NationStates Jolt Archive

Novelty Act Slavery (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4241958.stm)

India, the only country with nuclear missiles, and child slavery! Someone should do something about this.

Who should do that? India is not some weak nation in the Middle East that can be bullied around. It's an important trade partner and ally of the West, especially of the US.

It and the surrounding countries have been infamous for their child slavery (or "labour" as it's sometimes called) for a very long time. The West doesn't care about that, because capitalism and short term military interests are panacea to our conscience. Just look at China - who cares about it being a brutal dictatorship where people suffer under nightmarish oppression as long as we can tap into their market and make a profit?

It's sickening, yes, but that's the West and capitalism for you. Money and power are all that matters.

You actually think its legal in India to buy and sell a child? And that the government actually supports this?

Afraid you are terribly mistaken.

You actually think its legal in India to buy and sell a child? And that the government actually supports this?

Afraid you are terribly mistaken.

He may be mistaken, but that isn't the point. India does little to stop this, or has ineffective policies against it. The Indian government is one of the largest bureaucratic messes I have ever seen. There is so much bureaucracy and it often conflicts with other portions of government. Also the country still relies on the weak coalition government form. If some parties just withdraw the government's stability could be called into question. India also suffers from acute energy shortages and infrastructure problems. Not to mention, the primary school system in India is GROSSLY underfunded and totally neglected.

Additionally, there is a growing AIDS epidemic in the southern portion of the country that is going unnoticed by the international community.

They have more problems they can deal with, and the ineffective government is only making things more difficult.

Who should do that? India is not some weak nation in the Middle East that can be bullied around. It's an important trade partner and ally of the West, especially of the US.

It and the surrounding countries have been infamous for their child slavery (or "labour" as it's sometimes called) for a very long time. The West doesn't care about that, because capitalism and short term military interests are panacea to our conscience. Just look at China - who cares about it being a brutal dictatorship where people suffer under nightmarish oppression as long as we can tap into their market and make a profit?

It's sickening, yes, but that's the West and capitalism for you. Money and power are all that matters.

Yeah. I've been sickened that we've associated with nations like this. Saudi Arabia, China, India...Not exactly on the list of "Most Free Peoples". We preach "freedom and liberty" and yet we cow-tow to a scumbag Saudi prince who wouldn't think twice about killing you if you wore the wrong colored shirt.

Profit by any means neccessary...laize faire...not something that makes me proud of western civilization.

Yeah. I've been sickened that we've associated with nations like this. Saudi Arabia, China, India...Not exactly on the list of "Most Free Peoples". We preach "freedom and liberty" and yet we cow-tow to a scumbag Saudi prince who wouldn't think twice about killing you if you wore the wrong colored shirt.

Profit by any means neccessary...laize faire...not something that makes me proud of western civilization.
That's true. We should spend more time and effort in trying to get those nations to embrace our values and use our economic relationships with them as leverage to make them see the light. Turning a blind eye to injustices only makes us complicit in them.

India does little to stop this
India does almost nothing to enforce their laws, there are other illegal actions that the Indian government does to stop.

America has a long-standing tradition of hypocrisy in the name of national self-interest so this shouldn't be surprising.

However, should someone manage to fake a video of Hugo Chavez giving two-thumbs up to India, then we might actually see some "policy changes."

Eh, wait until someone tells Bush they're making WMDs, then we'll see something done about it XD
Eventually it will come to light that everyone else knew they were making nukes long before he realized it so he'll look for reasons to pull out of his ass to go to war anyway and of course saving the Indian children will be the reason, and thus he'll just send in the military long enough to shake things up and destroy all order, then attempt to just leave as if nothing happened, realize "ah crap if they have a civil war mom and dad will find out" and keep the military there for a while. Once again, France will use common sense and object, and once again the White House will host a lunch with "Freedom Fries" in complete ignorance to the fact that the damn things came from Belgium.

heehee children make good slaves! They have little hands that can get into the corners for cleaning.

No really slavery is disgusting, and it should most definitely be stopped. The Indian government should certainly take a harder approach to it, but as it is some embroidered into Indian culture it will be a hard one to break.

As for nuclear weapons-well they're not topical at the moment so give George a ring and tell him there's a country(who probably dislike his Dad as well) a forgot!

Who should do that? India is not some weak nation in the Middle East that can be bullied around. It's an important trade partner and ally of the West, especially of the US.

It and the surrounding countries have been infamous for their child slavery (or "labour" as it's sometimes called) for a very long time. The West doesn't care about that, because capitalism and short term military interests are panacea to our conscience. Just look at China - who cares about it being a brutal dictatorship where people suffer under nightmarish oppression as long as we can tap into their market and make a profit?

It's sickening, yes, but that's the West and capitalism for you. Money and power are all that matters.
Fass, now I know you're brighter than that! Sheesh!

During the Industrial Revolution in the West, children labored for many hours sorting coal, for example; some of them never saw the light of day, working in the coal mines during all daylight hours and only getting out when it was already dark. This changed when enough people got upset enough about it to insist on child labor laws. I would imagine the same thing will happen in India and most ( dare I hope all? ) other countries as the living standard rises.

It won't happen soon, though. As for the boy, I'd like to be in teh guiness book of world records.... :(

It won't happen soon, though. As for the boy, I'd like to be in teh guiness book of world records.... :(
Um ... I don't think there's a category for "Most posts on NS General in an hour," but you can try to convince them to start one if you like! :D

Fass, now I know you're brighter than that! Sheesh!

You know very little about me Eutrusca.

During the Industrial Revolution in the West, children labored for many hours sorting coal, for example; some of them never saw the light of day, working in the coal mines during all daylight hours and only getting out when it was already dark. This changed when enough people got upset enough about it to insist on child labor laws.

And I am upset. I do not feel that the West is doing what it should be doing to influence India, and many other countries, into rooting this out. I do not feel that the West is doing anything, because there's no money in it. We'll go on, purposefully oblivious to the situation for as long as India or whoever plays nice and continues to be a source of revenue. For all the bullshit we talk about human rights and children's' rights and liberating this and that, we do so very little to actually do anything about it. It's only if the (often puppet) dictator or the powers that be in some nation start to thumb their noses at us that we take on the air of morality and decency to use as an excuse to reach that market yet again.

"Play nice with us, and whatever you want to your people, and you'll be invited to Strasbourg or Camp David."

I would imagine the same thing will happen in India and most ( dare I hope all? ) other countries as the living standard rises.

It hasn't in the Arab countries. And what do we care? As long as the oil keeps coming, we won't.

Child labor has been outlawed in India.

But enforcement of the law is not the highest priority and child labor exists in many areas in many forms particularly where people live in chronic poverty.

India's chronic poverty levels were 50% at the time of independance and is now less than 20%. I would say that it is something to be proud of, given the conditions with which we started as an independant country. Conditions are improving as living standards rise. These things cannot be changed overnight.

But I fail to understand how a kid attempting for a Guinness record = Child slavery as some have accused. :confused:

And what's with the condescending clubbing of India with Saudi Arabia, ME and China. It is downright insulting. The disadvantaged in those countries can do jackshit about their conditions. They have almost no political rights. In India they are atleast free. Free to be poor, but still, they are free.

But I fail to understand how a kid attempting for a Guinness record = Child slavery as some have accused. :confused:


Probably because the guy bought him for $20 dollars - well actually he's on loan from his current owners, but that's beside the point - and he's a little three year old kid, being made to train like an olympic athelete.

As long as this is going on, India should be under trade sanctions from the rest of the world.

(I'm am also pissed off at the twee tone of the BBC article. As usual they are more worried about being though of a racist than anything else. If this kid was in the US or France, they would have no problem in heaping scorn upon the government that let this happen).

Probably because the guy bought him for $20 dollars - well actually he's on loan from his current owners, but that's beside the point - and he's a little three year old kid, being made to train like an olympic athelete.

I read other articles which just mentioned that he was "given away" by his mother when his father died and she could not bring up the child.

I dunno which is more horrible, the mother keeping the child and the child dying in hunger and poverty or the mother "giving away"/selling the child so that it may live elsewhere,


As long as this is going on, India should be under trade sanctions from the rest of the world.
...the government that let this happen

LOL. The Indian government "let's" this happen as much as other governments "let's" crimes happen in their respective countries.

Shall we slap sanctions on the US because the Bush govt "let" blacks die?

Fass, now I know you're brighter than that! Sheesh!

During the Industrial Revolution in the West, children labored for many hours sorting coal, for example; some of them never saw the light of day, working in the coal mines during all daylight hours and only getting out when it was already dark. This changed when enough people got upset enough about it to insist on child labor laws. I would imagine the same thing will happen in India and most ( dare I hope all? ) other countries as the living standard rises.
I think that Europe should just take over India and impose child labour laws.

I think that Europe should just take over India and impose child labour laws.

Now who does THAT sound like?

Luckily, there is nothing even closely resembling slavery in America today.
http://www.oxfamamerica.org/newsandpublications/news_updates/archive2002/art3810.html