I'm just trying to figure out exactly how hollow a human being you have to be to pay several thousand dollars for an hour of sex.

At best, its victims are women in general...

At worst its victims are children, the boys and girls worldwide whose psyches and sometimes whose lives are the price of their sexual exploitation at the hands almost always of men.

Legalize adult sex work, and prosecute those who sell minors. When sex work is legal, women are not nearly as afraid to break from a pimp who is beating the shit out of them, because they can go to the police. Further, the state can impose monthly health checks that the sex workers must comply with. Then, leave them alone, and save the prosecutorial and prison resources for those who traffic in kids, who by definition cannot give consent to sex work.

And there's no way that those who argue against legalizing prostitution can appear mature enough for Reality to the other side when they want to protect a (potentially) exploited group from being that vulnerable.

But the anti legalization crowd refuse to explain how driving prostitutes and prostitution underground improves the lives and working conditions of those prostitutes.

The reason violence is associated with illicit drugs is because the drug dealers have no legal recourse when business disputes occur.

The same is true of prostitutes, they have no legal recourse when a John beats them because of the illegality of their trade.

Just like drug dealers don't go to the cops, neither do prostitutes.

Make the cops someone's enemy and they can't go to them when they are wronged..

Wish all you want, prostitution is not going away, the only rational way to deal with it is "harm reduction" and that is only possible in a legal setting.

I can't believe how stupid a question you pose.

Okay.. let's back up.. $1000/hr? I don't know what the market rate is, but, that's about the same as a neckless, dinner at The French Laundry and a couple of 8-balls.

..Either way, the expectation is sex in the end.

Why do you hate the free market? Are you underselling hookers? And if so, can I get your phone number?

Can't get past this concept:

I'm just trying to figure out exactly how hollow a human being you have to be to pay several thousand dollars for an hour of sex.

-- Quiet Type

Controversies

In 1997, former Miss USA Shannon Marketic filed a lawsuit against the ruling family of Brunei for $90 million.[6] In the case, Shannon alleged that she and 6 other young women were paid $127,200 each for a modeling job in Brunei (whereas on the ABC news program "20/20", Marketic said she was supposed to provide "intellectual conversations" with visiting guests of the royal family). These other women include former Miss Teen USA and future Miss USA Brandi Sherwood, who was invited along by Shannon, and Miss United Kingdom runner up Paula Bradbury.

Marketic maintained that she and the women were held as "sex slaves" and were "intimidated and coerced into performing physically and morally repulsive acts of prostitution."[7] They were apparently ordered to dance for 5-6 hours every night at parties during which their bodies and private parts were groped and grabbed by men. During the dances Shannon was also allegedly abused verbally with comments made about her bare breasts.[8] The women were often told to go with a man to have "tea" with him and then had sex with him.[9] In her interview on "20/20", Marketic said that after 32 days of being held against her will, she managed to smuggle a letter out to the US Embassy; shortly afterwards, she was allegedly paid $10,000 and forced to fly back to the United States alone.[10] The case was thrown out due to the immunity of the ruling family as heads of state.[11] There has been no further investigation into this case although there are allegations both supporting and refuting her claims. Paula Bradbury separately sued the Sultan and won £500,000 in settlement.[12]

The king of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf spoke well about the Sultan to the Swedish press after a meeting with him, creating a minor controversy in Sweden.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hassanal_Bolkiah

Spitzer is just your average American high roller and the bozos down on Wall Street probably make him look small town.

Emotions kick in, which definitely lowers intellectual skills.

...since one presumes that neither porn star is paying the other for providing sex. They are each being paid by a third party for allowing said party to film them while having sex.

Your analogy has the "producer/director" paying the porn star for having sex with him... increasing the potential for exploitation in many minds. Where most of us work that would be cause for a lawsuit.

Spitzer deserves whatever he gets . That said , I'm wondering about some things .

*** Why is the FBI involved in a prostitution sting ?

***Who was the primary focus of the wiretapping? I.e. , was Spitzer incidental to the original focus, and a "lucky" accident ? Or the other way around?

***Where did the original information , that led to the investigation, originate ? (Warrantless "fishing" wiretaps?)

*** What's the background of the prosecutor(s) in the case . Is this similar to the Siegelman and Thompson cases, except for the truth of the allegations?

***Did Spitzer's supposed presidential ambitions have anything to do with it ? (In that case, I would rather know now .)

*** If he's #8 or #9, who is #s 1-7?& beyond?

***How can he be so efffing stupid?

***Is anybody besides Glenn (media wise) going to decline to join the firing squad ?

My prediction: The Mediawhore Hypocrisy Award will be won by Dick Morris , narrowly, over Newt. :)

Why is it so different when the selling part is for sexual gratification rather than gratification of some other urge?

I have to call it a night, so just a quick response. There's an intimacy to sex. A boundary. As a typical wage slave, we give our time, our services, and yes, our bodies, but there's a limit. We draw a line. We don't "give" our bodies to our bosses in the same way that we give our bodies to our lovers. And while I wouldn't be fool enough to argue that sex requires love, or even regard, certainly it requires something doesn't it? Something beyond the mundane? After all, we don't just have sex indiscriminately with just any old somebody whenever we feel the urge. Why not? Why do we choose one person but not another? Why would we rule out certain ones completely? Why do we usually require some attraction? If it's just body parts? If it doesn't mean anything?

Can you really not see the difference between answering the phone for someone and sucking his dick? Take a moment and imagine doing both. And no, I'm not being contentious either. I'm also curious. But I have to go and won't be able to respond until tomorrow evening.