(cont)

I can't understand how this author could consider herself a serious scholar. (and neither can I understand how she can bring herself to go out of doors and into what is obviously a sinister, vile, and malevolent world). Should we repudiate her, or should we feel sorry for her? Opinions, anyone?

Using the same logic, marriage is violence against women. Given that most violence against women is perpetrated in the domestic environment. Whilst prostitution does expose women to a greater chance of violence, the case against prostitution is not helped by logical absurdities.

What an excellent article Dr Pringle! It is important that more countries adopt the Nordic model (now used in Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Latvia) in which 'johns' who purchase prostituted women and men for sex are prosecuted. The money generated is then used for exit services for the prostitutes. We live in the 21st century, slavery is outlawed and so should the antiquated practice that allows people (mostly men) to purchase other human beings (mostly women) for sex. As for the inevitable outcry of 'women choose to be sex workers' and participate in being violated, some slaves 'chose' to sleep with their masters too. And Uncle Tom was nice and nicely dressed. The inequality of women as a sex class will only disappear when the practice of buying women in prostitution will stop.

Freya, the clients of prostitutes are no more "buying" them, than the clients of mechanics are buying them. Prostitutes aren't selling thei bodies, they're selling services. According to your logic, there is no distinction between employment and "slavery". It is an absurd emotive load of bile.

You have not established that there is anything abusive about sex, about selling services, or about selling sexual services. Calling for people to be imprisoned for not obeying your prejudices makes you the violent pervert.

Robert - I'd agree that in a sense a man or a woman who lacks any intimacy in their lives is experiencing a form of violence. (emotional violence) Although it's a qualitatively different to that experienced by a woman driven to prostitution by material deprivation. (economic violence perhaps leading to emotional and/or physical violence depending on individual experience)

But the problem of economic violence is easier to solve (through income support, social infrastructure, social services, education etc) than the problem of emotional violence felt by those who are socially isolated and lack intimacy. It's also easier to place *respononsibility* for economic violence - upon the polity, the electorate, the state... But for those who experience the violence of loneliness and lack of intimacy - in a sense these people are victims too - and such people should not be criminalised in their capacity as 'clients'.

But as I wrote earlier; if you drive prostitution underground you're creating circumstances in which people can get hurt.

re: Prostitutes holding power - the example of ancient Bablyon is instructive - where the official religion was based around prostitution and temple prostitutes were thought to be divine. The stigma against that power arose through the Abrahamic religions and their spread across the world. I'm not going to argue right now whether that was right or wrong - but it's a historic example which shows prostitution is not *essentially* characterised by male oppression of women. Whatever the social relation, though, where innocent people are hurt we have to ask questions. As far as prostitution is concerned, this means both sex workers and 'clients'.

This article is not far off of what once promoted, and that is heterosexual intercourse was raped, and that women were socialized into it.

The idea of prosecuting only the 'johns' in countries where prostitution is illegal, and there are the seller and buyer, is only persecuting one side that partakes in an illegal activity.

Research into primates and even the chook shed finds that the rooster or chimapanzee that share food, are mcuh more likely to get lucky.

So unless humans are radically different, the same principle is likely to apply.