Blog Archive

Monday, 14 April 2014

Ruminations on the Chaser's Skit on Terminally Ill kids.

JohnBentley

In the Make a Realistic Wish Sketch[1] Morrow subsequently endorsed Mark Scott's view that the sketch shouldn't have gone to air ....

Julian Morrow delivers the 2009 Andrew Olle Media Lecture[2] at about 30:30 (of Entire Talk)
I'm not defending the Make a Realistic Wish Sketch, I agree that the ABC's decision that it shouldn't have gone to air was the right one.
Transcript[3]
Placing this in the context of his argument
I think it's fair to divide the majority of people with a negative view of controversial content into three categories, and it's important to distinguish between them. The first is people who are hurt by it; the second is people who are offended or outraged by it; and then the last category is those who don't like it. ...
So I'd like to make a realistic assessment of the Realistic Wish audience, because I believe what's true of them is true of the Australian mainstream.
The first category - those who were hurt - is by and large are people who've been touched in a personal way by childhood cancer. They are the people that I'm sorry about. I know that they have, arbitrarily, been afflicted with grief caused by one of life's cruellest realities. You've got tears enough in your life if that happens. A comedy show shouldn't add to those pools of grief. Lest there is any misunderstanding, if you are one of those people, I want to reiterate my sincerest apology to you for the unwarranted pain that sketch caused when you have already have too much suffering in your life.
Then, somewhat inconsistently says
But the next category - people who were offended by the sketch - is in my view different. We live, thankfully, with genuinely free speech, which is a hallmark of a tolerant society. And it's not good speech, or nice speech, that needs to be tolerated. It's bad speech. Mediocre speech. Tasteless speech. Sometimes, hurtful speech. [Emphasis Added].
So at once Morrow seems to be allowing that "hurtful" speech can warrant censorship (whether this is "self censorship" or externally imposed) and not warrant censorship.
One could hold, just to entertain a logical possibility, that some kind of hurtful speech should be censored and another kind of hurtful speech should not. But the distinction between these kinds would need to be specified. That specification was palpably absent from Murrow's speech.
I find this to be an insidious thing. As more and more of us realise precisely that "And it's not good speech, or nice speech, that needs to be tolerated. It's bad speech. Mediocre speech. Tasteless speech" ... offensive and dangerous speech too ... there becomes a semantic burden placed on new words that are deployed as exceptions to the general right to speak freely. That is, as "offensive" speech becomes recognized as requiring protection from censorship, speech that others want to censor now gets called "hurtful" or, to take the example from 2013/2014, "bullying".


Ardinius

There is an important concept that you're missing here, and that is the concept of equality of speech, or rather, the concept of voice.

What I find interesting about this entire chaser skit is that the voice of the sick children are completely ignored and entirely removed from the debate. We don't hear the voice of terminally ill children who watched or were affected by the skit found anywhere present in the debate or the news media. If the outrage over this skit truly was about the well-being of terminally ill children, why are their voices entirely missing from the discussion, or even worse, why are they patronized to the extent of 'they're to precious to be exposed to it'?

The intention of the chaser skit was clear - it was to start a debate about the role of charities such as the Make-a-Wish Foundation. It was to question whether charities like the Make-a-Wish foundation using terminally ill children to guilt-trip parents into making a donation have become self serving.

The reason for of the media backlash on the other hand wasn't so clear. Firstly, the large majority of commentators and general public disgusted with the Skit have most likely never had any experience with terminally ill children - I don't believe people who've never even known a terminally ill kid could meaningfully empathise with them being hurt by a bad skit (assuming such kids even were hurt by the skit in the first place). Secondly, there was also a concerted campaign by the right which took this opportunity to fan the flames of outrage in an attempt to stifle, and indeed censor one of the few television programs on mainstream media that challenges the status quo (and does so, not seriously, but entirely through humor).

Interestingly, the voice of the parents of terminally ill children (and never the ill children themselves) came through loud and clear through the mainstream media, because it was they and not the children themselves who were apparently most hurt by the skit (I have yet to find a single article mentioning the anguish the skit caused to a young person actually suffering from a terminal illness). It's interesting to ask why the skit was so hurtful to parents: As a parent, to what extent are you going to feel insecure about giving your terminally ill child false hope about their chances of survival? - furthermore, to what extent do charities like Make a Wish Foundation actually deal with families coming to terms with their child's illness? Given that the most common 'wishes' are computers, cubby houses, and trips to the Gold Coast, is this kind of thing really going to help children and their parents cope? or is it going to just exasperate the problem by promoting temporary escapism for families who deal with these kinds of illnesses? And to what extent could the money spent on laptops and cubby houses for ill children be better spent on actual medical research to help prevent these children from being in the condition they're in, in the first place?

Regardless of the answers to these questions, at least I am asking them. Regardless of how tasteless the Chaser Skit was, at least it brings such important questions to the fore.

To tie this back to the concept of 'hurtful' speech, it is first important to identify who an act of speech hurts, and for what reason. You can't sanction censorship without a clear understanding of such things. But even if we did have an understanding of why someone was hurt, and even if the reason for someone to be hurt by an act of speech was entirely justified, it completely ignores the elephant in the room; does the act of speech give the person who it is directed against the opportunity to respond on an equal platform?
My issue with the Chaser skit isn't the content of the skit. It is the fact that the skit was performed on a media platform that gives families with ill children, and more specifically the ill children themselves no opportunity to voice themselves - there is an enormous imbalance of power, when in a dialogue, the words of one speaker is broadcast to millions of people, and the words of the other is heard by no one. To do so is to abuse the power one has in using the media as a platform of communication. Or in the words of one distraught mother directly affected by the skit: "They no longer deserve a platform in which they can inflict so much pain,".

Ironically, the fact that this mother and her views garnered so much traction in the wider media, and in fact overwhelmed the Chaser team to the point they had to be taken off air for two weeks demonstrates that the voices of those affected didn't go unheard, and in fact was so powerful that it almost had the show axed. That, in of itself, is an indication that the skit shouldn't need to be censored. Furthermore, the nature of the Chaser program, a program that uses humor to say precisely the things that aren't to be said in public indicates that it facilitates the voice of those matters which are censored as a result of public taboo - the program, through it's humor, brings to the fore issues and concerns that most people wouldn't dare voicing in public.

To broaden the scope of the discussion - the questions that we should be focusing on here is not what should and shouldn't be uttered on the basis of 'hurtfulness', but rather how can the platforms upon which words are uttered (whether that be Television, Radio or language itself) can be as equitable and as representative as possible, particularly when the users of such platforms largely serve to amplify their existing cultural/social/economic/(or comedic) privilege over others.

After all, what does it matter how offensive/hurtful what you have to say is, when the person/group you are hurting/offending with your speech has an equal opportunity to respond, and an equal platform on which to respond with?

Wednesday, 16 October 2013

I do not believe that pacifism is effective against terrorism. CHANGE MY VIEW

User DrinkyDrank posts view on Malala's message and asked to be challenged on it, user Ardinius successfully changes his view as DrinkyDrank awards him a Delta.


DrinkDrank

I've been reading a lot about Malala Yousafzai in the news, and I watched both her Daily Show interview and recent UN speech. While I find her story and message truly inspiring, I believe some of her pacifist views are naive. When she says that the Taliban should be confronted by peaceful dialogue and education, but never violence, I can't help but think that this alone would accomplish nothing. Of course, education and dialogue are a crucial part of the solution of dismantling the Taliban, and really combating any political or religious terrorist movement. However, these organizations seem so steadfast in their beliefs and principles that I don't think anything short of pure force will be able to stop them. After all, you have to admit that it takes an impressive amount of commitment to your ideals to point a gun at a child's head and pull the trigger. I simply don't believe that challenging the principles of somebody so utterly committed will be effective, and unfortunately, the only solution is to point the gun back at them.


Ardinius

Of course, education and dialogue are a crucial part of the solution of dismantling the Taliban,  and really combating any political or religious terrorist movement.

Education and dialogue, can in fact be, a crucial part that adds to the problem of combating any terrorist movement. The Taliban, for instance, rounds up and conscripts children at young ages from fundamentalist Islamic schools (madrassas). Once conscripted they are heavily indoctrinated, even to the point of becoming suicide bombers. By the time they are adults fighting for the Taliban, they have experienced a childhood full of abuse and have most likely witnessed their families being terrorized by rival tribes or by Foreign Military Forces.
these organizations seem so steadfast in their beliefs and principles that I don't think anything short of pure force will be able to stop them.
Is it not, precisely a lifetime of being exposed to force and violence that is specifically the reason for such steadfast beliefs that are held in the first place? The Taliban are among the fiercest warriors of the world, they have been exposed to the full brunt of military power of both the world's Super Powers within the past three decades.
They don't exist despite the violence and force enacted against them through out their history, they exist because of it. Violence makes such people, even more extreme, even more bold in their views, and even more hardened as a warrior. So far from a solution, pure force functions as an enabler of terrorist organisations like the Taliban.
But let's go back to our point about education. Given that we would both agree that Malala's story would be fairly inconsequential for the people of the Wartorn villages and regional areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan; those who are poorly educated and can barely read and write; those who would hardly consider the story of a single teenage girl being shot as game chaning news given the Dance Party Beheadings, Air strike Weddings , and the long history of atrocities that have been occuring in the region for decades; Let's look at the real significance of the Malala story, and relate it back to how education and dialogue can actually assist Terror.
Let us first establish, that a significant threat to civilian lives in regional Pakistian and Afghanistan in the last four years, is the Military Industrial Complex of the West.
Let us then address something that has been completely overlooked through out the entirety of this thread, and that is the significance of the Malala story for the Western World.
The story is a feel good one – flown to the UK for rehabilitation, the Western world can feel good about itself as they saved the life of an innocent young native girl who spoke some of the West's most virtuous values to the savage men of her home nation.
There is an underlying message here however, and it happens to be precisely the one you picked up on.
you have to admit that it takes an impressive amount of commitment to your ideals to point a gun at a child's head and pull the trigger. I simply don't believe that challenging the principles of somebody so utterly committed will be effective, and unfortunately, the only solution is to point the gun back at them.
And this is where the magic happens. In what amounts to an excellent instance of doublespeak and flawless PR, this story reinforces the presence of the Western Military Industrial complex in the region, despite the fact that Malala's message is one of peace. Her message of human rights, universal education, pacifism and Women's issues emboldens the hearts of people in the West while simultaneously passing through the exact sentiment that you picked up on (i.e while her message is beautiful, it is naive, and extremists must be dealt with by force), and it's all done with sublime subtly, under the radar and straight from the mouth of a native from the nation itself. The most effective messages are often the one's we don't even know we're receiving.
And thus unvieled the true brilliance of Malala's story, and it's incredible potency to 'educate' the people of the west on why the terror and atrocities committed in these far away lands are justified. It is a piece of propaganda that would make Goebells pee in his panties.
Such a pity that so many people are so ready to sympathise with Malala's story without being able to analyse it critically for it's significance in the West.
Afterall, if we really cared about the inexcusable Atrocities in this region, we would all be speaking the name of Abeer Qassim Hamza, not Malala.


DrinkDrank

Whoa. That just blew my mind. Am I being brainwashed to be critical of pacifism by a pacifist message?

Saturday, 20 July 2013

On the Asylum Debate

User Ardinius calls out user waitwhodidwhat for rationalizing the plight of Assylum seekers in Australia



waitwhodidwhat

I'm against the current treatment of asylum seekers but there's just something inside me which doesn't feel right with allowing people who riot and burn down facilities to live in the country I live in and love, regardless of the circumstances. But of course I'm not in their position.

This debate can't be deduced to a document signed 60 years ago. I don't know.. It's just not as simple as it appeared in the past maybe and I agree with Kevin Rudd calling the UN to at least re-examine the treaties signed which deal with refugees.
 

Ardinius

~Put innocent people into detention for a indefinite period of time

~Refuse to process their Asylum Applications

~Wait for them to freak the fuck out when they realise they've been imprisoned for no goddamn reason.

~????

~Profit when suckers like you try and make themselves feel good about voting for the party with the cruelest asylum seeker policy.

waitwhodidwhat

 
Suckers like me trying to make myself feel good about voting for the party with the cruelest asylum seeker policy? Hardly. That's pretty much the opposite of what I stated.

So, what's your big plan to stem the flow of people getting on boats in Indonesia, risking their lives and the efforts of border protection authorities? And if you do have a plan, how exactly do you think it will play out in reality rather than some utopian dreamland all these theoretical plans seem to work out in?
 

Ardinius
 

I'm against the current treatment of asylum seekers but there's just something inside me which doesn't feel right with allowing people who riot and burn down facilities to live in the country I live in and love, regardless of the circumstances.

You see this? This is called rationalisation. It's what happens when you've got two conflicting ideas in your head that don't sit well, and you come up with a bullshit argument to make yourself feel better about it.
 

So, what's your big plan?

Well since we pretend to care so much about the lives of a bunch of people we know next to nothing about, why don't we personally escort them on government approved vessels so that their claims for asylum can be processed in a timely fashion on the shores of our proud and compassionate nation? Instead of another hardliner policy in addition to the four decades of failed hardline policies to 'STAHP TAH BOATS' that have done nothing but bury the black market in people smuggling further underground, how about a policy that works in conjunction with our regional neighbors to completely uproot the system so that regulated and policy driven governmental bodies facilitate the movement of people in the safest possible manner?

Oh but wait. Do I hear more rationalisation creeping into your cranium? That can't possibly work! We can't have those lunatic brown people with their deranged child sacrificing cultural rituals flood our prosperous nation of pure and dignified white people can we? And what about the cost of bringing those terrible people here? Why should my sweet, hard earned Tax dollars be spent on those horrid brown people traveling here? God bless the Queen!

Never mind the fact that boat arrivals only account for a measly 3% of annual immigration in this country. Nevermind that the detention of asylum seekers alone is costing us 2.124 BILLION a year. Never mind the fact that with the $119,000 spent on persecuting each and every one of these poor people in a detention centre; we could afford to ship them on a luxury 13 night cruise; halfway across the coast of the fucking continent on board the Crystal Symphony; twenty nine times over.

God bless the soul of our beloved virgin Mary, we couldn't possibly have a policy that actually looks out for these people now could we?

 
Castrovalva
  
So, your plan is to deregulate Australia's borders, and then start a taxpayer-funded escort service?
So you wanna explain to me what part of:
so that their claims for asylum can be processed in a timely fashion on the shores of our proud and compassionate nation
translates into:
deregulate Australia's borders
When I've written:
so that regulated and policy driven governmental bodies facilitate the movement of people in the safest possible manner
In the very next sentence?
If you weren't overcome by your concealed xenophobic sentiments informed by the sensationalism on the six o'clock news of crazehhh and dangerous brown people burning shit down, you would've paid more attention to the rest of the paragraph where I spent considerable time outlining more regulation and oversight over the people who cross the border.
 
Castrovalva

You know, idiots like you who throw around terms like 'xenophobic' at anyone who happens to disagree with their extremist views make me laugh. You cry about the far right conservatives who have all but hijacked broader discourse in Australia's media, while attempting to similarly impose a one-sided, binaristic narrative of your own, and doing it while similarly making spurious claims to some kind of exclusively valuable morality. So, congratulations on being an empty, predictable cliche.

Your idiotic and hyperbolic post is nauseating and worthless on multiple levels, but the one that I find the most hilarious is that you want have your cake and eat it too; you insist that we should have no moral qualms about throwing open Australia's doors, while simultaneously defending those who would burn down a processing facility. You babble about 'looking after these people', while utterly ignoring the multiple complexities of this kind of immigration - from a resource standpoint, a social standpoint, a cultural standpoint. Basically, you spout empty epithets which make you feel morally superior, but are basically unworkable.

Most importantly, you aggressively attack anyone who disagrees with you by attempting to paint them as cartoon racists, and attempting to undermine their credibility by suggesting that anyone who disagrees with anything you say is simply doing so because they're 'afraid of brown people'. Ignoring the arrogance, idiocy, and anti-intellectualism of this position, it's just plain corrosive to having any rational debate on any of these issues.

You don't want a discussion. You want people to agree with you, while marveling at your superior morality. You are an intellectual degenerate, a pathetic coward, and a loud, pointless egomaniac. Please remove yourself from Reddit, and do not look back.
 
Ardinius
 
Wow that Xenophobe comment really cut you deep, didn't it? I wonder why.
you insist that we should have no moral qualms about throwing open Australia's doors, while simultaneously defending those who would burn down a processing facility.
Not only did I not defend such actions, I didn't insist we should throw Australia's doors open either. Facilitating the arrival of people here using safe government approved maritime vessels and processing asylum applications on Australian soil gives us more control over who does and doesn't come into this country at a cheaper rate than the current policy. I've made this 'arrogant, idiotic and anti-intellectual' point three times now and it's not going to get through to you unless you stop shoveling shit into my mouth.
You babble about 'looking after these people', while utterly ignoring the multiple complexities of this kind of immigration - from a resource standpoint, a social standpoint, a cultural standpoint.
Given that, in my 'idiotic and hyperbolic' post, I've sourced detailed material about what the current policy is costing us and put it into perspective for you; given that I've specifically sourced Amnesty International (an organizations that is solely concerned with social issues) to point out that maritime arrivals in this country accounts for 3% of this nations immigration; given that the whole post was outlined to you in the context of Australia's cultural issue with having people of a different background settle in this country, I'd say I did a pretty good job of trying to address the social, cultural and resource oriented complexities in the short amount of time I had. The same can't be said of your contribution.
Ignoring the arrogance, idiocy, and anti-intellectualism of this position, it's just plain corrosive to having any rational debate on any of these issues.
Yes, ignoring the research material, and the policy alternative I've provided, let's spend the majority of our post; misconstruing the content of my argument and berating me personally; so that we can put our hands on our chests and claim that our intentions are in the spirit of wholesome 'rational debate'. Since you're so concerned about it, how about responding with some rational arguments that actually address the content of my post to set the tone?
You cry about the far right conservatives who have all but hijacked broader discourse in Australia's media,
I'm actually rather comfortable talking about this stuff with far right conservatives because at the very least I don't need to deal with their closet racist bullshit. At least they don't pretend to care about a group of people they know next to nothing about. At least they don't believe themselves to be progressive, considered and intellectual persons trying to justify the persecution of among some of the most victimised people in the world. 

I could waste my time going after far right wing nutbags, but it's the people like you I give a fuck about. Progressive and intelligent people like you rationalising and normalising the mistreatment of refugees on an institutional and systematic level is a far greater threat than some fuck off crazy right wing nutter and their overtly racist views. 

Unfortunately we have a situation where Rudd's brilliant political move has gone further right than anything those very same extreme right wing fuckers could dream for, while at the same time getting the majority of decent and moderately intelligible people caught in the middle trying to rationalise and normalise what is a blatantly racist policy designed specifically to sway their opinion so Labor can hit the jackpot at the election. 

The only thing corrosive here is a debate which is trying to justify and normalise such an insane policy. There is no middle ground left here anymore. You can't pretend to feign compassion for refugees while also supporting the cruelest refugee policy Australia has ever seen in it's history.
This is where you make a choice between upholding the specifically tailored human rights afforded by the UN to among some of the most vulnerable human beings on the planet; or you subscribe to this fictitious Xenophobic notion by the right that being a victim of persecution in other countries makes you 'incompatible' for living in Australia; it makes you one of those extreme people who need to be subject to further persecution on offshore detention centres with a record in human right's violations in what amounts to one of the world's strictest immigration detention regimes all under the bullshit pretense that we need to 'teach these people' never to set foot on a boat again.

Such an argument is not a justification for violating the UN sanctioned human rights of asylum seekers to be settled in this country by fucking them off to yet another poor country regardless of their status as actual refugees.

So either you are buying into this fictitious Xenophobic rhetoric of the 'extreme other' traditionally championed by the far right to inform your misplaced justification and rationalisation of the PNG solution, or you're not. 

Do forgive my 'one-sided, binaristic narrative' here but there is simply no more room for compromise left on this issue - having worked throughout my life with both young and adult refugees, having personally visited a detention centre on several occasions and actually having spoken to some of these 'deranged and psychotic boat people', I'm rather passionate about this issue - not due to some misplaced feigned sense of compassion but because, (with the exception of Australia's policy towards the Indigenous in the past) there is no other issue that even remotely compares to the level of systematic injustice that is being perpetrated by this country towards these people.


 Castrovalva
Wow that Xenophobe comment really cut you deep, didn't it? I wonder why.
As I have already said - grow up. You are attempting to throw around empty terms like 'xenophobe' to undermine the credibility of anyone who remotely disagrees with you. It's utterly pathetic.

Facilitating the arrival of people here using safe government approved maritime vessels and processing asylum applications on Australian soil gives us more control over who does and doesn't come into this country at a cheaper rate than the current policy.
So, you believe in border protection and the regulation of Australia's immigration - but only on your terms? Could you tell me about about how you expect Australian tax payers to accept the notion that they should be paying for an escort service for refugees? No, wait. You won't. You'll just lazily bawl about 'racism' again.

Since you're so concerned about it, how about responding with some rational arguments that actually address the content of my post to set the tone?
This would be sad if it wasn't so hilariously hypocritical. You have been blatantly dismissing anyone's responses that don't align with your worldview by using 'xenophobe' as a get out of jail free card. Despicable and infantile.

I'd say I did a pretty good job of trying to address the social, cultural and resource oriented complexities in the short amount of time I had. The same can't be said of your contribution.
Actually, you did a terrible job of that - despite your outrageous hubris. What you did was predictably throw around a mixture of feelgood and condemnatory statements which intend to simplify issues, categorise responses based on the cartoon enemies you are shadowboxing, and assume some kind of moral high ground based on very little.

I could waste my time going after far right wing nutbags, but it's the people like you I give a fuck about.
Wow. You condescending, arrogant piece of shit. The delusion here is hilarious. You actually believe that you are charged with some kind of special quality which enables you to educate the rest of us poor, damaged people who have the audacity to not agree with you. My god.

what is a blatantly racist policy designed specifically to sway their opinion so Labor can hit the jackpot at the election.
Oh? How is it 'racist'? Which races does it target, specifically? Could you point to the parts of the policy that specifically address race? Go ahead, I'm thrilled to hear how you justify this one.

or you subscribe to this fictitious Xenophobic notion by the right that being a victim of persecution in other countries makes you 'incompatible' for living in Australia
This is just gibberish. Sorry, but you're talking nonsense.

Do forgive my 'one-sided, binaristic narrative' here but there is simply no more room for compromise left on this issue - having worked throughout my life with both young and adult refugees, having personally visited a detention centre on several occasions and actually having spoken to some of these 'deranged and psychotic boat people', I'm rather passionate about this issue
And, there it is. There's the smoking gun.

What you've just done, friend, is reveal your true colours.

You believe that you have unique and privileged insights which you deem necessary to force down the throats of the poor, xenophobic body politic, because you're so 'passionate'. Without knowing anything about me, you assume that you are charged with some kind of unique perspective which allows you to Tell Us How It Is, and that if anyone disagrees with you, or has the nerve to contradict you, it MUST be simply because they're afraid of brown people. That's what you believe, so don't bother disgracing yourself by pretending that it isn't.

In behaving like this, you destroy your own credibility, you destroy the rationality of domestic debates, and by insisting that the discourse be framed only in terms that you are comfortable with, you will be immediately, and justifiably, received with hostility. You've made a lot of assumptions about who and what I am - you immediately started calling me a 'xenophobe', and even went so far as to repeat it in this post, simply because I committed the crime of asking you a question that you deem it offensive to ask

What you don't understand - and will probably never understand - is that you're dealing with an extremely complex, contradictory, and unstable discursive architecture in terms of Australia's relationship with immigration. You believe yourself to be some kind of uniquely pure moral avenger, and in doing so - whilst attempting to demonise and caricature those who may disagree with you - you do yourself no service, you absolutely contribute to the souring of relations between Australia and refugee communities, and you severely limit our ability to have any sort of logical debate.

You need to grow up. You need to grow up, think about what you're doing and why, and eat a little bit of humble pie. Cultivate a less sanctimonious mode of conduct, and perhaps you won't look like such a pompous, condescending waste of space.

Ardinius

There is nothing extreme about the proposition that we should process Asylum seekers on Australian soil and ensure their safe passage over here.

There is something very extreme about the proposition to process and settle all refugees in PNG despite there refugee status in violation of UN conventions.

My position is that you cannot justify the latter without recognizing the Xenophobic sentiment that underlies it. I've provided arguments and sourced material to justify my position. 

You have not.

Castrovalva

I like the fact that you conveniently ignored 90% of my post, while continuing to suggest that anyone who disagrees with you is 'xenophobic'. This proves that you haven't understand a single thing that I have said.

Again, your position is that there is no way that anyone could in any way be supportive of Rudd's PNG solution without being 'xenophobic'. Again, your tactic is to undermine the credibility of the commenter through the use of emotive, yet ultimately empty language.
Your position, friend, is that you are right - you have claimed ownership of a special form of morality which allows you to decide who and what is 'racist' and 'not racist', and you will use that to defend your position against those who would dare to question it.

It's intellectually feeble, cowardly, condescending, and ultimately paints you as an insecure, sanctimonious prat. Which, despite my attempts to correct you, you continue to be.

Ardinius
 
Yeah, I conveniently ignored 90% of your post because that was the section that did nothing to engage with the topic at hand.

It did do a great job however, of undermining
the credibility of the commenter through the use of emotive, yet ultimately empty language.
Smashing. 

Hey, I'll admit I can be an asshole that gets a kick out of making his points by resorting to emotive and pompous arguments, but I find solace in the fact that I'm not as bad as you are. Jesus Christ.


Tuesday, 7 May 2013

Porn industry Regulation, Internet Censorship, and Introductions.

 User Ardinius makes his debut on the Joseph V Stalin Forums by arguing both against pornography and censorship and discussing Child pornography to illustrate his point. He clarifies his position to user's Ironchin and Unit Rico and makes quite an entrance into the community.


Ardinius

I am both strongly opposed to all forms of internet censorship and the Porn Industry.

The Issue is not 'Porn on the net'. The issues are
1. Internet censorship and all associated consequences, and
2. The Porn Industry and all associated consequences.

Hence, the argument can be generally deduced to two extremities. Either their exists some content on the internet that is so extreme that it needs to be censored or that there are some practices in the Porn industry that are so extreme that they need to be stopped.

To keep this argument simple (And do forgive me for resorting to such an argument) I will use Child pornography as an example as something we can all agree is wrong (I hope). Does this warrant legal and state imposed actions to prevent an industry that profits out of the sexual misappropriation of minors? It certainly does.

Now, does it also warrant the censorship of all content related to child pornography on the net?

My argument is as follows - Censorship of such content does little to stop the perpetrators of the crime. In fact, it does quite the opposite - censorship of such content serves to hide the perpetrators of the crime. This is precisely why child-abuse survivor organizations are so strongly
opposed to censorship of child-abuse content on the internet.

On a side note - this is why the argument to be made against organizations like the MPAA (who use child porn as a reason to censor the net in the fight against piracy) is that they are supporters of child pornographers - not the contrary.

Given the above, my stance is that their needs to be serious social policies and laws that crack down on all forms of Pornography in the Porn Industry that involve:

A) Violence, exploitation or degradation against women (and men, transgendered people, animals, dead people etc).
B) Promoting values of misogyny, decadence and immaturity towards sexuality.
C) Taking advantage of people's privacy or their ignorance as to what will be done with the pornographic material.
D) Taking advantage of the sexuality of consumers of Pornography in the form of advertising dollars or direct payment.

Further to this, in order for such action to be effective, it is imperative that the internet is not censored in order to identify the culprits of the Porn Industry that create such pornography.



Unit Rico

I am both strongly opposed to all forms of internet censorship and the Porn Industry.
If I'm reading that correctly, it sounds somewhat...contradictory.

The Issue is not 'Porn on the net'. The issues are
1. Internet censorship and all associated consequences, and
2. The Porn Industry and all associated consequences.

Hence, the argument can be generally deduced to two extremities. Either their exists some content on the internet that is so extreme that it needs to be censored or that there are some practices in the Porn industry that are so extreme that they need to be stopped.
Meaning that either said practises that are shown in the content are downright illegal, and should be punished regardless of whether the material is censored.
To keep this argument simple (And do forgive me for resorting to such an argument) I will use Child pornography as an example as something we can all agree is wrong (I hope). Does this warrant legal and state imposed actions to prevent an industry that profits out of the sexual misappropriation of minors? It certainly does.
So you want to make an entire industry illegal because of what is created and spread by sick and lunatic individuals that aren't affiliated with said industry? I doubt you'll find any child pornography on professional porn sites or in pornographic magazines.
Now, does it also warrant the censorship of all content related to child pornography on the net?
After the makers have been dealt with, yes.

My argument is as follows - Censorship of such content does little to stop the perpetrators of the crime. In fact, it does quite the opposite - censorship of such content serves to hide the perpetrators of the crime. This is precisely why child-abuse survivor organizations are so strongly opposed to censorship of child-abuse content on the internet.
Of course, only taking down child porn without actually trying to find out who made it makes no sense.

On a side note - this is why the argument to be made against organizations like the MPAA (who use child porn as a reason to censor the net in the fight against piracy) is that they are supporters of child pornographers - not the contrary.
I get your point, but I don't think "supporters" is the word to describe it.

Given the above, my stance is that their needs to be serious social policies and laws that crack down on all forms of Pornography in the Porn Industry that involve:
A) Violence, exploitation or degradation against women (and men, transgendered people, animals, dead people etc).
B) Promoting values of misogyny, decadence and immaturity towards sexuality.
C) Taking advantage of people's privacy or their ignorance as to what will be done with the pornographic material.
D) Taking advantage of the sexuality of consumers of Pornography in the form of advertising dollars or direct payment.
So you basically want to ban fetishism. Good luck with that.
As for the C thing, if people are fucking idiots and don't see the harm in being taped while having sex, it's their own damn fault.
Further to this, in order for such action to be effective, it is imperative that the internet is not censored in order to identify the culprits of the Porn Industry that create such pornography.
Censoring the internet doesn't mean you won't be able to find out who was behind the content. That is, if you do it right.


Ardinius

If I'm reading that correctly, it sounds somewhat...contradictory.
This is a very interesting comment - I suppose that it is based on the common maxim 'the internet is for Pr0n'. This premise (despite how much Porn we all watch) is in fact woefully untrue - In terms of sheer number of websites, only about 4% of the internet consists of Porn websites (That being said, 4% of the internet is still an enormous amount of porn content). But even if half the internet was full of porn, I still don't think the maxim would hold true. If the internet really was full of porn, I wouldn't argue the internet is for porn, I would argue that people are for porn (which wouldn't be to justify the practice, but only to state that peoples fascination with porn is only channeled through the internet, the internet itself is not specifically designed as a tool of pornography).
Meaning that either said practises that are shown in the content are downright illegal, and should be punished regardless of whether the material is censored / Of course, only taking down child porn without actually trying to find out who made it makes no sense.
I've just clumped these quotes into one here, it seems that we generally tend to agree with the premise that censorship is not synonymous will illegal content. Yet you say:
Censoring the internet doesn't mean you won't be able to find out who was behind the content. That is, if you do it right.
Yes, while it is possible to find the people behind the content in a censored internet environment, it is much harder. Which is why even child abuse victim organizations oppose the censoring of child pornography.
After the makers have been dealt with, yes, the content should be censored. (my bolding)
This is an interesting point. My position would be that part of dealing with illegal content producers is removing the content off the internet. This isn't the same as specifically creating laws that make it illegal to view content - I would argue that such a law would be direct censorship, which is much more dangerous.

Furthermore, there are some benefits to not removing all the content pertaining to child porn. The first argument is that pedophiles (both child porn content creators and non-creators) are much more likely to be caught in a non-censored web environment.

The second, (and this is rather controversial)is that it is not necessarily illegal to view or Possess Child pornography. Currently it is illegal to posses child pornography regardless of intent to distribute in only
58 out of the 94 Interpol member states - so internationally, it is not clear-cut as it may seem. Further to this point, having an outlet to explore your fetish for minors may be an important factor in preventing you from actually perpetrating a crime against a child. This is a very interesting phenomenon in media - where the incidence of a behavior decreases in relation to your exposure to it in the media. For example, sexual abuse of minors in Japan has declined since the 1960s and 70s, which roughly coincides with the increasing presence of fictional lolicon (anime depicting pre-pubescents). That all being said, this cathartic experience of media (the idea that the more you watch, the less likely you are to actually behave that way) is still debated and it would be worthwhile to look into it further. At the very least, I think most of us here would agree that, for example, playing violent video games don't make us more violent. The amount of time you spend playing GTA isn't proportional to the amount of crimes you'll commit in your lifetime. Hence, it follows, that having access to or viewing child pornography isn't more likely to make you commit an act of pedophilia.
So you want to make an entire industry illegal because of what is created and spread by sick and lunatic individuals that aren't affiliated with said industry?
I never stipulated that the whole industry should be made illegal and I'm disappointed you'd jump to such a radical conclusion. My position is quite the contrary actually, I think the Porn Industry is essential in giving people an outlet to explore/vent their sexuality and can have very strong social benefits. That being said, I am strongly opposed to its existence in its current form, given the stated reasons, A, B, C and D and believe social policies and laws should be implemented to regulate the Industry for the better.
As for the C thing, if people are fucking idiots and don't see the harm in being taped while having sex, it's their own damn fault.
Taking advantage of a person's stupidity and then justifying it by saying it's their fault because they're stupid is a very poor argument. You could essentially make the same argument against a rape victim. Analogously, a rapist isn't justified in saying it was the woman's fault he raped her because she was stupid enough to walk in a dark alley at night. In the same sense, its not okay for a someone to say it's the woman's fault she engaged in a sexual act with him on video because she's too stupid to realize he's going to make money off it on the internet.
So you basically want to ban fetishism.Good luck with that.
Again my position was to employ social policies and laws to prevent violence, exploitation and degradation of those involved in fetishistic porn not ban it. It is in fact a very egalitarian position as I believe such laws/social policies should be applied to all participators of Porn (again, whether they're a woman, man, animal, dead person, transgendered or just someone who is really into their chocolate pudding).

Iron Chin
This is a very interesting comment - I suppose that it is based on the common maxim 'the internet is for Pr0n'. This premise (despite how much Porn we all watch) is in fact woefully untrue - In terms of sheer number of websites, only about 4% of the internet consists of Porn websites (That being said, 4% of the internet is still an enormous amount of porn content). But even if half the internet was full of porn, I still don't think the maxim would hold true. If the internet really was full of porn, I wouldn't argue the internet is for porn, I would argue that people are for porn (which wouldn't be to justify the practice, but only to state that peoples fascination with porn is only channeled through the internet, the internet itself is not specifically designed as a tool of pornography).
Not what he was getting at, and irrelevant. What a maverick you are, arguing against the notion that the reason the internet exists is porn. Wow. You're totally alone there kid, didn't you know everyone uses the internet for porn and porn alone? Nice straw man. For future reference, it's much less a maxim than a satirical internet joke.

Going to skip the rest of your post because it's mostly about child porn which is a separate, though related argument.
I never stipulated that the whole industry should be made illegal and I'm disappointed you'd jump to such a radical conclusion.
You shouldn't be, it was your own fault, you didn't exactly give a clear consistent view. You started your post with a pretty direct message:

I am both strongly opposed to all forms of internet censorship and the Porn Industry (my bolding)
- and then went on about child porn, with little elaboration on your stance until afterwards. Hardly a radical conclusion. And leave your disappointment for people who care.

Given the above, my stance is that their needs to be serious social policies and laws that crack down on all forms of Pornography in the Porn Industry that involve:
A) Violence, exploitation or degradation against women (and men, transgendered people, animals, dead people etc).
B) Promoting values of misogyny, decadence and immaturity towards sexuality.
C) Taking advantage of people's privacy or their ignorance as to what will be done with the pornographic material.
D) Taking advantage of the sexuality of consumers of Pornography in the form of advertising dollars or direct payment.
Further to this, in order for such action to be effective, it is imperative that the internet is not censored in order to identify the culprits of the Porn Industry that create such pornography.

My position is quite the contrary actually, I think the Porn Industry is essential in giving people an outlet to explore/vent their sexuality and can have very strong social benefits. That being said, I am strongly opposed to its existence in its current form, given the stated reasons, A, B, C and D and believe social policies and laws should be implemented to regulate the Industry for the better. Again my position was to employ social policies and laws to prevent violence, exploitation and degradation of those involved in fetishistic porn not ban it. It is in fact a very egalitarian position as I believe such laws/social policies should be applied to all participators of Porn (again, whether they're a woman, man, animal, dead person, transgendered or just someone who is really into their chocolate pudding).
Good luck figuring out how it will be implemented and maintained. When you're done playing in your fantasy land, why don't you look for ways to solve the multitude of problems with your proposals. I'll point out a few.
A) - Firstly, those three terms are going to be tough to define. Then there's the fact that a whole lot of people like to be degraded, exploited, and violence in the context of sex/porn, and more who would be willing to watch it.
B) - Again, in many it's not going to be easy to determine if a porno "promotes values of misogyny/decadence/immaturity". And why are these so bad? One could argue that lots of much loved, popular and culturally significant comedy films promote values of misogyny and immaturity, should we ban those too?
C) - I'm mostly with you here, but tell me how this would be regulated. Lets say two willing participants make an amateur porno, for themselves. The relationship goes ugly and one of them posts the video on the internet in spite, without the other's permission. How would you know?
D) - This seems pretty extreme. "Taking advantage of people" in this sense is kind of how the world works, especially in a capitalist environment. Making people pay for the HBO cable channel to watch the TV show "Game of Thrones" taking advantage of people's desire to be entertained. Charging money for a textbook is taking advantage of people's desire to learn. Putting a high price on a luxury food such as caviar or truffles is taking advantage of people's desire to enjoy good food. See what I'm getting at here? If all people involved are willing, and it doesn't really hurt anyone, how and why would you stop people paying for it?


Ardinius
Not what he was getting at, and irrelevant. What a maverick you are, arguing against the notion that the reason the internet exists is porn. Wow. You're totally alone there kid, didn't you know everyone uses the internet for porn and porn alone? Nice straw man. For future reference, it's much less a maxim than a satirical internet joke.
Well, I was rather fond of idea that it was an internet maxim - I think regrading it as a mere satirical internet joke really does it less significance than it deserves, given it's a phrase of almost 'meme'ical proportions. But undoubtedly it does have a satirical nature to it and I think that's worth looking into. Generally such satirical jokes reinforce beliefs that people hold opposite to the meaning of the joke. So for example, if I were to joke that your last post was very welcoming and polite and your reaction was to genuinely laugh at its satirical nature, it would generally serve to reinforce (in a light hearted way) the belief you have that you don't always behave in a polite and welcoming manner (Of course it could work differently if you rejected the joke by getting insulted - but such an analysis won't serve the purposes of our argument here). Similarly, I believe that most of us know the internet isn't for porn. But given (mostly young males) our extensive use of the internet for porn we relate to this phrase as a means to come to terms with that belief in a light hearted way (i.e that the internet isn't for Porn, but we use it like it is for porn anyway).
Good luck figuring out how it will be implemented and maintained. When you're done playing in your fantasy land, why don't you look for ways to solve the multitude of problems with your proposals.
It's a poor argument to dismiss proposals to a problem because the idea is some kind of fantasy utopia. Should we have dismissed the proposal to abolish slavery in the 1800s for instance? Just because there was a multitude of problems regarding the how?

The first stage of addressing important social issues is to first accept that there is a social issue, that there are serious issues with the porn industry. Namely those which I stated in A, B, C and D. It seems like C is the only one we can actually agree on, and thus the only one worth discussing social policies that can be undertaken to prevent the misappropriation of a person's privacy through posting their content on the net. Given this is the second stage of addressing the issue, I'll address the how of C with you later (maybe it's even worth starting a new thread for it).
A) - Firstly, those three terms are going to be tough to define. Then there's the fact that a whole lot of people like to be degraded, exploited, and violence in the context of sex/porn, and more who would be willing to watch it.
You're right, they are very tough to define - but before we delve into that, we need to address those people who willfully have themselves degraded, exploited and subjected to violence. My stance is that serious social policies need to be implemented to help such people - a person who is addicted to being violated, exploited or degraded through sexuality has to treated as someone who has serious psychological issues. Furthermore, the exploitation of someone with such issues by the porn industry is thoroughly unethical and the people who make profit out of them need to be held liable. Again, if you agree with my stance, we can continue with regards to how address the issue.
B) - Again, in many it's not going to be easy to determine if a porno "promotes values of misogyny/decadence/immaturity". And why are these so bad? One could argue that lots of much loved, popular and culturally significant comedy films promote values of misogyny and immaturity, should we ban those too?
Again, I can't emphasis enough that I'm not for banning content - I mean I was arguing to keep kiddie porn on the net earlier for heavens sake (I'm glad we didn't go down that rabbit's hole by the way - kiddie porn debates always turn into flame wars). The basis of my argument is that pornography that promotes values of misogyny, immaturity, etc can't be good for society and is a social issue that needs to be dealt with. The same goes for comedy films that promote similar values. Let be precise here, the issue isn't that people consume and are entertained by such misogynistic/immature films, People can be entertained by anything from grotesque violence (like the movie 300) to pop tart cats farting rainbows out of their arse. The real issue is that there are people and institutions in a system that produce such content and then widely distribute them to the masses. These are the people that need to be analyzed in their various social contexts so that we can shed light on their motivations and reasons for producing the content they do. The questions isn't why should there be anything wrong with films that promote bad values when so many people enjoy them, the questions should be who are the ones producing such content? Why are they producing it? and what is the socio-economic and ideological context in which such content has become popular and culturally significant.
D) - This seems pretty extreme. "Taking advantage of people" in this sense is kind of how the world works, especially in a capitalist environment. Making people pay for the HBO cable channel to watch the TV show "Game of Thrones" taking advantage of people's desire to be entertained. Charging money for a textbook is taking advantage of people's desire to learn. Putting a high price on a luxury food such as caviar or truffles is taking advantage of people's desire to enjoy good food. See what I'm getting at here? If all people involved are willing, and it doesn't really hurt anyone, how and why would you stop people paying for it?
I'm impressed that you saw the larger picture here and extended my proposal to it's logical conclusion. D is falls into the larger context of the current socio-economic paradigm we currently live in - and there's not much point addressing it unless you want to address the the whole issue of globalized capitalism as the dominant socio-economic system of our time.
And leave your disappointment for people who care.
Oh but the effort you've taken to address my post and my disappointment makes me feel like you do care =). I don't think you're so bad after all Ironchin =).
 

Unit Rico
This is a very interesting comment - I suppose that it is based on the common maxim 'the internet is for Pr0n'. This premise (despite how much Porn we all watch) is in fact woefully untrue - In terms of sheer number of websites, only about 4% of the internet consists of Porn websites (That being said, 4% of the internet is still an enormous amount of porn content). But even if half the internet was full of porn, I still don't think the maxim would hold true. If the internet really was full of porn, I wouldn't argue the internet is for porn, I would argue that people are for porn (which wouldn't be to justify the practice, but only to state that peoples fascination with porn is only channeled through the internet, the internet itself is not specifically designed as a tool of pornography).
There's no one with a bit of intelligence that actually thinks the sole purpose of the internet was spreading pornography.
Yes, while it is possible to find the people behind the content in a censored internet environment, it is much harder. Which is why even child abuse victim organizations oppose the censoring of child pornography.
Well, if you're going to take down and throw away said content without first trying to find out who posted it in the first place, yes, it's going to be hard. But nowhere was I saying they should do that.
This is an interesting point. My position would be that part of dealing with illegal content producers is removing the content off the internet. This isn't the same as specifically creating laws that make it illegal to view content - I would argue that such a law would be direct censorship, which is much more dangerous.
So, the content should be removed, but you just said that would make it harder to track down the people who made it, and therefore it shouldn't be done. That's even more contradictory than what you just said. Or I'm just reading something wrong here.
Furthermore, there are some benefits to not removing all the content pertaining to child porn. The first argument is that pedophiles (both child porn content creators and non-creators) are much more likely to be caught in a non-censored web environment.
To sum it up, content should be removed, but not removed, so that people who can watch it (which shouldn't be illegal) can be arrested for watching it. Either I'm reading something terribly wrong, or you're contradicting yourself every single sentence.

As for paedophilia, that's a separate discussion entirely.
The second, (and this is rather controversial)is that it is not necessarily illegal to view or Possess Child pornography. Currently it is illegal to posses child pornography regardless of intent to distribute in only 58 out of the 94 Interpol member states - so internationally, it is not clear-cut as it may seem. Further to this point, having an outlet to explore your fetish for minors may be an important factor in preventing you from actually perpetrating a crime against a child. This is a very interesting phenomenon in media - where the incidence of a behavior decreases in relation to your exposure to it in the media. For example, sexual abuse of minors in Japan has declined since the 1960s and 70s, which roughly coincides with the increasing presence of fictional lolicon (anime depicting pre-pubescents). That all being said, this cathartic experience of media (the idea that the more you watch, the less likely you are to actually behave that way) is still debated and it would be worthwhile to look into it further. At the very least, I think most of us here would agree that, for example, playing violent video games don't make us more violent. The amount of time you spend playing GTA isn't proportional to the amount of crimes you'll commit in your lifetime. Hence, it follows, that having access to or viewing child pornography isn't more likely to make you commit an act of pedophilia.
It's a fair point, but I still think a majority of people won't be too comfortable with it.
I never stipulated that the whole industry should be made illegal and I'm disappointed you'd jump to such a radical conclusion. My position is quite the contrary actually, I think the Porn Industry is essential in giving people an outlet to explore/vent their sexuality and can have very strong social benefits. That being said, I am strongly opposed to its existence in its current form, given the stated reasons, A, B, C and D and believe social policies and laws should be implemented to regulate the Industry for the better.

I am both strongly opposed to all forms of internet censorship and the Porn Industry.

To keep this argument simple (And do forgive me for resorting to such an argument) I will use Child pornography as an example as something we can all agree is wrong (I hope). Does this warrant legal and state imposed actions to prevent an industry that profits out of the sexual misappropriation of minors? It certainly does.
Explain. I mean, I can misread something once or twice, but you're constantly contradicting yourself.
Taking advantage of a person's stupidity and then justifying it by saying it's their fault because they're stupid is a very poor argument. You could essentially make the same argument against a rape victim. Analogously, a rapist isn't justified in saying it was the woman's fault he raped her because she was stupid enough to walk in a dark alley at night. In the same sense, its not okay for a someone to say it's the woman's fault she engaged in a sexual act with him on video because she's too stupid to realize he's going to make money off it on the internet.
Yarpen said it quite nicely, and the comparison isn't valid. We're talking about someone agreeing to have sex and agreeing to have it on tape (unless, of course, the camera was hidden for this very purpose, in which the rape comparison would make sense). I don't see any context in which anyone would film themselves having sex and not sharing it with others.
Again my position was to employ social policies and laws to prevent violence, exploitation and degradation of those involved in fetishistic porn not ban it. It is in fact a very egalitarian position as I believe such laws/social policies should be applied to all participators of Porn (again, whether they're a woman, man, animal, dead person, transgendered or just someone who is really into their chocolate pudding).
So, you want laws that prevent the fetish, but not ban it? You're going to have to explain that, because it makes no sense to me.

For the rest, I agree with Ironchin.


Ardinius

Most of my arguments here are based on the clear distinction between between censorship of the net, and implementing laws and policies against the Porn Industry. It's about the reason behind why we take content off the net which may be the point of confusion.
So, the content should be removed, but you just said that would make it harder to track down the people who made it, and therefore it shouldn't be done. That's even more contradictory than what you just said. Or I'm just reading something wrong here... / ...To sum it up, content should be removed, but not removed, so that people who can watch it (which shouldn't be illegal) can be arrested for watching it. Either I'm reading something terribly wrong, or you're contradicting yourself every single sentence.
The difference here is a little more subtle, but again its rests one the intent of the enforcer of the law. if law enforcement is removing content to prevent a child pornographer from making money, or benefiting in someway, then I would support such an action. If however, law enforcement were to remove child porn content with the intent of censoring it from it's viewers, this is an altogether different story.

Explain. I mean, I can misread something once or twice, but you're constantly contradicting yourself.
Again the distinction lies in that action against an industry that produces content for the internet is not the same as action against content itself on the internet. I support the former and oppose the latter.
Yarpen said it quite nicely, and the comparison isn't valid. We're talking about someone agreeing to have sex and agreeing to have it on tape (unless, of course, the camera was hidden for this very purpose, in which the rape comparison would make sense). I don't see any context in which anyone would film themselves having sex and not sharing it with others.
I don't want to delve into this too much as it was just an analogy to serve an argument. I wasn't making an analogy between a couple who agree to have sex and rape in an alleyway- I was making an analogy between a stupid girl who ignorantly decides to doing a sex vid with her bf and a stupid girl who ignorantly decides to walk in a dark alleyway. In the former case she loses out because her privacy is compromised on the net, in the latter she loses out because she is sexually abused. The difference between the two cases is the severity of what she experiences, and the analogy was made to illustrate that when taken to the extreme, its clear that regardless of what you're stupid action may be, it doesn't justify someone taking advantage of that stupidity.
So, you want laws that prevent the fetish, but not ban it? You're going to have to explain that, because it makes no sense to me.
Fetish is fine, as long as no-one is hurt, degraded, taken advantage of - etc, during it. Iron Chin made the point about the cases where your fetish specifically involves being degraded, hurt, etc - this case is a little more complex, but I've already addressed Iron Chin in regards to it.


The Shaw

Wait wait, so you think the authorities shouldn't stop child pornography as long as their is no profit??


Ardinius

Let's be clear once again, authorities shouldn't necessarily stop Child pornography. Authority's should stop Child Pornographers. There's a big difference here.


Unit Rico
Most of my arguments here are based on the clear distinction between between censorship of the net, and implementing laws and policies against the Porn Industry. It's about the reason behind why we take content off the net which may be the point of confusion.
So, if I understand it correctly, making the content is illegal, but if it's already made, it's no big deal, and the content shouldn't be removed as it would be censorship?
The difference here is a little more subtle, but again its rests one the intent of the enforcer of the law. if law enforcement is removing content to prevent a child pornographer from making money, or benefiting in someway, then I would support such an action. If however, law enforcement were to remove child porn content with the intent of censoring it from it's viewers, this is an altogether different story.
Fair point, although that different story is quite controversial itself.
Again the distinction lies in that action against an industry that produces content for the internet is not the same as action against content itself on the internet. I support the former and oppose the latter.
I think I finally get it now (took me long enough). So, what are your reasons to be against the porn industry itself, then? That still isn't too clear.
I don't want to delve into this too much as it was just an analogy to serve an argument. I wasn't making an analogy between a couple who agree to have sex and rape in an alleyway- I was making an analogy between a stupid girl who ignorantly decides to doing a sex vid with her bf and a stupid girl who ignorantly decides to walk in a dark alleyway. In the former case she loses out because her privacy is compromised on the net, in the latter she loses out because she is sexually abused. The difference between the two cases is the severity of what she experiences, and the analogy was made to illustrate that when taken to the extreme, its clear that regardless of what you're stupid action may be, it doesn't justify someone taking advantage of that stupidity.
While both actions are ignorant, walking into a dark alleyway won't result in rape most of the time (then again, walking into a dark alleyway isn't nearly the only way in which rape occurs), but again, I can't think of any reason as to why people would make a sex tape without sharing it with someone else, be it friends or the internet.
Fetish is fine, as long as no-one is hurt, degraded, taken advantage of - etc, during it. Iron Chin made the point about the cases where your fetish specifically involves being degraded, hurt, etc - this case is a little more complex, but I've already addressed Iron Chin in regards to it.
Ok, I was already thinking about the same argument as Ironchin (as in the degrading part is the fetish itself).


Iron Chin
I can't think of any reason as to why people would make a sex tape without sharing it with someone else, be it friends or the internet.
People in relationships make sex tapes for themselves and their partners all the time. There are millions of such videos.
Ok, I was already thinking about the same argument as Ironchin (as in the degrading part is the fetish itself).
His answer was that all the millions of people who like to be hurt, degraded or taken advantage of in the context of sex have "serious psychological issues" and people who willingly and with consent make pornos featuring such content (a significant portion of the industry, I might add) are unethical and should be prosecuted. He also believes that the makers of anything that promotes values of immaturity/misogyny shouldn't be encouraged as it is supposedly bad for society, even though he admits lots of people might be entertained by it.

It's plain that Ardinius and I think and feel differently on this issue. That's fine, we're different people. I have no interest in taking the discussion further - I don't like the way he answers my direct questions with vague incomplete answers and even more questions. That child porn stuff I could deal with, but he crossed the line when he suggested that stuff like Mr. Bean and Shakespeare is bad.

@
Ardinius, I kindly request that you tell us more about yourself. I see you haven't made an introduction thread, that would be a good place to start. Just a little bit about yourself, games you like to play, political and philosophical stance/ideology. It's just a request, you can do what you want, but it would help people understand your arguments.
http://josefvstalin.com/forums/introductions.40/create-thread


Ardinius
That child porn stuff I could deal with, but he crossed the line when he suggested that stuff like Mr. Bean and Shakespeare is bad.
Hmm, I wasn't suggesting this at all - Mr Bean is in fact one of my favorite comedies and I revere Shakespearean literature. These are two examples of content however - what I'm arguing is the need to analyze Rowan Atkinson and Shakespeare in their various ideological contexts, and analyze the institutions that distribute their material. Doing so will allow us to understand their motivations and reasons for producing what they do. Such information is essential on order for a society to properly establish a set of values based on reasoned and logical dialogue.

It's plain that Ardinius and I think and feel differently on this issue. That's fine, we're different people. I have no interest in taking the discussion further - I don't like the way he answers my direct questions with vague incomplete answers and even more questions.
Ah, but that's why I find you so interesting Ironchin, the very fact that we have so many points of difference! Though I do respect your request to end this discussion. You will have to put up with my convoluted answers and questioning manner I'm afraid, it really is just my style of argument =).

@Ardinius, I kindly request that you tell us more about yourself. I see you haven't made an introduction thread, that would be a good place to start. Just a little bit about yourself, games you like to play, political and philosophical stance/ideology. It's just a request, you can do what you want, but it would help people understand your arguments.
http://josefvstalin.com/forums/introductions.40/create-thread
This is actually a very good idea Iron, I'm not sure why I didn't post in the introductory thread earlier actually. Starting heated discussion about the Porn Industry probably wouldn't be best way to introduce oneself now would it? I most definitely will take you up on your request =).