JEAN Sutherland’s BBA commentary is dangerous to my health! Hooliganistic, irreverent and full of juvenile idiocy but a beautiful reflection of what appears to be a crude saga of sexual immaturity mixed with alcoholic excess and peppered with foul language. Obviously BBA is little more than thinly disguised pornography. And I have never, ever watched it – honest! But I love the invective and word craft of which Jean is a true mistress!
But then I think on and wonder what sort of half-brain watches this garbage, which I suppose is a little unfair as I have, myself, never watched it, but if only 10% of Jean’s article is true? I need say no more than it confirms the advertising truism that ‘sex sells’! Which headed me in the direction of the current heavily polarised debate on prostitution.One camp condemning it as evil, and the other condoning it although naturally, they have never indulged. An additional layer of gender-focused organisations, while having good intentions to stop child and woman abuse, further split opinion by constantly demonising all men and often making inter-sexual relations more abrasive.There are several realities to take to account. Marriage, despite being a desirable institution, appears to have a formal 50% plus failure rate with even more couples living in abject hell within marriage; and yes, there are good ones as well. We have a large proportion of single mother families where the male deserted, often unaware (and uncaring) of his parent status, and not providing support. And we have increased ‘baby dumping’ compounding already unsatisfactory levels of maternal and infant death.Add to this the ‘sugar daddy’ (and mummy) and mistress phenomena, the youthful female culture of the 4C’s, cash, clothes, car and cellphone, often encouraged by parents, we have a nation with a severe moral problem that is not going to be solved by political outrage or puritanical obfuscation. The reality is simple, what ever is done, prostitution, in all its forms, will always be with us in some form. Why?Sex is always going to be a driving force whether it is exploratory, recreational, pro-creational or just power play. And yes, sex drive is often amplified by alcohol. Having spent several years living in Ausspannplatz overlooking my then drinking hole, the now defunct Royal Hotel (which wasn’t), I learnt how our supposedly puritanical leaders aren’t when they sent their drivers! Hypocrisy in this area is rife.Thus sex, whether the bored husband on a bender, an out-of-towner feeling lonely or a single man needing to satisfy his carnal urge, there is always the expert service provider, the prostitute, courtesan, streetwalker, sex practitioner, hooker, escort, call them what you want and they are there waiting to rent out their bodies and skills with no comebacks, no unwanted children, at all levels of the societal tree and, of course, with different prices. And most want to avoid STDs as much as their customers.Is there a solution? I suggest that this discussion is thrown periodically into the societal ring as a diversion. But what to do? I suggest that we revisit the UNDP Development Reports of 1999 and 2000. We work out how to avoid the main abuses such as human trafficking and alcohol availability at all hours (from the holes in the wall!). I suggest real job opportunities and basic income needs will at least minimise abuses of the weakest. But stop prostitution? Perhaps it is a necessary safety valve?.I always remember the Ausspannplatz girls used to love big government conferences when they made big money!- csmith@mweb.com.na
