  Furthermore, you can hear, through an interpreter, the first-hand account of one of the men sent to Hawaii as a US guest worker. to pick pineapples  When he arrived at his new home, he was shocked.   There were cobwebs and dirt in the barracks, and no running water or toilet.  As he started to get paid, he quickly realize that something wasn't right.  Several paychecks in the amount of $0 eventually led him to lose his ancestral home in Thailand to creditors.  He finally escaped his captors, but said that he still fears for his life.
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9/10
Mo. man accused of keeping woman as sex slave

The title is actually inaccurate.  Five men were involved in the sexual torture of a 24 year old woman, described in the article as "mentally deficient."