Why not engage with one of the people who have already started on this topic? Because it would be a really bad look to try to debate their comments, so you chose the one that was more generalized and therefore easier to Just Ask Questions?
What's y'all's cognitive dissonance for not viewing the sex trade as inherently exploitative? What did Lenin, Castro, and Sankara have to say about it?
What did Lenin, Castro, and Sankara have to say about it?
Without making a stand either way, I'm not sure that the opinions of three men who weren't engaged or involved in sex work are particularly relevant on the issue. I'd rather hear from sex workers themselves.
I was involved in the past but my take on "listen to sex workers" is the same as my take on "listen to workers". You don't listen to the reactionary workers do you? You understand that they're misinformed and unaware of their own exploitation. The reaction you will get from most sex workers when you try to explain certain concepts to them is extremely defensive, because they currently rely on their sex work for an income. You get a completely different conversation with sex workers that have exited the industry compared to those currently in it.
I have made pro-sexwork users here very upset about this in the past because I hold the opinion that if work is coerced under capitalism then the "sex" in sex-work is also coerced and therefore SA. I continue to hold this opinion.
What do I think should be done about it? Nothing. You can't just end sex work. It must be phased out through radical changes in society until it is no longer a thing anyone needs to do and no longer has any fiscal factors involved driving its existence, this will then leave behind the people that are purely doing it out of hobbiest and enjoyment intentions. Very very very long-term outcome of socialism. In the meantime everything should be done under capitalism to protect these workers without compromising on the fact that the longterm goal should be to minimise the existence of this industry.
Hi, if you'd like to ask questions I'm here.
You seem curious in other comments so I'd like to hear your thoughts.
Kinda hard to give you the full picture since I've never had a pimp, but I think the cognitive dissonance only really comes up when I'm talking to someone who wants to enter the industry and isn't understanding the ramifications. Otherwise it's kinda a "supporting each other's prison successes" vibe since we feel trapped in the world.
It's part of the western left cognitive dissonance. They reject the policies of every AES (actually existing socialist) state, refuse to understand or engage with them, and think that they know better. Pretty much every AES state has placed legal limits on sex work/prostitution and drugs, as well as other excesses and hedonistic behaviour. This was not done because of "authoritarianism", but because of the material conditions that occur during the long walk from capitalism to socialism,
For example, prostitution, pornography, and almost all recreational drugs are currently illegal in China today. Same with Vietnam. Same with Cuba. Same with Laos. Same with the DPRK. Literally every actually existing socialist state has policies restricting these activities, even those with socially progressive policies like Cuba.
I don't think it's owned by the workers, but it does seem like they set their own schedules (the dancers at least). Most only go on a few days a month.
Honestly it's not any worse than OnlyFans and it seems like a lot of them have those too.