American sociologist and author (1952- )
Where an average slave in 1850 would have cost the equivalent of $40,000 in modern money, today's slave can be bought for a few hundred dollars. This cheapness makes the modern slave easily affordable, but it also makes him or her a disposable commodity. For the slaveholder it's often cheaper to let a slave die than it is to buy medicine to keep the slave alive. There is no form of slavery, past or present, that isn't horrific; however, today's slavery is one of the most diabolical strains to emerge in the thousands of years in which humans have been enslaving their fellows.
KEVIN BALES & RON SOODALTER
The Slave Next Door
Slavery is theft -- theft of a life, theft of work, theft of any property or produce, theft even of the children a slave might have borne.
KEVIN BALES
Understanding Global Slavery
Slaves today are cheaper than they have ever been. The cost of slaves has fallen to a historical low, as little as $10.
KEVIN BALES & BECKY CORNELL
Slavery Today
Slavery is about money. People are enslaved to make a profit. Most slaveholders have little interest in hurting anyone, in being cruel or torturing someone; it is simply part of the job.
KEVIN BALES & BECKY CORNELL
Slavery Today
For some slaves, the first step out of bondage is to learn to see their lives with new eyes. Their reality is a social world where they have their place and some assurance of a subsistence diet. Born into slavery, they cannot easily redefine their lives outside the frame of enslavement.
KEVIN BALES
Understanding Global Slavery