The Deprogram UNLOCKED: Bonus Episode 33 - American Gulag
Aug 22, 2025
Dive into a nostalgic discussion about cultural chocolates that evokes personal memories. The conversation takes a sharp turn as it critiques the absurdity of commodifying identity and explores flawed marketing strategies. Learn about the unexpected rise of a Chinese app following the U.S. TikTok ban, showcasing intriguing cultural exchanges. The distressing parallels between the Soviet Gulag and modern American prisons surface, revealing exploitation in prison labor. Delve into the ethics of corporate practices benefiting from this system, underscoring urgent calls for reform.
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13th Amendment Loophole Enabled Forced Labor
- The 13th Amendment abolished slavery except as punishment for crime, creating a legal loophole for forced prison labor.
- That exception enabled state-directed systems of compulsory work that persist from Reconstruction to today.
Black Codes Channelled Freed People Into Prisons
- After the Civil War southern states used Black Codes to criminalize minor acts and funnel Black people into prisons.
- Prison labor then operated as slavery by another name through convict leasing and similar systems.
Convict Leasing Funded State Treasuries
- Convict leasing let states lease prisoners to private companies, generating massive state revenue.
- By 1890 Alabama earned 73% of state revenue from convict leasing and prisoners worked brutal plantation-style labor.