A lot of these posts talk about abuse, violence, empowerment, women's role in society as objects of sexualization (which some exploit, that's why we have the world's older profession...)
But what seems to be lacking is a focus on the real thing that ties all of this together, and the folks on this website.
MONEY.
Women who don't have opportunities otherwise offer themselves for a profit. Escorts may enjoy what they do, but you do it for money. Men offer money for services, we have menus where you can pay more for other services, etc. Pimping is about economic exploitation as much as it is about power over women. It's not unlike child labor sweatshops in the United States and other countries, or immigrant labor that is sometimes held as slaves.
Yes, it happens here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Pickle_Company
We can challenge manhood, label abusers, etc, but in the end... there is little difference between the John Pickle Company and pimps. Many companies exploit workers... and escorts can't unionize (well they do in some countries).
There are no official government services like in Switzerland, where they build pull-in parking lots for street escorts to service men in cars.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/w...boxes/2700877/
Woman make decisions for many reasons, and those who exploit vulnerable folks, do so to make money off of them, in many different occupations. Trafficking of women from other countries, or women lured into trafficking in this country are a global problem. The pimps have organizations in many places... its a criminal organization.
I'm not detracting from anyone's point. I am just trying to frame the discussion in terms of a non-unique form of economic exploitation that happens in sweatshops, in corporations, in sex trafficking rings, in many different places, and in many different forms. To separate out "pimps and hos" sort of makes the problem look like more of a local phenomenon, when in reality, the world's oldest profession follows the worlds oldest motivation...
I WANT MONEY!!!
The reasons women do this are many, but the thing that ties them all together is money. Maybe they have no other opportunities, like athletes in the inner cities, or rural areas maybe their body is a ticket out. Allows them to travel and enjoy a life they wouldn't otherwise live... *shrug* What I do know is that its about money.
Legalization may be an answer, but the John Pickle's will still be waiting in the wings, and the bus depot will still be a place for men to find naïve women to exploit. It's the dirty side of this business that we all participate in, but want to sometimes pretend that we are not a part of. It's impossible to avoid. But we can all at least acknowledge it and do the best we can.
In the end, I think we are... or at least I'm hopeful! Ever hopeful.
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