Prostitution

[Flubber]

Originally posted by MrFun


Just because say, one percent of female prostitutes are well off with their "occupation" does not mean this justifies what is, in most other cases, inherently sexist and exploitative of poor people by better-off "customers."

Just wondering how you feel about cleaning ladies cleaning a rich person's home.

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you but what makes prostitution "inherently" sexist AND exploitive. Are you going into a communist argument about work in a capitalist society being exploitive or do you see something special about sex that makes it more deplorable than other disagreeable tasks which are predominantly done by women because richer men don't want to do them.

How about I hire someone to wipe my behind every time I use the bathroom. Seems offensive doesn't it until you find out the behind wiper is a private nurse dealing with a disacbled person.

Don't get me wrong . . . I think prostitution stinks but I am wondering what rationale you are using to reach your conclusion. For me . .. . I view sex between two committed people as special and I don't see how anyone can get that sort of connection from a pro. .. Prostitution can only mean rubbing certain body parts together so it seems empty and shallow to me.... but thats a judegement on the desiarability of the experience and not on the offensiveness of the activity

On that I am a bit torn. Who am I to tell a 20 year old that she shouldn't earn a thousand a night on her back.??

[Dis]

Originally posted by Jon Miller
have you seen the pornos where the girl is being face ****ed and has to vomit every little bit?

you can't tell me that that, and a lot of other things that go on in porno and prostitution, should be a legit job

JM

maybe you should tell us why you've seen this porn.

[Dis]

Originally posted by MrFun


Just because say, one percent of female prostitutes are well off with their "occupation" does not mean this justifies what is, in most other cases, inherently sexist and exploitative of poor people by better-off "customers."

you don't think it's sexist to tell women what to do with their bodies?

[Dinner]

Originally posted by bfg9000
I have another Costa Rica question, Oerdin. Just want to know how you made your travel arrangements: did you do it online or with a travel agent? Was it a 3-city package or did you just get air down there and then improvise your lodging as you traveled to each city?

We did everything ourselves without using any travel agents or package deals. Air was through expedia.com on TACA Airlines (Costa Rican national carrier), locations & hotels were decided using Let's Go Travel's Guide to Costa Rica. The eight of us rented two Nissan Pathfinder V6 4x4 and we drove where we wanted to go.

Airline tickets cost $260 per person round trip for a nonstop LAX to San Jose (return flight had a stop over in San Salvador), SUVs cost $505 each per week (that's $101.25 per person; not bad for a week of transportation), rooms averaged $80-$120 per night depending up how fancy we went (all costs divided by eight), food ranged from $2 per meal up to $20 per meal depending up how fancy you wanted ($2 would actually buy you a decent meal of Cassado Con Pollo [beans, rice, salad, & spiced chicken]), though gas is fairly expensive in Costa Rica since the government taxes it heavily. I believe a gallon will run you around $3.50.

I honestly don't see any reason to buy a package deal while traveling in Latin America since the guide books are so complete now days plus the region is so safe. There is also little point in paying a travel agent's fees since online travel sites like Expedia can do everything a good agent can do but don't cost a penny. As long as a traveler doesn't mind reading a $12 guide book and spending a couple of hours with the various travel search engines then a wonderfully relaxing vacation can be had while saving hundreds of dollars which would have gone to travel agents or package touring companies.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse
But is it true that every girl who approached you was on the game? Maybe its the mighty green card they're after. Or maybe they were just being friendly to the gringo.

I'm sure some of the girls were just friendly locals but it is fairly easy to tell a hooker from a normal girl at a bar. If she says thinbgs like "Hey honey are you looking for company tonight" or starts hissing & whistling to get your attention while you walk down the street or if she grabs you as you walk by then you are reasonably sure. Each bar/club also seems to have an unwritten rule about where the hookers wait. The "good girls" get to use the dance floor and hang out at the bar while the hookers must sit at the outer edges of the bar. I imagine this is so "good girls" don't get confsed to be hookers while the johns still know exactly were to go if they want a roll in the hay.

[Alexander's Horse]

fair enough

[Last Conformist]

Here around, we've got a rise in the numbers of male prostitutes. What does the anti-sexism brigade think of that.

[Brundlefly]

Originally posted by Oerdin


We did everything ourselves without using any travel agents or package deals. Air was through expedia.com on TACA Airlines (Costa Rican national carrier), locations & hotels were decided using Let's Go Travel's Guide to Costa Rica. The eight of us rented two Nissan Pathfinder V6 4x4 and we drove where we wanted to go.

When I've traveled to Mexico - to Baja and Yucatan - I've been given advice to not drive overland because of the presence of bandits. I ignored that advice in Baja and rented an old VW Beetle and drove up and down the peninsula. No problems.

Did you get a similar warning in Costa Rica?

[chequita guevara]

My aunt and cousin have been stopped by bandits in Mexico, but some areas are safe, like the Yucatan, and I imagine, Baja.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by bfg9000
When I've traveled to Mexico - to Baja and Yucatan - I've been given advice to not drive overland because of the presence of bandits. I ignored that advice in Baja and rented an old VW Beetle and drove up and down the peninsula. No problems.

Did you get a similar warning in Costa Rica?

No, Costa Rica is perfectly safe. San Jose is a big city so you'll want to use common sense just like you would in any other big city plus you'll want to not leave valuables in your car but physical violence isn't a problem. The guide books said to use car parks which have lot attendents to avoid break ins but this was cheap enough (around $1 per day) and it was nice to know someone was watching the car.

The only other way I'd see muggings or being robbed as a risk is if you were intentionally in the wrong part of town late at night. By that I mean the red light district where people buy sex or drugs; the danger would be greatest if someone was drunk or high as this would make you an easy mark for muggers. US common sense and you'll be fine. BTW I've driven in Baja many times and I've never had a problem especially not on highway 1 which is the main highway. The Mexican government knowns lots of tourists use that highway so they have lots of police there to keep things orderly.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Flubber


Just wondering how you feel about cleaning ladies cleaning a rich person's home.

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you but what makes prostitution "inherently" sexist AND exploitive. Are you going into a communist argument about work in a capitalist society being exploitive or do you see something special about sex that makes it more deplorable than other disagreeable tasks which are predominantly done by women because richer men don't want to do them.

How about I hire someone to wipe my behind every time I use the bathroom. Seems offensive doesn't it until you find out the behind wiper is a private nurse dealing with a disacbled person.

Don't get me wrong . . . I think prostitution stinks but I am wondering what rationale you are using to reach your conclusion. For me . .. . I view sex between two committed people as special and I don't see how anyone can get that sort of connection from a pro. .. Prostitution can only mean rubbing certain body parts together so it seems empty and shallow to me.... but thats a judegement on the desiarability of the experience and not on the offensiveness of the activity

On that I am a bit torn. Who am I to tell a 20 year old that she shouldn't earn a thousand a night on her back.??

My intention is not to use a communist argument. One can however, point out some of the unfair exploitation of capitalism without being a communist -- only having a desire to see reforms within capitalism.

As for your analogies using cleaning staff and nurses, neither one of them involve selling one's own body to service someone else. Prositution involves selling your body to a "client/customer."

A cleaning lady does not sell her body -- she sells her service to clean's someone's home/office. A prostitute sells a service that involves direct use of her own body by a "customer."

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by MrFun
As for your analogies using cleaning staff and nurses, neither one of them involve selling one's own body to service someone else. Prositution involves selling your body to a "client/customer."

So how exactly do they clean then, with their minds? All physical labor involves selling your body. Why should sex work be considered different?

[MrFun]

There's just something about prostitution that makes it more inherently sexist and exploitive than other occupations such as house cleaning.

[chequita guevara]

So what about male prostitutes?

[MrFun]

Are they not far less common than female prostitutes?

I would say that people would be better off wihout prostitutes of either gender.