WhatIsa
Military
Slave?
17
chattel
slavery
inNorth
America.Astheharshestslave
system
in
history,
a
theAmerican
experience
provides
a
poor
basisfrom
which
tounderstandthemoresubtle
phenomenonof
military
slavery;thereaderwilldobesttofreehismind
ofitbeforecon-
sideringthefollowingdiscussion.
Although
often
oppressedanddebased,slavesneednotlive
badly;
some
pursueresponsiblecareers
in
business,
government,
orthecourt.Farfrom
beingdespised
in
these
positions,they
wield
power
and
accruewealth.Islamiclaw,for
example,hasa
special
termforthe
slavewho
engages
inbusiness,ma’dhn.
De-
spite
thefactthat
governmental
slaves
havefilledsuch
important
positionsallovertheworld,
includingEurope,
thesefactscom-
monly
arouse
surpriseand
protest:
"Such men arenot
true
slaves"istheusualreaction.
But,asweshallsee,
they
oftenare.
True
slavery
hasawider
range
of
possibilitiesthanone
might
imagine;
indeed,aslavecanlivein
anycircumstancesas
long
as
hemeetstwo
conditions.Hemust
normally
besalable
andhe
mustbe
subject
tohismaster
inall
important
matters.Trueslav-
eryimplies
treatmentasa
commodity;
theslavecanbe
bought
andsoldlike
any
other
object.
The trueslave
doesnothave
power
over the most
importantaspects
ofhis own
life; his
whereabouts,
occupation,
marital status, or
discipline.
The
masterdecideswherethe
slavelives,whatworkhedoes,whether
he
maymarry,
andwhetherheshouldbe
punished.
The
key
hereiscontrol;
thougheveryone
is
subject
to
innumerablere-
strictions
andlimitations,theslave
(andpossibly
thecitizenof
a
moderntotalitarian
statethoughhecannotbe
sold)consistently
lacksthe
power
tomakehisownmost
important
decisions.
Asthisdefinitionoftrue
slaveryconsidersonlytherelations
between
slaveandmaster,itallowsusto
ignore
the
slave’soccu-
pation,
wealth,social
standing,
and
power.
He
may
do
anything;
as
long
ashismastercontrols
him,heisstillaslave.He
may
ac-
quiregreat
wealthand
power
or
shapethedestiniesofmillions
of
peoplewhile
remaining
atrueslave.Forcenturies
theOtto-
andS.L.
Engerman,
Timeonthe
Cross:TheEconomics
of
American
NegroSlavery
(Boston,
1974),
forthelatest
majorstatementofthis
point
ofview.
23.Foran
explanation
ofthis,seeS.M.
Elkins,Slavery:AProbleminAmerican
InstitutionalandIntellectual
Life
(Chicago,
1959).