To choose one’s victims, to prepare one’s plan minutely, to slake an implacable vengeance, and then to go to bed … there is nothing sweeter in the world. – Josef Stalin
When an ordinary person is angry at someone or some group of people, there isn’t a whole lot she can do about it, short of launching a personal attack. If that anger settles into her soul and rots into a vendetta, she might dedicate her time, energy and money to slandering her enemies; if she’s a narcissistic sociopath, she might even lie to the cops in order to send them after those enemies. And if she’s also wealthy, she can pay off officials to turn her personal vendetta into a full-fledged crusade. Swanee Hunt is all of these things; she’s a morally-warped multi-billionaire with a personal vendetta against whores, and through her organization “Demand Abolition” has been one of the chief architects of “sex trafficking” hysteria. She has even bankrolled an immense series of “sting” operations, with the heaviest activity in Chicago and Los Angeles.
Hunt’s bile is mostly directed toward clients and imaginary “pimps”, but she hates whores every bit as much as she hates men; it’s simply not PC for her to admit it. Her organization’s “Nation Strategy” spells out the reason for the lie quite clearly: “Framing the Campaign’s key target as sexual slavery might garner more support and less resistance, while framing the Campaign as combating prostitution may be less likely to mobilize similar levels of support and to stimulate stronger opposition.” In other words, Hunt’s advisors understand that popular support for busybody interference in the lives of consenting adults is waning, and they saw the growing moral panic as an effective Trojan horse for a crusade against whores. Despite the demonstrable fact that women are victimized by Hunt’s sponsored pogroms, the propaganda machine continues to roll just as it does everywhere the Swedish poison is sold and the lies are piled higher and deeper with each successive press release:
…Across the country…law-enforcement agencies have been adjusting their strategies for prostitution busts, and signing on to the ideas that sex workers should be treated as victims rather than criminals and that the johns should be held responsible for buying sex…Two years ago [former drug-dealer Marian] Hatcher signed on as coordinator of Sheriff Tom Dart’s National Day of Johns Arrests, which has since flourished in partnership with…Demand Abolition…the Cook County Sheriff’s Office [is] pushing the campaign to eradicate the demand for prostitution and help rehabilitate prostitutes rather than punish them…
You know, “rehabilitating” them by giving them lifelong felony arrest records or, if they’re transgender, prosecuting them as clients to get the “end demand” numbers up.
“We want to bring attention to eradicate demand or put a huge dent in it,” Hatcher says. “If there’s nothing to manage, [the pimps] will have to find another business”…
This is total and complete bullshit as well; “end demand” policies actually increase prostitution, and the fraction of sex work which is “managed” by pimps is so small the “authorities” wouldn’t notice if it were to vanish tomorrow. But you wouldn’t know it to read this misogynistic dreck from the AP, which portrays women as infantile, spineless basket-cases at the mercy of all-powerful males:
…Some might see these interludes as exchanges between consenting adults…if the prostitute is, indeed, an adult and seemingly free to come and go as she pleases. They may call it a victimless crime, seeing domestic prostitution as something very different from human sex trafficking…But are they so different, after all? Increasingly, experts in the field are saying no, and applying the label human trafficking to homegrown prostitution. And now more lawmakers, police and prosecutors across the country are starting to shift their view on this, too. Increasingly, they are focusing on arresting traffickers and customers (pimps and johns, as it were) and on getting help for prostitutes…
No, “experts” are saying no such thing, unless money and an axe to grind are enough to qualify someone as an “expert”. The real “experts”, sex workers and those who have studied our lives without preconceptions, say just the opposite: that most so-called “sex trafficking” is a rational decision made from among limited options. They also increasingly say that decriminalization, not the Swedish model or its siblings, (and certainly not “re-education” disguised as “help”) is the way to improve the lives of sex workers. But that’s not the only part of the article that plays fast and loose with the facts:
…As of this year, Illinois became one of several states where prostitution is no longer a felony. It’s also one of a growing number where a minor cannot be charged with prostitution, even as a misdemeanor. Meanwhile, prosecutors in Cook County…have been using new state laws to put more traffickers in jail…
No, it was one of only eleven states where prostitution could be a felony; in the other 39 (not merely “several”) it never has been. The author is trying to make Illinois look progressive, when it fact it was until recently one of the two worst! Also, minors who aren’t charged with prostitution are still charged with lots of other things to keep them under the state’s thumb, and as for “jailing more traffickers”, take a look at this link again. But why are the cops cooperating with one sick, twisted woman’s agenda? Well, besides its political popularity and the fact that Chicago cops are always looking for another excuse to hurt people, there’s this: “Cook County Sheriff’s police also run regular sting operations…johns must pay a fine. Police also impound their cars…” But lest you think it’s only Chicago that Hunt’s loathsome tentacles have reached:
…Sgt. Craig Friesen, head of the vice unit…in Anaheim, Calif…[said] “I never met any prostitute who said, ‘This was my ultimate goal in life,'” Friesen says. “They’ve all been brought into this life by someone. They’ve been exploited by someone.”
Yes, ALL of us, every single one. Because you know women aren’t smart enough or mature enough to think of stuff like that out of our own pretty little heads. But California politicians sure are, and they know a gravy train when they see one:
Los Angeles County officials…unanimously called for stricter penalties for men who seek out underage prostitutes, urging state lawmakers to require that “johns” who pay to have sex with children face felony rather than misdemeanor charges, be required to register as sex offenders and pay higher fines…
Notice that lightning-quick shift from “underage” (which could be 17-looks-like-20) to “children”. Another story on the same topic is more specific about those fines: “raising the fine from $1,000 to $10,000 [and] seizing property if necessary to pay the fine…” Because those LA politicians care so very much about the “trafficked children”, they’re going to make a great deal of money pimping them out for this tragedy porn, just like Chicago. And just like Swanee Hunt, who’s willing to sell thousands of women into cages in a futile attempt to slake a thirst for vengeance that can never be satisfied because its actual target is out of her reach.
An heiress Marxist theologian ambassador criminologist: does seem like the ingredients for a monster
Did I miss it? What the $%^&*# is she so angry about? Any clue?
Yes, but I prefer not to state it directly because she has far more money than sense, and her petty change purse is bigger than my entire income from 1983-2013. Suffice it to say that rumor has it a person very close to her liked the company of call girls very much. And completely off the subject, I want you to look at the attitude (but not the part about losing the house) of this woman who commented on an old post yesterday, including her response to me from this morning. Just imagine what she might do if she were a billionaire!
We have a problem which is simply stated, women who are worried about what their husbands may or may not do want to interfere in the sex lives of random people they don’t care a thing about, either the men or the women.
Incidentally? That woman commenter sounds horrible. If I was married to someone that vindictive… I would wonder how that happened and it wouldn’t be for long.
(Sooo glad I’m not single… i don’t miss bachelorhood _at all_! Too many bad people in the dating pool, for men and for women.)
I would be willing to bet that she had that same vindictive attitude toward sex as well, despite all her claims to the contrary.
I agree. My impression was that she doled out sex as a reward, and got angry when he refused to play by her rules. Now, if what she says about losing their house is true he was clearly out of control, but the better part of five decades on this planet has taught me that sick relationships are usually composed of TWO sick individuals, not an abuser and a blameless victim.
Absolutely! The denial on that fact of relationships is a mile deep in most people.
And I just remembered another lie in her story: to set herself up as “victim” she claims that she always gave (or tried to give) her husband sex. Yet in her second comment (if I recall correctly), she asks what is so goddamn important about sex that he would go and spend his money on prostitutes. Which tells me that not only does she not get the point you were making but also that she didn’t do the maintenance sex she claims she did. A wife who does maintenance sex understands the importance of it and wouldn’t pose that question.
I’ll admit that losing the house is serious, but sometimes that could be job related. If he was in commissioned sales and hit a dry patch he might have had plenty of money to spend when things were good and then been flat broke when things were dry. Is it sensible not to build up a good savings reserve? No, but it’s so common as it seems the norm not the exception.
Yeah, in my relationship, even when we are fighting about stuff (unless it reaches the level of throwing things) she still has sex with me, because she enjoys having sex.
Sounds to me like Denise is a real “Beta Female”.
That’s what I would label her if I thought her story was true – but it’s so cliche that I believe it’s another sex trafficking crusader playing with a sock puppet.
I found it funny that she protested about being used as a “hole” for her husband – and then got upset when he dipped into a few others! Why don’t women like this just “outsource” their wifely carnal duties anyway? There’d be a LOT more happy marriages out there!
Here’s a news flash for Denise though … sweetie, if – no matter what you do to please him – your man is still distancing himself from you …
He’s just not all that “in” to you – you might want to find a way out of that relationship. That would be “Dear Krulac’s” advice.
She was kind of right about this though …
In a lot of cases – I think this is absolutely true – maybe most cases, but I can’t say that because I’m not familiar with other men’s situations.
Girls do not realize – that a lot of a man’s identity is locked up in the quality of his sexual activity.
If you want your man to be an ambitious provider – I would suggest you start by making him feel like a KING in the bedroom. Treat him like a King there – and he’ll walk into board meetings ACTING like a King. Confident men go far in life – much farther than their abilities alone can take them. Women MAKE men – everything that we are. You just have to know which buttons to press and … LOL … they’re not difficult to figure out.
I saw a girl last week in the 7th ward and, pardon my french, but we fucked the living shit out of each other even though I had to wear a clothespin over my nose because her “womanly smell” was too much even for me to bear! Phew!!!
I left that date thinking I was quite the bulletproof stud (especially being 51 and able to perform with that paint-pealing smell her nether regions were broadcasting!) I walked back into work the next day and the boss was crying about a short-notice trip of high difficulty to the Arctic that he had to force someone to go on. “What the fuck?” I said … “That’s my fucking trip – you put ME on it!”
LOL – I was supposed to depart tomorrow but Obama shut down the government – so now it looks like I’m a full time bar bouncer till the government is up again! 😀
Obama shut down the government. Uh-huh. The man is a socialist, he always wants more and bigger and more active government, so… he shut it down. Uh-huh.
Worth noting that a day later (long after your post here) she apologized for her rant.
If she actually recognizes her error, a little forgiveness might go a long way.
The refusal to look at the actual reality of sex work is just part of a much larger refusal to look at reality in the USA. We refuse to look at almost any reality anymore, be it environmental, economic.
This is because we strongly hold the opinion that earnest belief is as good as factual knowledge. People will excuse the damage that someone like Hunt does because “She really believes in what she is doing, and thinks it right.”
And once belief is involved, to hell with facts.
Can you name a country where they do look at reality? I’m just wondering – do you think Americans are genetically different from other races of humans on this planet?
Or maybe – YOU just don’t understand Americans – and don’t think like they do ergo – they are “not living in reality” – but that reality would be YOUR reality … which they have no responsibility to immerse themselves in.
Totally accept reality? No.But some of the European nations do a better job of it than the USA. At least they acknowledge that they live on a finite planet shared with other people with different points of view.
As to if I don’t understand Americans, perhaps you are correct. Although there are many things I admire about the USA, it’s getting to be less and less the nation I thought I was joining up with.
But nothing to be done for that. I’m a US citizen now.
Amnon Duul: I’ve broken no law.
Lieutenant Womack: Transportation of human cargo—especially dead cargo—through the Allied postal system is punishable by five to ten years on a penal moon. Plus you don’t know this yet, but you resisted arrest.
– Firefly, The Message
Ah, resisting arrest, for when cops want to make your life really miserable…
Good episode. It brought us Jayne’s hat! Also, it was the final episode filmed
Yes, it was kind of sad too… but I loved the sideshow, too.
Thank you for calling attention to this outrageous injustice. It makes me want to throw up! Or put my fist through the wall. Amazing how much of this kind of thing is happening. Its like global warming. Its clearly happening more and more, but so many are ignoring it. Guess we feel like we can’t stop the war on whores. (and pimps) So we put our heads in the sand, many of us. Certainly the American public, and the johns, ignore this war, buy into it even. Grrrrrr… Its so frustrating having been in sex worker rights for so long and to see us loosing so much ground. But we have to keep trying. Maggie, you are a brave soul on the front lines. Thank you!!! You give me hope. Maybe the next generation will come up with a good plan to end this madness. xxx
I really believe this period of reversal is temporary; all over the world, sex workers are gaining ground and winning allies in the human rights and public health communities. We will eventually win, but it’s a project for generations.
Maggie McNeill, did you know that Swanee Hunt is the daughter of the even more crazy Texas oil billionaire H. L. Hunt.
Adam Curtis of the BBC has great blog post on him and along with film footage of his very creepy family life. I”m not sure if she is one of the daughters shown.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/posts/YOU-THINK-YOU-ARE-A-CONSUMER-BUT-MAYBE-YOU-HAVE-BEEN-CONSUMED
One of HL Hunt’s sons is Nelson Bunker Hunt, who some decades ago tried to corner the world market in silver; he went bankrupt trying, but at the time it was a serious concern for photographers.
“I never met any prostitute who said, ‘This was my ultimate goal in life.’”
And if you asked the average person what they felt about their job, what would they tell you? For most of us, work is something we do to afford our goals in life — it isn’t our goal in itself. For some it is, and they’re lucky in some ways, perhaps; but I suspect if you asked a hundred people with six-figure incomes whether their current career was their ultimate goal in life, many would say no.
I would wager that more whores have job satisfaction than fast-food workers do.
I had the displeasure of meeting Nelson Hunt in the 1970’s: my stepfather was trying to do a deal with him. It never went through, mostly because, in my stepfather’s words, “I’d have taken all the risk, and he’d have taken all the money.”
If Swanee is anything like her brother, I’d rather deal with a room full of poisonous snakes than deal with her. The Hunts, IMHO, are living examples of why we need a 100% estate tax on estates in excess of $50 million dollars.
I lost my wallet once, and Helen Hunt found it. At least I think she did; the man behind counter I asked for help to me I could go the Helen Hunt for it.
Let me try that again:
I lost my wallet once, and Helen Hunt found it. At least I think she did; when I asked the man behind counter for help he told me I could go to Helen Hunt for it.
[…] last several years have been good to anti-sex work interests, who have successfully reframed their crusade from being against prostitution to being against “sexual slavery.” The political […]