Is slavery is starting to look like a good option?

I saw a post this morning about the Civil War and it got me thinking about slavery and our modern economics.

Slavery is horrible. Humans being forced to work for no wages and without rights was worth fighting a war over. The conditions slaves were forced to live in were terrible and the food inedible. Slaves were unable to leave the job for lack of rights, and were physically beaten if they tried.

Looking at the modern workforce, is the situation better or worse? It is becoming more common to witness fully employed people, not on drugs, living in the streets. They are living in cars or tents, eating processed and poor quality foods, and showering in gyms because their jobs pay a wage so little that basic living necessities can't be afforded.

This must be a case of frog in boiling water. The living conditions are degrading just slow enough that people are tolerating it and accepting that this is the way life is. We find ourselves at a point where the wages may not provide for a home, and even if they do, what little remains offers little to no freedom to live.

So I return to the title of this post, is slavery starting to look like a better option? Would a person being willing to give their rights and work for guaranteed food and housing? What if it were well regulated? Protections from beatings, given your own private bedroom and bathroom, access to high quality food at no cost, free healthcare, all in exchange for 40 hours of work. Essentially, a company town. Would a person be willing to trade their rights for this? Given the current quality of life provided by existing wages, it could be easy to see how some could be attracted to this dangerous prospect. Do you really feel free if you have no money to do any living, only struggling to get by? A modicum of dignity and some peace of mind could be gained by giving up rights.

Perhaps the definition of slavery needs to be updated for modern economics. The term 'wage slave' is defined as a person totally dependent on ones income from employment. But what is the term for a person whose income doesn't even afford them a basic necessities of life?

We have the 13th amendment, which abolished slavery as it was known centuries ago. But our modern economic system is slowly creating a different kind of slavery. One where a person can be fully employed and still have no freedom to live, no housing, poor food choices, and no healthcare.