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The essayist sounds like a typical academic subversive. She offers no answers or theories, only questions, aka "...the politics of X" . In other words, she only

by ctrlp 3y ago

The essayist sounds like a typical academic subversive. She offers no answers or theories, only questions, aka "...the politics of X" . In other words, she only "problematizes". Let's see: She offers a clinical yet sexually charged analysis of porn with no policy proposals (heaven forbid). Could there be a greater cliche in the Humanities departments of modern universities? Oh wait, of course she wants safe, legal sex work as well. Bingo! She wants to eroticize pedagogy, but also make sure the college administration is there to manage it. Oh, the frisson! Reference to Fraud, er Freud? Check! OH WOW! SUCH FREUD! Freudianism was/is a pseudo-scientific cult that only lit-crit academics and $200/hr therapists still take seriously. Along with its marxist offshoots, its radical political program was instrumental in the 20th century european/american cultural suicide that had its death rattle in the 60s counter-culture victory. Our modern malaise, including the ubiquitous porn rotting our children's sexual health is the creature of those flower-power radicals. But it's just "Porn" in the abstract. Not the creation of actual people whom it would be fairly easy to constrain if there is a cultural will to do so. But hiding that fact behind the massive force of inevitable abstractions demoralizes the people, er "consumers", to the point of impotence. Essayists like this loathsome academic are the priestly caste of the modern world, they baffle and confuse decent people.

vacuity 3y ago
> Oh wait, of course she wants safe, legal sex work as well. Why is that a problem? As long as people aren't coerced/forced into it, where's the harm?
- ctrlp 3y ago
  It would take a bit of time to explain why a society might not want to legalize, regulate, and tax vice. You might also want to do a deep dive into Libertarianism and consider whether it has ever made sense or could make sense for any society you might want to live in.
  - johnchristopher 3y ago
    Could you point to some online references of what you are suggesting ? Otherwise you are also guilty of problematizing the subject without offering answers or theories :).
    - ctrlp 3y ago
      I hope you're capable of doing a modicum of your own research. It wouldn't be hard to find a thread and pull on it.
      - johnchristopher 3y ago
        Of course I could "do my own research" but that wouldn't give my any insights on your outlook. Wtf, is this what passes for conversation this week-end on HN ? "Do your own research" as if it's an answer and a opinion ? What's next ? "Google a counter-argument" ?
        ctrlp 3y ago
        "Do your own research" is generally the correct response to someone trolling. (Asking for "some online references" is a classic troll.) If you're actually a serious person, it's your lucky day. I enjoy a good conversation and will reply to this thread as long as you're interested. If not, well, that's what passes for conversation on HN any old week. But if you are actually serious then you'll have to be a little more specific in your request: "Could you point to some online references of what you are suggesting?" Btw, I wouldn't consider calling something garbage as being the same as "problematizing" in the way that word is typically used. More the opposite. My purpose is to warn well-meaning but naive or gullible people off this crap before they waste too much time (or worse). It's a trap. Let's do this.
  - vacuity 3y ago
    Apparently I'm not far off from some brand of libertarianism. I don't think the government should apply the law to regulate vices, and rather that such issues should (must, to be a true solution and not a band-aid) be resolved by society. Excessive consumption of alcohol hasn't been solved, unfortunately, but the Prohibition wasn't effective either. I would be giving too much credit to say that repealing Prohibition was a "perfect is the enemy of good" situation. https://prostitution.procon.org/questions/should-prostitution-be-legal/ https://prostitution.procon.org/questions/should-prostitutio... I don't doubt that the people providing cons (i.e. why prostitution should be illegal) mean well for sexually exploited people. However, I think the Pro 6 excerpt is quite comprehensive and reasonable: No person’s human or civil rights should be violated on the basis of their trade, occupation, work, calling or profession. No law has ever succeeded in stopping prostitution. ... Non-consenting adults and all children forced into sexual activity...deserve the full protection of the law and perpetrators deserve full punishment by the law. Workers in the sex industry deserve the same rights as workers in any other trade, including the right to legal protection from crimes such as sexual harassment, sexual abuse and rape… ... Unscrupulous people should be summarily dealt with by the law, regardless of which profession they corrupt.

by ctrlp 3y ago

vacuity 3y ago

> Oh wait, of course she wants safe, legal sex work as well. Why is that a problem? As long as people aren't coerced/forced into it, where's the harm?

ctrlp 3y ago
It would take a bit of time to explain why a society might not want to legalize, regulate, and tax vice. You might also want to do a deep dive into Libertarianism and consider whether it has ever made sense or could make sense for any society you might want to live in.
- johnchristopher 3y ago
  Could you point to some online references of what you are suggesting ? Otherwise you are also guilty of problematizing the subject without offering answers or theories :).
  - ctrlp 3y ago
    I hope you're capable of doing a modicum of your own research. It wouldn't be hard to find a thread and pull on it.
    - johnchristopher 3y ago
      Of course I could "do my own research" but that wouldn't give my any insights on your outlook. Wtf, is this what passes for conversation this week-end on HN ? "Do your own research" as if it's an answer and a opinion ? What's next ? "Google a counter-argument" ?
      - ctrlp 3y ago
        "Do your own research" is generally the correct response to someone trolling. (Asking for "some online references" is a classic troll.) If you're actually a serious person, it's your lucky day. I enjoy a good conversation and will reply to this thread as long as you're interested. If not, well, that's what passes for conversation on HN any old week. But if you are actually serious then you'll have to be a little more specific in your request: "Could you point to some online references of what you are suggesting?" Btw, I wouldn't consider calling something garbage as being the same as "problematizing" in the way that word is typically used. More the opposite. My purpose is to warn well-meaning but naive or gullible people off this crap before they waste too much time (or worse). It's a trap. Let's do this.
- vacuity 3y ago
  Apparently I'm not far off from some brand of libertarianism. I don't think the government should apply the law to regulate vices, and rather that such issues should (must, to be a true solution and not a band-aid) be resolved by society. Excessive consumption of alcohol hasn't been solved, unfortunately, but the Prohibition wasn't effective either. I would be giving too much credit to say that repealing Prohibition was a "perfect is the enemy of good" situation. https://prostitution.procon.org/questions/should-prostitution-be-legal/ https://prostitution.procon.org/questions/should-prostitutio... I don't doubt that the people providing cons (i.e. why prostitution should be illegal) mean well for sexually exploited people. However, I think the Pro 6 excerpt is quite comprehensive and reasonable: No person’s human or civil rights should be violated on the basis of their trade, occupation, work, calling or profession. No law has ever succeeded in stopping prostitution. ... Non-consenting adults and all children forced into sexual activity...deserve the full protection of the law and perpetrators deserve full punishment by the law. Workers in the sex industry deserve the same rights as workers in any other trade, including the right to legal protection from crimes such as sexual harassment, sexual abuse and rape… ... Unscrupulous people should be summarily dealt with by the law, regardless of which profession they corrupt.