3 ms·

I am willing to bet that in the vast majority of cases (in the US), it is exploitative to women. Women who stand on street corners and sell themselves are usual

I am willing to bet that in the vast majority of cases (in the US), it is exploitative to women. Women who stand on street corners and sell themselves are usually not doing it because they think of themselves as liberated. They do it because they need to make ends meet, and because if they don't, they will get in trouble with their boss. When people on HN think about prostitution, they think of escorts, not $50 hookers (or women who don't even get paid).

kbenson 13y ago
But how much of that is because there is no legal recourse when a prostitute is defrauded? One of the reasons for pimps is to provide protection where the law won't.
Amadou 13y ago
That's why in many of the countries where prostitution is legal, pimping is still illegal. On the other hand, the results of at least one study suggest that prostitutes who work with pimps earn more, work less hours and have lower rates of injury. Extreme Prelimary Study here: http://economics.uchicago.edu/pdf/Prostitution%205.pdf http://economics.uchicago.edu/pdf/Prostitution%205.pdf Note, for better or for worse, one of the authors is associated with "freakaonimcs."
avn2109 13y ago
This is exactly why we need legalization, transparency, regulation, and probably unionization. All those things tend to suppress the exploitative side.
mildtrepidation 13y ago
Your willingness to bet on this just does not help anyone. Are you on that corner? Is that your family? Do you understand, in a visceral sense, the options these people do or don't have, and does your moral indignation give more credence to your point of view than to the people who actually do this, and more perspective on their lives? And thanks for letting us know what we are discussing when we talk about prostitution. I hope we're not all as ignorant as you think we are, because many of us almost certainly know what actual prostitution is, how seedy it can be, and that "escorts" -- to which you ascribe some ridiculous notion of universal high-brow status -- is what we think of, while you're wisely pondering the true nature of the sex trade. Sorry, this is just really, really presumptuous, and I have a hard time reading it.

kbenson 13y ago

But how much of that is because there is no legal recourse when a prostitute is defrauded? One of the reasons for pimps is to provide protection where the law won't.

Amadou 13y ago

That's why in many of the countries where prostitution is legal, pimping is still illegal. On the other hand, the results of at least one study suggest that prostitutes who work with pimps earn more, work less hours and have lower rates of injury. Extreme Prelimary Study here: http://economics.uchicago.edu/pdf/Prostitution%205.pdf http://economics.uchicago.edu/pdf/Prostitution%205.pdf Note, for better or for worse, one of the authors is associated with "freakaonimcs."

avn2109 13y ago

This is exactly why we need legalization, transparency, regulation, and probably unionization. All those things tend to suppress the exploitative side.

mildtrepidation 13y ago

Your willingness to bet on this just does not help anyone. Are you on that corner? Is that your family? Do you understand, in a visceral sense, the options these people do or don't have, and does your moral indignation give more credence to your point of view than to the people who actually do this, and more perspective on their lives? And thanks for letting us know what we are discussing when we talk about prostitution. I hope we're not all as ignorant as you think we are, because many of us almost certainly know what actual prostitution is, how seedy it can be, and that "escorts" -- to which you ascribe some ridiculous notion of universal high-brow status -- is what we think of, while you're wisely pondering the true nature of the sex trade. Sorry, this is just really, really presumptuous, and I have a hard time reading it.