Sex work

[DavidB.]

Regulation in my country, The Netherlands, has gone terribly wrong because politicians thought that all problems would magically disappear by legalizing it - nope. The left (and the progressive right) has taken the position that legalizing prostitution is basically a woman's right, and the status-quo isn't going to change anytime soon.

I'd rather live in a world without "sex work". I think prostitution is inherently degrading. But prostitution is called the oldest profession on earth for a reason, and banning people from prostituting themselves is not going to magically make it go away, period. So we need to find a way to make the situation the least bad for sex workers, which means minimizing the "shame" and the problems that generally come along with the "industry", often related to pandering, violence, human trafficking, drug addiction et cetera. The Swedish model seems more attractive to me than the liberal Dutch model, but I don't think it provides a logically sound solution to the problem. So I'd prefer to legalize and regulate prostitution, to criminalize pandering, to outlaw any company that "employs" people in the prostitution industry (let them be self-employed instead, in order for them to be always in control of their lives), and to introduce stronger penalties on human trafficking (which is currently the biggest problem with regard to prostitution in the Netherlands - thanks, Schengen). Furthermore, I'd outlaw streetwalking (currently legal in many Dutch cities): women are not for rent.

I think I'm quite the moderate hero on this topic...

[DavidB.]

Sex should only occur between a man and his wife. All other sex is immorality. So sex work/prostitution or whatever you want to call this gross immorality should be illegal.

Despite the use of the word "so", this last sentence does still not logically follow the first sentences.

Even if one thinks sex outside marriage is immoral, then banning prostitution isn't necessarily the way to go.

But would it though? People like to say "legalisation" like its some kind of magic pixie dust that solves all ills. I mean should we stop and look at evidence? NO LEGALISE YOU FOOL, LEGALISDLIEGALISELEGALISEANDREGULATE

What do you think of my idea, which I outlined on page 7 of this thread?