[Ayoob]

In many nations, people have personal servants. Egypt, the Philippines, England (back in the day), the wealthy had personal servants. They would polish the silver, do the gardening, cook, do the shopping, etc. I don't think having servants is an American custom, but it's possible.

Consider the relationship between "your boss" at work and you. If your boss asked you to pick up your dry cleaning, that would be an abuse of a work relationship. If your job was picking up the dry cleaning for some wealthy person, then that's not an abuse of a work relationship. We have power and control relationships now. This would just be another change in the American workplace.

If unemployment goes above 20% officially (which means 40% in reality) I bet servants would be cheap. A room in back of the house, food, one day off every other week, and a fairly easy 14 hour day every day. You basically keep an eye on the master of the house and try to anticipate his needs. He lifts his glass, you fill it. He looks bored, you bring a newspaper. He needs paperwork done, like getting his boat re-registered, so you take care of it. He needs his calendar updated, you take care of it. And the laundry, the bedding, maybe a little gardening, maybe a little silver-polishing.

Is that so bad?

You get a clean dry room with a roof that doesn't leak, the master's old bed (including sheets and pillows - so you probably want to make sure his personal stuff is perfect... any imperfect stuff goes to you), maybe his old clothes, whatever booze you can steal, and a job until you die (or he does).

A 14 hour day might seem excessive, but I've worked MORE than my share of 12 hour days... hell, I've worked MORE than my share of 24 hour shifts, even 72 hour shifts. I've swamped out toilets, cleaned up blood and shit, polished shoes, pulled weeds, sold whatever was handy door to door, jumped gates to stick advertising flyers in doorways, etc. I've done it all. Being a servant would be easy compared to that shit. An easy 14 hour day is much more bearable than a brutal six hour day digging ditches in the clay with a pickaxe, I can tell you that for SURE.

It would be kind of a drag to call someone "Master." but you'd probably get over it in a couple years. It's just a job title.

I would imagine that a personal servant that had good taste and an ability to score a good deal would be particularly valuable. If you, as a servant, had the computer skills to shark deals on eBay and Amazon, to invest in one thing or another, or was a particularly good cook... that would elevate you above your simple weed-pulling tonk.

Before anyone gets too uppity on the subject of servants, there are places in the world where people are still chattel slaves. If you eat chocolate, you may well be consuming the product of human child chattel slavery. If you bought your wife a diamond engagement ring, you may possibly be participating in an economic chain that ends with a human being having his/her chocolate starfish violated to look for smuggled diamonds. Don't get too self-righteous.

How would you take it if you ended up being somebody's personal servant? Would you be crushed at the prospect, or would you smile and hold out your bowl for more? Do you think you would end up a servant or a master?

[Kristen]

With fewer and fewer people holding most of the deck of the cards, I doubt anyone could afford a servant. The top 2 percent will have a lot to choose from, but good luck.

[ian807]

Just now, we don't have the culture for it. The enterprising use of pitchforks and torches, not to mention thousands of personal weapons, is a more likely outcome. France's revolution was caused by an economic crisis resembling ours. When that happened, the aristocracy was suddenly on speaking terms with the guillotine. Ours may become remarkably conversant with the handgun and the 2.22 deer rifle.

I wouldn't bet on people getting more servile once their drugs of choice (TV, cheap fatty food, antidepressants, the internet) are taken from them. They'll be going through withdrawal and it won't be pretty. I wouldn't want to be an overtly wealthy person when that happens.

[IslandCrow]

I remember talking about servants before moving to a developing country where we were expected to have a 'home help'. When the wife questioned this I remember one person asking "If you go to a resturant do you wash the dishes?" - Obviously the answer is no, and we are all adapt to use servants AS LONG AS WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.

[frankthetank]

More like knob polishing!

I could easily see this coming back.

I'll be a sex slave for some hot rich chick. I'll keep an eye on her peach orchards and her melon patch.

[perdition79]

The would-be aristocracy will quickly learn that a man only owns that which he can hold onto, a short time before they would be able to have such man-servants. I agree with the "French Revolution" assessment of our nation's future.

[Chuckmak]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('frankthetank', 'I')'ll be a sex slave for some hot rich chick.

[Grautr]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ayoob', 'I')n many nations, people have personal servants. Egypt, the Philippines, England (back in the day), the wealthy had personal servants. They would polish the silver, do the gardening, cook, do the shopping, etc. I don't think having servants is an American custom, but it's possible.

Consider the relationship between "your boss" at work and you. If your boss asked you to pick up your dry cleaning, that would be an abuse of a work relationship. If your job was picking up the dry cleaning for some wealthy person, then that's not an abuse of a work relationship. We have power and control relationships now. This would just be another change in the American workplace.

If unemployment goes above 20% officially (which means 40% in reality) I bet servants would be cheap. A room in back of the house, food, one day off every other week, and a fairly easy 14 hour day every day. You basically keep an eye on the master of the house and try to anticipate his needs. He lifts his glass, you fill it. He looks bored, you bring a newspaper. He needs paperwork done, like getting his boat re-registered, so you take care of it. He needs his calendar updated, you take care of it. And the laundry, the bedding, maybe a little gardening, maybe a little silver-polishing.

Is that so bad?

You get a clean dry room with a roof that doesn't leak, the master's old bed (including sheets and pillows - so you probably want to make sure his personal stuff is perfect... any imperfect stuff goes to you), maybe his old clothes, whatever booze you can steal, and a job until you die (or he does).

A 14 hour day might seem excessive, but I've worked MORE than my share of 12 hour days... hell, I've worked MORE than my share of 24 hour shifts, even 72 hour shifts. I've swamped out toilets, cleaned up blood and shit, polished shoes, pulled weeds, sold whatever was handy door to door, jumped gates to stick advertising flyers in doorways, etc. I've done it all. Being a servant would be easy compared to that shit. An easy 14 hour day is much more bearable than a brutal six hour day digging ditches in the clay with a pickaxe, I can tell you that for SURE.

It would be kind of a drag to call someone "Master." but you'd probably get over it in a couple years. It's just a job title.

I would imagine that a personal servant that had good taste and an ability to score a good deal would be particularly valuable. If you, as a servant, had the computer skills to shark deals on eBay and Amazon, to invest in one thing or another, or was a particularly good cook... that would elevate you above your simple weed-pulling tonk.

Before anyone gets too uppity on the subject of servants, there are places in the world where people are still chattel slaves. If you eat chocolate, you may well be consuming the product of human child chattel slavery. If you bought your wife a diamond engagement ring, you may possibly be participating in an economic chain that ends with a human being having his/her chocolate starfish violated to look for smuggled diamonds. Don't get too self-righteous.

How would you take it if you ended up being somebody's personal servant? Would you be crushed at the prospect, or would you smile and hold out your bowl for more? Do you think you would end up a servant or a master?

[Plantagenet]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Grautr', '.')... personal servants.....

[vision-master]

Do you have any servants plant?

Maybe just hired hands to do your bidding, eh.

[Plantagenet]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', 'D')o you have any servants plant?

[Plantagenet]

In other cultures, being a servant is not a demeaning thing. For instance, on the planet of the Amazons, being a body servant can even be fun!


MAN MUST DO SNOO-SNOO!!!!! NOW!!!!

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', 'D')o you have any servants plant?

[Plantagenet]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', 'D')o you have any servants plant?

[careinke]

We had a live in Sri Lanka maid (Minnie) for the nine years I worked in Saudi. It was great. Cost us $400 per month, plus room and board (we over paid her). Plus we let her take in laundry and clean other places after she took care of us. She was also the local loan shark among the compounds Third Country Nationals (TCNs).

My villa always went to the top of the list, on the compound, if we needed any maintenance work done. She also got us really good deals shopping at the local souks. The best part was if I felt like cooking (which I enjoy), she was right behind me cleaning up.

She was fluent in five languages, and one smart cookie. Another thing I liked, she was not very pretty, so no problem with compound rumors. She still calls us on Christmas. We miss her.

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', 'D')o you have any servants plant?

[Plantagenet]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', '
')Plant's hunting group.

[vision-master]

I C yer pals with Sarah.

[Plantagenet]

Actually, I'm more interested in the big blonde babe. She's got a REALLY GOOD PAIR of snowmachines AND an almost new motor I'd like to hook up on my inflatable.

[frankthetank]

I've been told moose tastes like crap. My brother makes jerkey out of every meat imaginable and he said moose was by far the worst tasting meat. Said it tasted like mud. Nothing like Wisconsin whitetail Fed on the finest of gmo corns!