I'm glad this thread was 'refreshed' as there has been some very interesting comment, but there is a point that does not seem to have been picked up.

I see submission as more than just a role that someone chooses to play in the context of power exchange. It is a sexual orientation, more than just a role or state of mind. It is a need, a position, and it reflects a psychological makeup that is very different from that of a person who can be dominant.

Slavery, on the other hand, is a way to put submission into practice. It is a status in a context that involves other people. Submission can remain just an unsatisfied need, although the role that a submissive will be naturally inclined to play in power exchange is predefined.

Slavery as a status is not necessarily consensual. Consensual slavery requires extreme submissive tendencies on the part of the slave, a need to be utterly controlled. A slave may not accept this status. It can be abusive. Non-consensual slavery does exist in the lifestyle and does not require the slave to have a natural inclination towards the submissive role. Slavery does not necessarily involve sex. but it always involves power play. Slavery is by definition a status that applies 24/7, or for an extended duration.

Objectification may seem like an extreme form of sexual slavery, but from the descriptions in this thread it is more about the way a submissive is treated, or wants to be treated. The duration is unspecified. Unquestioning obedience is not enough. The treatment is necessarily degrading. It involves the total subjugation of both body and mind. Permanent harm in many forms is not excluded. This kind of treatment can equally be applied to a person who is not naturally submissive, because objectification does not require any form of consent. Curiously, there are many people out there who derive sexual satisfaction from being treated like that, or even just thinking about it. Unfortunately there are also people out there who are treated like that, derive no sexual or other satisfaction from it, and cannot escape from their situation.

Naturally inclined submissives require a form of relationship that applies a form of constraint, physical or mental, for the full expression of their own sexual orientation. A person's preferences can be very complex, but I think there should always be love and respect for the other partner underlying any form of power exchange. The submissive partner should never be exposed to sickness, injury or any other kind of permanent harm on a non-consensual basis. If that happens the dominant should be locked up!