Many people have used Craigslist to find a “causal encounter”, and some of them got lured into police sting operations. I’m trying to determine what fraction of the stuff that used to be posted to that section (before Craigslist closed it a few months ago) was real, and what percentage prostitution (as opposed to a real, no strings attached encounter).
All sexual encounters which actually happen are as “real” as one another; being paid for sex does not magically make the ensuing sex imaginary. Lots of people used Craigslist to advertise seeking or offering sex, and they had a plethora of different motivations; it’s a prohibitionist mentality to pretend that a pragmatic motivation for sex draws a bright, clear line between that sex and other sex. You seem to want to exploit that imaginary difference to argue that cops stalking and victimizing people for sex in which no currency is directly exchanged is somehow different and worse than them stalking people who make a clear and honest exchange. I can’t help you with that, and I wouldn’t if I could; the only assistance I can offer is to tell you that most scams only work on those with “larceny in their hearts”, i.e. those trying to get something for nothing. Men seeking sex would be wise to stop trolling around trying to get it for “free” (the most expensive kind) or cheap, do their research, and deal only with known providers with established reputations. Furthermore, the idea that sex work can be dependably differentiated from what you call “real sex” is not only wrong philosophically, but also practically; because sex work is only distinguished by its motivation, any procedure intended to ensnare sex workers and/or clients will also ensnare lots of other people. The only way to ensure that no amateurs are caught up in prostitution stings is to do away with prostitution stings, and the only way to do that is to completely decriminalize all forms of sex work.
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I always think of the word “equalising” when I try to explain sex work. If some jerk like Ashton Kuther thinks he is getting his sex for free since “good men don’t buy women”, maybe he should try it sometime when he is not a celebrity and maybe is older. Some middle age women look better (really, not just saying it conversationally) if they wear makeup and drive an expensive red sports car. I always thought a young student walking with a violin or riding a Vespa had a special patina about them. How to we equalise those things? We do it just like in a court of law, with money. If I have a couple of hundred dollars in my hand I look younger and more desirable too. The nature of the attraction is equalised, and why not. That, too, is part of the smart woman’s GFE.
Likewise, there’s no real difference between running a bakery business and baking some cookies for your own children at home, and so any attempt to regulate commercial bakeries will necessarily impact the average mom.
Yeah, because bakery regulation is performed by armed thugs randomly trying to trick people into accepting money for cookies.
I’ve warned you many times about this kind of idiocy. I’m losing my patience.
“Armed thugs” has got nothing to do with what you actually said. You said “You seem to want to exploit that imaginary difference to argue that cops stalking and victimizing people for sex in which no currency is directly exchanged is somehow different and worse than them stalking people who make a clear and honest exchange.”
That prostitution is engaged in for monetary gain is not the thing that makes prostitution distinct from amateur sex with respect to the question of whether it should be regulated. The thing that makes it something that a government might rightfully govern is that a sex worker is setting up shop, engaging in commerce, making a living at it by trading with the general public.
(So the cops have guns? Of course they have guns! The baliffs that shut down chip shops that fail to meet the food hygiene regulations have guns too. Some of those restaurant inspectors are also corrupt and thuggish goons that take bribes, demand free lunches, terrorise the poor illegal immigrants in their power who can’t simply make a complaint to the city. It’s wicked and wrong that this should be the case. Cops aren’t actually supposed to be raping hookers, and the ones that do should go to prison for it.)
Governments regulate trade. Always have. I get that libertarians think they oughtn’t, but are you really going to maintain that setting up shop selling a service is not actually a thing at all, that there’s no meaningful distinction to be drawn?
Making a living selling cookies is not at all the same thing as baking them for a family. I can’t fairly say “You aren’t fooling anyone, you know”, but you certainly haven’t persuaded me. Being a sex worker is actually a thing.
In my experience by the end 9/10 Craigslist NSA ads in the women seeking men category were pure scams one way or another, with no real human behind the ad at all.
After Craigslist closed their erotic services section, you really didn’t see much prostitution in the NSA section. That was caused entirely by the crackdown Craigslist were armtwisted into doing. You did see a fair number of obvious drug-dealing ads but I figure half of them were cops.
Oops, I mean to say BEFORE CL closed the erotic services section.