Have you read anything at all about slavery? Compared to that, being a citizen with rights as well as obligations is a huge blessing.

I have read about slavery of course, and I'm aware of what the word means. I obviously didn't meant "slave" in the traditional, historical sense.

Actually, the OED defines "slave" as "One who is the property of, and entirely subject to, another person, whether by capture, purchase, or birth". That's quite a broad definition, isn't it?

Yes, I know I am really fortunate by comparison with most of the world's population, but that's not enough for me, I am sorry. I tend not to look to whatever I have as "blessings", I guess I'm one of the "half-empty" guys.

Yeah, I understand that. I actually think is important to find what bothers us despite our "blessings" and try to make it better, we'd be stuck in the past if we didn't.

I just found "slavery" a strong word, and that a little perspective on these matters is also very important.

Well, it depends on which slaves you're talking about. Not being a slave is always better than being one, but sometimes "slave" basically meant being in a lot of debt...

That's exactly what I meant. Unfortunately, slavery is much more than chains and forced labour.