A long time ago I heard someone recite to me what I thought was a powerful argument for slavery (if there every was one). I don't remember what the source of this thesis is, but I believe it came from a slave owner somewhere in southern US.

The slave owner basically argues this: You Northerners... you simply rent your labour (through wages); you therefore have little incentive to care for your workers. Where-as we Southerners... we own our labour, and because we own them we take better care for our workers. As a result, our workers are better off.

Thoughts?