Why are comments closed for some of the previous articles here on Broadsheet?

Patterson has been riding this publicity horse for some time now. Not that BroadSheet is wrong for picking it up, but the promised brothel has been no little time in actually getting to the point of turning a trick: maybe the streetwalkers don't wanna, maybe the evil establishment is keeping a lid on, who knows? Meanwhile, lots of press coverage.

Prostitution is illegal in China and the US and other third-world countries.

In the civilized free world, and by that I mean Canada, Australia, Germany, France, the UK, etc. etc. it's legal.

Legal means mandatory health checks. Legal means clean, well-run brothels, and far, far less of the pimp-thuggery associated with prostitution in China & the US.

Legal means that a trade that you can never stop is at the very least practiced according to well-established harm minimization principles.

And, frankly, harm minimization is simply a more moral position than trying to prohibit the un-prohibitable.

Having found myself wandering lost at night around the inner cities of major metropolitan areas all over America and the world, I have been saved from danger by sex workers more times than I can count. I have been ripped off by a few, but I have never been harmed by one.

Sometimes sex workers really are escorts, and they will steer people in the right direction toward safe, cheap hotels, or just keep them company.

But that is just one of the services that they (sex workers) will offer.

A lot of good, well meaning men with severe disfigurements, or personality quirks that make them unappealing candidates for relationships, can only obtain feminine affection and companionship from one source; sex workers. The best stress relief for a guy who should not be in a relationship, is good, safe sex with a woman who will not expect any emotional attachments from him.

Good, safe sex in my opinion has no downside. It's an excellent stress relief, it's good exercise, and it's probably the most endearing ways 2 people can express intimacy for each other.

Legalizing prostitution only removed the dangers associated with sex workers (pimps, diseases, and scandal), and nations that have legalized prostitution don't appear to have more prostitutes, or more demand for prostitutes, than nations that have not.

of controlling men's sexuality?

certainly men do not control women's sexuality.

I will never use the services of a prostitute. I believe that people will do what they want so it will never go away. The only thing to do about this is to allow legalization, and as previously posted, this means: healthier, cleaner, safer and generally better for all involved. Replace the pimp with equitable and fair management.

"It's hard out there for a pimp." (One song you don't want stuck in your head.)

The radical feminists of the 70's and 80's claimed the sex industry exploited poverty stricken women and should therefore be banned. But at some point recently there was a flip/flop on this view. Why come?

I believe women look down on prostitutes, not for moral reasons, but because there is much more finacial gain to be realized from marriage. A lump-sum payout and much less work. To the modern "empowered" woman, prostitutes are fools.

The "market" price for a decent internet "escort" is $200-$300. I could spend that on dating a given lady with no guarantee of sex or I could spend it on a very attractive, young, skilled prostitute that I'd have no chance of bedding otherwise. (The best part? Getting up and leaving after the act.) I like the odds on the escort strategy of getting laid. Same amount of money, guaranteed sex, no BS, satisfaction. Thank god for the oldest profession, legal or not!

No, I disagree with your pronouncements.

First, women don't like prostitutes for a basice reason, territory. They believe that sex workers make it easier for their husbands to cheat on them and think that the illegal status, fear of arrest and fear of contracting a disease will make their spouse think twice before taking that 200 dollars to some strange woman.

Next, of course women think it's foolish to be an escort. This is a job that like modeling requires youthful appearance, once that stage of life is over and you have to go looking for another job, escort isn't going to look very good on your resume. Most employers are not going to want to hire a retired sex worker to be their receptionist or someone with 10 or 15 years of no job history.

You can only hide being an escort if you are a college student. But most escorts are not college students.

Then there are the women that are victims of circumstance, sexual abuse, neglect, turned them into runaways. Sex work was the only way they could earn cash. Drug addiction, single motherhood and poverty can also result in a woman turning to prostitution as a way to put food on her table and set her own hours. Then there are the pimps who take the money and make sure the girls can't leave them by threatening violence and using psychological manipulation. Leaving them with no way to leave prostitution and find gainful employment elsewhere.

Now, many women realize if your spouse is going to cheat, he's going to cheat. Nothing you do can prevent that and so what do you want, protection for youself, you don't want to contract some disease because your spouse can't keep it in his pants.

Also, people are realizing that plenty of men have no qualms about paying for sex and if that's a job women want to take, then fine, their choice. But we don't want them to be crack whores, sex slaves or getting beat up by their pimp, or beat up by the johns.

So while I would never be a hooker, would never advise young women that that's a fine career choice, I do want it to be legal because I don't think people should be at risk for disease and abuse just because they want to get laid. Plus I think of all the taxes it could bring in.