this post was submitted on 10 Jan 2025
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A Boring Dystopia

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So all we need to do is find a way to put people in prison!

Win-win!

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[–] wuphysics87@lemmy.ml 2 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (8 children)

To play devil's advocate, and out of blind ignorancr, what's the alternative? Do nothing? Conscript the public?

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[–] medgremlin@midwest.social 4 points 4 hours ago

Also, many of them are ineligible to become actual firefighters after their release from prison due to their criminal record. I would be slightly more okay with this system if it translated into a guaranteed position as a firefighter following release if they agree to go to an area in need like in smaller communities that have trouble recruiting firefighters.

[–] ThatKomputerKat@lemmy.world 57 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

I think one of the absolute stupidest things about this when it comes up is that when these same people get let out of prison they can’t even get the job of fire fighter because of their criminal record.

[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 24 points 7 hours ago

While no legal system is perfect, I much prefer the way some countries prevent the public from hearing the actual names of criminals or someone’s criminal history. Not everyone needs to be branded for life with a scarlet letter. It would reduce recidivism as well.

[–] Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 47 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) (1 children)

Slavery is alive and well in the United States Of America.

(As a side note it's funny how, with a century of delay, the US pretty much followed the UK in making slavery "illegal" by just making chattel slavery illegal and, not long after, replacing it with indentured servitude. The non "funny" side is that Britain has already dropped indentured servitude but the US is busy actually expanding their variant of it with things like 3-strikes legislation)

[–] ploot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 15 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) (1 children)

The 13th Amendment to the US constitution makes slavery illegal except for prisoners.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penal_labor_in_the_United_States

[–] Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

The 13th Amendment to the US constitution makes slavery illegal except for prisoners.

Exactly my point.

The type of prisioners made to work like this in the US tend to be people who are in prison for crimes directly or indirectly related to poverty, not things like murder, making it it a lot like indentured servitude worked in Britain were people who couldn't pay their debts were used as slaves.

[–] exu@feditown.com 1 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

I wonder if the Alethi pay their slaves better. What's the normal hourly rate for a firefighter?

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[–] BlackPenguins@lemmy.world 1 points 4 hours ago

Fire Country

Yes, that is a TV show.

[–] cabillaud@lemmy.world 15 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

It could be worse: they could be insured by UHC :)

[–] medgremlin@midwest.social 3 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

They'll probably need specialty pulmonology care later in life and a lot of public insurance plans either don't cover it, or the waiting lists for Medicaid patients are obscene. At least UHC would get you onto the shorter waiting list.

[–] cabillaud@lemmy.world 1 points 4 hours ago

So no more "Delay, Deny, Defend"?

[–] CitizenKong@lemmy.world 30 points 13 hours ago (2 children)

Grandmaster: Revolution? How did this happen?

Topaz: Don't know. But the Arena's mainframe for the Obedience Disks have been deactivated and the slaves have armed themselves.

Grandmaster: Ohhh! I don't like that word!

Topaz: Mainframe?

Grandmaster: No. Why would I not like "mainframe?" No, the "S" word!

Topaz: Sorry, the "prisoners with jobs" have armed themselves.

Grandmaster: Okay, that's better.

[–] kameecoding@lemmy.world 6 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Thor Ragnarok is the only MCU movie I care to rewatch once in a while, along with Infinity War

[–] medgremlin@midwest.social 3 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

I actually purchased Thor: Ragnarok so that I could watch it repeatedly. I love it so much. I'm pretty sure about 90% of that movie was ad-libbed by Taika just giving them a vague outline of what the scene is supposed to be about and then just setting the actors loose to improv to their heart's content.

Edit: Also, watching Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) absolutely kill it as the most exasperated evil queen is one of my favorite things in a movie ever.

[–] Daefsdeda@sh.itjust.works 7 points 12 hours ago

Definitely using this during my dnd session. The prison warden wardening prisoners with a job solely for their own benefit.

[–] Melatonin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 89 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) (1 children)

Hey, they're lucky not to be used as slaves!

The 13th Amendment states: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”

Let's call for-profit prisons what they are - Plantations.

[–] sik0fewl@lemmy.ca 27 points 14 hours ago (2 children)

I always assume it's a European (or maybe Canadian) that makes posts like this. Last time I asked, I think they we're European - definitely not American.

But I really hope that Americans, at least, know that the right to enslave is enshrined in their constitution.

[–] medgremlin@midwest.social 3 points 4 hours ago

Oh, a bunch of us know, but because of gerrymandering and the ignorance of the larger populace, there's not a goddamn thing we can do about it.

[–] Olgratin_Magmatoe@slrpnk.net 5 points 5 hours ago

American here, been saying it's slavery for a while. Not all of us are clueless.

[–] Rottcodd@lemmy.world 159 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

That's why homelessness is being criminalized.

The explicit goal is to recreate Victorian workhouses for the benefit of the new generation of robber barons.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 38 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Hey now, they won't be called Workhouses. They'll be called AI training data centers and Gig Opportunity Recruitment Points.

And if you don't support these amazing engines of economic development and industrial growth, you are clearly just throwing your support behind the concentration camps that the Bad Team wants to build.

Hell, I how do I even know you're not a Russian bot or a Chinese Wumao, trying to sow dissent in our glorious country, anyway?

[–] Fuckfuckmyfuckingass@lemmy.world 25 points 17 hours ago (3 children)

I'm sure Elon will give the camps some dip shit meme name.

[–] hovercat@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 5 hours ago

Cyber-camps? Giga-gulags?

[–] pivot_root@lemmy.world 14 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago) (1 children)

"Marginal Demographic, Mandatory Assistance" camps?
"Wage-Exempt Extradition & Deportation" camps?
"Temporary Unpaid Assistant Housing"?

[–] Olgratin_Magmatoe@slrpnk.net 1 points 5 hours ago (2 children)

Nah, he'll make it some dumbass acronym.

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[–] bdonvr@thelemmy.club 42 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

Public work is one thing if we had a fair justice system (we don't)

Private work is absolutely indefensible.

[–] fine_sandy_bottom@discuss.tchncs.de 10 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Da fuq? This is just plain wrong.

[–] pyre@lemmy.world 4 points 9 hours ago

not legally. the constitution did not ban slavery completely. there is an explicit exception for prisoners.

[–] sartalon@lemmy.world 50 points 17 hours ago (4 children)

My wife was a journalist in SoCal a while back. She did a story on some women prisoners that were used to assist in firefighting.

They worked alongside Cal Fire. It was rough work, they were right there in the shit.

She can't recall if they were paid anything extra but she does remember that they ALL volunteered for it. They actually loved it.

[–] IamtheMorgz@lemmy.world 5 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

In my job, I occasionally facilitate training for prisoner firefighters. Not only do they all love the job, they are also the best FD we train with. They read the material, study procedures, get it right when being observed. They get to stay at the firehouse instead of the prison itself, so both getting invited to do it and continuing to do it are huge for the inmates. They also love it. It burns my biscuit right up that they'll not be able to be a firefighter when they get out.

[–] Pieisawesome@lemmy.world 2 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

They allow them to become firefighters nowadays.

The law changed recently

[–] IamtheMorgz@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago

Depends on the state I imagine. But I just looked mine up and it's "in the last 10 years" and not "ever" so that's good.

[–] mogranja@lemmy.world 8 points 8 hours ago

I assume after being locked up long enough, people will agree to anything to go outside for a little while, and vary their routine.

[–] TheReturnOfPEB@reddthat.com 29 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago) (1 children)

It could lead to them getting job offers if/when they get released.

It does not.

[–] winterayars@sh.itjust.works 34 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

They are banned (or they used to be, looks like there were some legal changes recently) from being firefighters after they're released, so...

[–] Cypher@lemmy.world 6 points 12 hours ago (2 children)

Firefighting is known to attract arsonists… probably a bit harder to vet known criminals

[–] ScoopMcPoops@lemmy.world 10 points 9 hours ago

Honestly if anything I think it would be easier than vetting someone with no background, you already have what they've been convicted of. Idk how many burglars or murderers like to dabble in arson.

[–] jj4211@lemmy.world 1 points 5 hours ago

If only there were more context and nuance available than "convict/not convict" when making such determinations and risk assessments about candidates...

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[–] Grimy@lemmy.world 23 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Yo, its the private fire fighters the guy was asking on Twitter about.

[–] whostosay@lemmy.world 13 points 15 hours ago

"I will pay any amount"

1 dollar per hour and your soul is pretty cheap.

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