Right, that was one of the initial big draws of moving toward capitalism.
When the Americas were first colonized they just worked the Indigenous slaves right to death, gave as little fucks about maintenance even left them out in the elements (or so some account went,this was more CenAm), yes disease played a role as well in mass killing, when the labor provided was too low since they genocided too many people then they started importing Africans which was more costly. Early colonizers had this absolutely nasty view indigenous slaves were seen as free gifts of nature, some inconsequential part of the land they conquered. Genocide was considered no differently than clearing the land for settlers and if you look in journals of the assholes at the time they wax poetic on that horrific shit. Collapsing US will share in this view, we're all seen as part of the resources they have on hand rather than humans.
It wouldn't surprise me if US history ends similarly to its beginning because of its highest developed fascism being a wonton colonialist death cult, and also so inept at containing its contradictions that it takes us back to pre-feudal period in futile hopes of again giving birth to bourgeois-aristocracy at a later time. It's not exactly a fully rational decision, its more of a reaction and cope. At least that's my thoughts on it so far, I'm no expert.
Way more expensive to maintain slaves alive than it is to just give workers pocket change then blame it on them if they can't live off of it
Right, that was one of the initial big draws of moving toward capitalism.
When the Americas were first colonized they just worked the Indigenous slaves right to death, gave as little fucks about maintenance even left them out in the elements (or so some account went,this was more CenAm), yes disease played a role as well in mass killing, when the labor provided was too low since they genocided too many people then they started importing Africans which was more costly. Early colonizers had this absolutely nasty view indigenous slaves were seen as free gifts of nature, some inconsequential part of the land they conquered. Genocide was considered no differently than clearing the land for settlers and if you look in journals of the assholes at the time they wax poetic on that horrific shit. Collapsing US will share in this view, we're all seen as part of the resources they have on hand rather than humans.
It wouldn't surprise me if US history ends similarly to its beginning because of its highest developed fascism being a wonton colonialist death cult, and also so inept at containing its contradictions that it takes us back to pre-feudal period in futile hopes of again giving birth to bourgeois-aristocracy at a later time. It's not exactly a fully rational decision, its more of a reaction and cope. At least that's my thoughts on it so far, I'm no expert.