In the way capitalism arose from pillage & plunder.
Even way before the Industrial Revolution.
The navies protected the (taxable) commerce from further pillage & plunder.
But the only ones that could afford to build any ships at all were usually the monarchs whom had already largely pillaged and plundered the wealth of their subjects.
Capitalism at this complete a level of wealth concentration reveals its eventual destructive effect on free enterprise.
Due to the extreme wealth inequality ships could justify cargoes of volunteers who would virtually pay to live as somewhat of a slave somewhere else.
Eventually it was only a matter of greed whether a particular voyage would contribute to a more advantageous outcome when choosing either physical or financial bondage for their cargoes of slaves.
When the viewpoint of the capital owners is so far removed from that of the lowest-level subjects, the difficulty for them to respect the (finer?) differences between physical vs. financial bondage of their servants in the 18th & 19th centuries evolves into the blurring of the distinction between financial bondage vs. financial empowerment of their employees in the 20th & 21st centuries.
Simply depending on where the powerful draw the line when greed is involved.
When the money must make money even under adverse conditions, the result of unbridled capitalism tends toward slavery of some form or another.
In the way capitalism arose from pillage & plunder.
Even way before the Industrial Revolution.
The navies protected the (taxable) commerce from further pillage & plunder.
But the only ones that could afford to build any ships at all were usually the monarchs whom had already largely pillaged and plundered the wealth of their subjects.
Capitalism at this complete a level of wealth concentration reveals its eventual destructive effect on free enterprise.
Due to the extreme wealth inequality ships could justify cargoes of volunteers who would virtually pay to live as somewhat of a slave somewhere else.
Eventually it was only a matter of greed whether a particular voyage would contribute to a more advantageous outcome when choosing either physical or financial bondage for their cargoes of slaves.
When the viewpoint of the capital owners is so far removed from that of the lowest-level subjects, the difficulty for them to respect the (finer?) differences between physical vs. financial bondage of their servants in the 18th & 19th centuries evolves into the blurring of the distinction between financial bondage vs. financial empowerment of their employees in the 20th & 21st centuries.
Simply depending on where the powerful draw the line when greed is involved.
When the money must make money even under adverse conditions, the result of unbridled capitalism tends toward slavery of some form or another.
Depending on your point of view, I guess.