Buying and Selling Sex in 2008

The Governor Spitzer of NY recent resignation from office because of “getting caught in buying sex from a prostitute” has brought the issue of “buying and selling sex” to a global discussion again. This time, there is a bit of a difference, though. Discussions in Internet and other media are more balanced — from the buyer and seller’s perspectives. Stephen Dubner, author of the best selling book “Freakonomics” gave us a call girl’s view of the Spittzer Affair. He, himself, is interested in the economics of prostitution. I recommend that he should also make a study on the economics of “traditional” marriages, which I consider to be another form of “prostitution” (bride price, groom price, dowry system, marriage go-between price etc). If there is an exchange of money, land, cattle, or any other material goods for sex, I call it “prostitution”. I agree with George Carlin’s comment that sex is the only thing that is legal to give but illegal to sell and we should go to the root of the problem instead of swimming on the surface. If we legalize “marriage”, we should also legalize “prostitution” because both are dealing with the buying and selling of sex. And also why should “virtue” be given to what we buy or sell? Sweden and New Zealand are two countries that are ahead in reforming laws to decriminalize prostitution. The law should also protect the rights of sex-workers and wives in traditional marriage, provide health care for prevention and cure of sexually transmitted diseases, make it a legal offense for pimps that profit from sex-industries, and punish parents that sell children to the “traditional” marriage markets. Criminalization of prostitution has not proved successful in stopping prostitution. The focus should be on prohibition of exploiting girl and boy children in sex-trade industry, prostitution or “traditional” marriage arrangement.

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