Which country more libertarian? Britian legalizes "small brothels"

[carlrodd]

I'm a bit confused. Does the original article imply that men using a prostitute are breaking the law but the prostitutes themselves are not? Could anybody who knows clarify this?

i was just over there and read about this problem. if i am not mistaken, prostitution is still completely illegal, both for the prostitute and the man. however, there is such a huge problem with violence against the ladies that the govt. is addressing it by saying, "ok, it's still not legal, but if you do it here or here, or have a house with only two of you in it, we'll turn a blind eye." so, in the article, any distinction in regard to where it is done simply has to do with how likely people are to get arrested for it. in other words, do it "this" way, and stay out of these areas and we'll leave you alone.

 

[Malone LaVeigh]

That Airstrip One's quasi-legalization of prostitution somehow puts it in the running as being somehow libertarian.

I assume, by your title, that you're trying to draw a comparison between the United States and Great Britain, and their relative levels of liberty, with the implied notion that Britain's doing so makes it ever-so-slightly more libertarian than the US.

Notice I used the lower-case. I don't give a rat's <cutesy no-no removed by Art> what you or anyone else think the politically correct definition is. I would draw the comparison that in some areas, Britian appears to be more libertarian. As in the term "civil liberties."

It goes without saying that the US, in particular, has areas in which it compares favorably to Britian. If I didn't think people on this board would "get" that, I wouldn't have used it for ironic jusxaposition.

Jeez, you have to explain everything to some people.

 

[Zundfolge]

...Britian appears to be more libertarian...

Methinks you've been hitting the "Interstate Commerce" a little too hard.

 

[Justin]

I suppose you could say that it was ironic juxtaposition if it weren't so obvious that Britain is worse off in nearly every regard- tax laws, civil rights, right to privacy, gun rights, I can keep going, but I'd be typing all day.

Sorry to say that comparing US puritanism to one smidge of an example of the authorities turning their head with regard to something they are incapable of ever having a hope of stopping hardly makes for irony.


Or juxtaposition.


Or libertarianism, for that matter.

 

[cuchulainn]

Malone LaVeigh: I would draw the comparison that in some areas, Britian appears to be more libertarian. As in the term "civil liberties."

<raises hand again>

Um, I'm still having trouble with the idea that carving out a minimalist, government-approved form of anything is "libertarian."

Isn't this rather like passing a law that people may own one .22 rifle and three rounds -- ooh, cutting-edge libertarian thought.

 

[Zundfolge]

In addition the legalization of prostitution (or anything else "US puritanism" has made illegal) in order to create a new government bureaucracy and tax code for is NOT libertarian.


Now if they not just legalize prostitution, but eliminate all laws surrounding prostitution (health codes, taxes, "registration" as a "sex worker" with the state, etc) THEN you'd have an argument that this legalization of prostitution was a "libertarian" thing.

Just because it pisses off the prudes doesn't make it "libertarian".

 

[Justin]

Heck, according to the article, it's not even legalization so much as a vague kinda-sorta decriminalization.

 

[Gun Geezer]

A short sided solution

Legalizing (as in allowing it in our society as "acceptable" under the law) is a bad things. It is never a good idea.

Bad is bad. Wrong is wrong.

That goes for euthanasia, abortion, suicide, assisted suicide, infanticide, whoring, consensual sex for 12-year olds, and drug abuse. To think otherwise would be to think that Denmark with all it's freedom's is the utopia we desire for ourselves. God help us if that is what some seem to want for our children and their children.

 

[swampsniper]

Got to keep the bottom dwellers distracted, if they get horny, who knows what they might do!
Bread and circuses, don'tcha know

 

[THEREALIRONHORSE]

Its a shame when the minority of any goverment speaks for the whole.Legal sluts.....no.Although you may claim it happens anyway,checks for diseases ex ex It ultimatly leads to where we are now...which in any book is a reread,just to try and understand

 

[Crosshair]

*George Carlin Mode*

Selling is legal, F*ucking is legal. Why isn't selling f*cking legal???

 

[Malone LaVeigh]

OK, I'll try one more time in as elementary terms as possible.

Zundfolge:

Try reading the three words before the passage you quoted. I'll wait. It's called a modifying phrase. You can't understand what I was trying to say unless you include it in.

Justin:

I suppose you could say that it was ironic juxtaposition if it weren't so obvious that Britain is worse off in nearly every regard- tax laws, civil rights, right to privacy, gun rights, I can keep going, but I'd be typing all day.

Etc.

I really have to hit you over the head with it, don't I?

Look, on this board, there aren't too many that wouldn't consider the UK "worse off" in terms of civil liberties. Therefore it would be IRONIC if in some ways British citizens actually enjoyed more civil liberties than right here in the good ol' Newnited States. By JUXTAPOSING the two realities (in this case by imlication) I hoped to make a point about an area in which ours might not be all that LIBERTARIAN.

In the general sense, of course.

cuchulainn:

<raises hand again>

Um, I'm still having trouble with the idea that carving out a minimalist, government-approved form of anything is "libertarian."

I think that's because you and others here seem to be reacting to your US-political-system-based definition of the word "libertarian." I'm talking about beliefs or policies that would tend to support personal liberty.

It's just a fluke of language that there's a political party in this country that believes in small government, which calls itself "Libertarian."

From Merraim-Webster online:

http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary

2 entries found for libertarian.

Main Entry: lib·er·tar·i·an
Pronunciation: "li-b&r-'ter-E-&n
Function: noun
1 : an advocate of the doctrine of free will
2 a : a person who upholds the principles of absolute and unrestricted liberty especially of thought and action b capitalized : a member of a political party advocating libertarian principles

 

[Calumus]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4619098.stm

minister Fiona Mactaggart said that working in groups would be safer for women.

And more fun for their customers All the better to raise a nice chunk of change on a new sin tax. Cheers,
Shawn

 

[CAnnoneer]

Only if he solicites the girl from a motor vehicle to accept his offer of business.

What is the rationale for that? Is it legal to hire the prostitute when you are outside your vehicle? How does any of this make any practical sense?

 

[CAnnoneer]

+1 crosshair

Legalizing is a bad things. It is never a good idea.
Bad is bad. Wrong is wrong.

Care to explain? Let's limit the discussion to adult prostitution.

Anybody who works for a living is ultimately selling something - certainly their time and effort, often their skill: an artist sells his artistic creativity, a scientist his knowledge and mental prowess, a seamstress her dexterity, a sportsman a variety of physical skills, etc. A prostitute sells her time, effort, and physique.

Why is it any different than the above? Why is it that sex somehow has a special significance in the minds of many, a great untouchable taboo?

 

[meef]

*George Carlin Mode*

Selling is legal, F*ucking is legal. Why isn't selling f*cking legal???

Ummm.... that was a really incompetent job of making that censor-acceptable, I'd say.

 

[Zundfolge]

Zundfolge:

Try reading the three words before the passage you quoted. I'll wait. It's called a modifying phrase. You can't understand what I was trying to say unless you include it in.

Okay, I'll play along, lets take your entire sentence.

I would draw the comparison that in some areas, Britian appears to be more libertarian.

So I'm curious, what are these "some areas" that Britian appears to be more libertarian than the US?

 

[swampsniper]

Libertine and libertarian are not the same thing!

 

[444]

"What if one of the prostitutes is dressed as a maid?"

Now that is funny right there. I don't care who you are, that's funny.



444, living in the heart of legal prostitution, legal gambing, and NFA weaponry. And yes, no state income tax.
Oh...........it's all so wrong.

444 is also a guy that realizes that government does perform some valuable and nessessary functions. He realizes that this idea of no government involvement is a mistake in cases like this.

 

[Justin]

I really have to hit you over the head with it, don't I?

No, friend, it was a nonsensical, non-starting non-sequitar the first time 'round, but thanks anyway.

 

[taliv]

desperately mangled logic and arrogance go together like muppets and fisting.

 

[BenW]

What if one of the prostitutes is dressed as a maid?

If anybody wants me, I'll be in my bunk.....

 

[cuchulainn]

Malone LaVeigh: I think that's because you and others here seem to be reacting to your US-political-system-based definition of the word "libertarian." I'm talking about beliefs or policies that would tend to support personal liberty.

<snip>

1 : an advocate of the doctrine of free will
2 a : a person who upholds the principles of absolute and unrestricted liberty especially of thought and action

...which is why I don't see this move as particularly little-L libertarian.

We're not talking about "free will" and most certainly not "unrestricted liberty." Rather, we're talking about a government scheme designed to minimize an act so as to keep it in check.

The only "free will" involved here is a tiny portion staked out and approved by the government.

That's not libertarian, big L or little L.

 

[Radagast]

I'd see it as anti libertarian. The English Government is trying to regulate and tax 60,000 freemarket small business women.

 

[cuchulainn]

CAnnoneer: Why is it that sex somehow has a special significance in the minds of many, a great untouchable taboo?

It's built into our genes. On an animal level we want to make sure our genes get passed on and make sure we know to whom. We can't know for sure without rules about the who's, when's and where's of sex.

All societies -- indeed, most animals -- have some rules about sex. There are differences and specific exceptions to the rules, but the general idea of societal control is universal, as is usually the pack/colony/pod/flock/etc. control.

That's not a justification, by the way, just an explanation.