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Prostitution itself is simply the purchase of sexual entertainment and is not by necessity the "purchase of people." You can hire cooks to cook your food, masseuse's to massage your body, singers to sing for you, dancers to dance with you, and you can hire prostitutes to have sex with you.
The fundamental difference is that I don’t view sex as commodity. Prostitution is, however temporary, the purchase of another human’s body. It is true that a cook, dancer, masseuse, or singer use
their body to provide a service. In prostitution the
client is directly using the providers body and to me is incompatible with fundamental human rights.
The case of the happy working girl may be an exception but I think it is more of a rarity.
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There are slaves pushed into all of those things, even today. The commodification of human life which leads to slavery, or virtual slavery, is repulsive and should be addressed through changing attitudes toward human life in general.
How many cooks, singers, or dancers are in the slave market? Prostitution is on the rise because it is frequently a last resort for many poor women around the world. I agree attitudes must change, this includes the attitude that supports using others bodies in whatever manner as long as you reciprocate with cash.
You want to compartmentalize the problem to ‘white’ markets. I don’t think this is realistic because the mere existence of white markets virtually guarantees a black counterpart. Say prostitution becomes legal worldwide tomorrow and many white operations open their doors. There would still be many unregulated and dangerous operations.
Trafficking in humans supposedly represents the world's 3rd largest criminal activity (after drugs and weapons.) The miscellaneous agencies aren’t suppressing these operations now, what makes you think they can handle the regulation involved?
Would most patrons choose the $250.regulated shop over the $50.unregulated shop that is likely around the corner?
Advocating prostitution encourages all of the negative characteristics of the sex industry (child/slave) because it encourages the idea of buying a body for personal use, even if you personally only think of it as entertainment.
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Putting women who want to work as sexual entertainers (P, stripping, other) in jail does not change this attitude, nor does it help those stuck in slavery.
No, but it deters the practice in some small degree.
Prostitution is a key factor in the spread of HIV, the fear of contracting this has the clients fueling a younger and younger market. The practitioners and clients need much more education before you could allow legality, I suppose you expect that regulation would counter this.
All clients and providers would have to always engage in protected sex. Do you think this is a reasonable expectation for an industry that thrives on ‘having it your way’?
Do you think an open market would pay the desperate women who are already engaged any more than it does now?
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This is an article from scientific american (1995). It is one of many studies on the Bonobos. This one in particular is interesting as it challenges your assertions regarding P being based on male dominance. Trade for sex may very well have been a female solution to conflict resolution, rather than a male solution (which tends to be overt aggression and dominance of both males and females, and not trade).
It seems more symbolic of pacification, not conscious trade; I’ll have to read more on it.
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While the above article points to trade in sexuality as an inherent (feminine) part of human society,
I would think male and female have contributed to trade in sexuality and it is unnecessary and speculative to argue either side.
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The lesson: prudishness does not create prostitution, but has shaped its nature into what we see today (the creation and growth of grey and black markets). .
Truly, for your assertion that I have a Disneyland view of P, this is my answer. This is very close to my view of P, and the very real problems faced in the white through black markets of this occupation. The answer IMO (and theirs) is to cripple the grey and black markets by empowering the best of the white markets.
I’ve yet to read through all of your links and I do intend to, but I think you do have an unrealistic outlook. To cripple the bad markets you would have to offer some alternative to the desperate women involved. These markets are not full of women that choose prostitution as a career. Poverty stricken areas and areas involved in conflict create even more sexual violence, more displaced people, more orphans and more prostitutes. You would need a very far-reaching economic plan to really eliminate the shady markets.
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All I am saying is that:
1) people need to realize that OTHER people really do exist who don't draw their personal boundaries the same way
And I’m saying that prostitution encourages the disregard for those boundaries. It encourages dehumanization and sexual exploitation.
I respect your boundaries as you respect mine and try to be objective about the majority mentality.
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2) that imposing one group's boundaries on another (even if they are the majority) is not the best policy for anyone.
You seem to think that legalization will open the minds of the masses. I think it is somewhat of a responsibility to protect human dignity, I never really thought of it as a case of majority rule.
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When your sexuality is really open and free, and you enjoy having sex with many different people, it really doesn't seem that odd to make money doing what you like (and do anyway),
Are most prostitutes in it for the freedom first or simply in it for the money? Statements about job satisfaction are laughable when you step outside of the white area.
How will physical appearance effect an open market?
I think that if you place regulations and remove the stigma prostitution will still encourage unsavory practices. Maybe more because you are removing the flimsy moral constraints that are already in place, particularly in child prostitution. An open market would also offer specialty markets and that could be even more degrading.
I also think that regulation might help some of the ills associated with prostitution, so it may be a case of some being better than none.
I'm not sure if I find it an easy trade.
Ruth
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