June 23, 2004

• You wouldn't think that the war in Iraq and porn would intersect, yet I continually see references that somehow link the two.  In fact, it seems easier to establish relationships between Iraq and porn than Saddam Hussein and 9-11, not withstanding Dick Chaney's steadfast assertions to the contrary.  Here's a couple of examples.

  
  

  The first is from a letter to the editor of my local newspaper.  The reader writes,

  
  

  
  

  ... Soon Iraqis will be free like us. Many around Baghdad are already using this freedom. They now have prostitutes and pornographic movie houses. Liquor stores, forbidden before, are also open. They have a group, like our fundamentalists, objecting to these activities, but freedom will flourish. If they become really free like Americans, women will be able to expose their cleavage and belly buttons and curse in public...  We can now watch the development of the freedom and liberty we have sacrificed money and lives to attain.

  
  

  I cannot confirm it is true Iraq now has prostitutes and pornographic movie theatres, but I have no reason to the statement is false.  Assuming it is true, I find this development and the writer's position quite interesting.  First, it's pretty darn amazing to me that porn would pop up so quickly in Iraq.  I suppose it is a testament to the former sexual repression in the society and the universal appeal of porn (and hookers) as a outlet.  Despite all the pressure from religion, society and peers, it appears that the demand for porn is very real.  Perhaps those who oppose it are fighting a losing battle against human nature. 

  
  

  Second, the disdain the reader has for liberal sexual attitudes (including porn) is obvious.  It's curious how these forms of freedom are totally discounted by him.  I'm all for the typical freedoms people normally think of in this type of discussion such as voting rights and the right to worship as one sees fit, but these do not represent the totality of life.  Tolerance and the related concept of individual liberty to lead a lifestyle of one's own choosing are critically important as well.  And of course, porn and erotica should be permitted in a society that takes freedom of speech seriously.

  
  

  The other instance of the Iraq War / porn connection has to do with a recent radio broadcast by conservative blowhard Rush Limbaugh.  It's difficult to condense what he was saying in a few sentences, but in a nutshell, Rush was arguing that the Iraqi prisoner abuse was not so surprising.  He compared it to a bunch of frat house boys playing pranks and stated that the photos reminded him of porn, and that this generation has grown up on porn, and thus this type of thing should be expected. 

  
  

  Here's a few of Rush's statements from his May 14th broadcast.

  
  

  
  

  Who was the first to nationally, publicly, loudly proclaim after viewing these pictures, ooh wee, looks like a whole lot of sex going on here. Who was the first to say this is stuff you would see on American computer screens at porn sites? ...  Now have you noticed how many stories there are about just how much about sex this was? I mean, we've now got stories of Americans having mattresses on the floor encircled by candles, little romantic gang bangs going on out there in front of the Iraqi prisoners ... 

  
  

  I mean, I'm not a veteran of porn by any stretch, I'm not, but let's face it, average pornography does not look like Gone With the Wind, right? So you never know. If pornographers get in the military, get over there as MPs and start making movies and stuff for the hell of it, or profit or what have you. I mean, anything is possible at this point, anything is possible ... I'm saying these are 18 to 21-year-old people with raging hormones and nobody is watching, and you're throwing them together. Voila! We have the Abu Ghraib prison photos.

  
  

  I'm not making this up, Rush actually said these things!  My god, these assertions strike me as totally whacked to the point of being irresponsible.  Blaming the prison abuses on porn and "raging hormones" is ludicrous and shows a total lack of comprehending the seriousness of what transpired over there.  Unbelievable. 

  
  

   -- Snowman

  • 4:22 am
  • 2 Comments