Pornography - are you for or against it and why?

[tackattack]

@RevJ- because it's a discussion, feel free to bow out

---

4-Once again I'm not saying make it illegal. I agree people are "simulating an activity people desire to expand their business". My opinion was this activity increases the demand for it, therefore increases the peoples desire for more of it. Do you cater to those "hardwired disgusting instincts" or do you separate yourself from them? You are making the case that there's a Hannibal, Jeffry Dahmer and Hitler inside each one of us. I don't think I'm hard wired to rape someone. That doesn't mean that It's not somewhere deep in my subconscious id, but I would never do that.

Bread lines show that the absence of a thing that is desired (ie: food) causes such a demand for it that people will wait in line for many hours, and not necessarily without violence and agitation. Take the bread away completely... and you have rioting on a horrifying scale from people's demand for it. Now I agree that porn isn't as vital to us as food... but an absence of it when it was there before would increase the demand for it like nothing else.

There is a hannibal and hitler inside each of us... depends on how far we are pushed and in which direction. My personality (me, I, Aerzia, etc) couldn't rape someone consciously (today), because i've been pushed to find this disgusting and a horrible thing to do to someone. However, I am occasionally attracted to 'rape porn' (more often forms of BDSM) because I want to be on the receiving end at times, and especially after having sex with people that are too gentle for me. I tell one to bite harder and they do so marginally -_-

6- If you consciously choose to do it for the reward then yes it's selfish, if it's a subconscious process and consciously you're just "being nice" without any thought of return then it's selfless. Both selfish and selfless imply conscious consent to act.

I typically am not thinking about the inner workings of my mind when I gleefully give someone something I don't recognize consciousness when it comes to the things I do: I wouldn't do the if I didn't have something to gain by it. I don't have to think about something to gain happiness by doing it

8- I don't fantasize about raping or beating up women or molesting children. And even if everyone did, which they don't, I don't think a populace with a more active imagination is a worthwhile tradeoff for one child getting victimized because people can't control their urges.

With a more active imagination... your populace becomes the technological wonder of the world. That is well worth a few children being victimized because people can't control their urges (especially when children are victimized anyway by people who can and decide to do so).

I'm not for prohibition of porn, I'm talking about at least attempting to cover up the fact you're condoning illegal actions by a little regulation. I just don't think an industry that caters to illegal fantasies, intends them to "feel real" for the viewer, and allow it to go completely unchecked and accessed by anyone of any age is worthy of publicly(or privately) supporting. I know this won't make any of it go away. I think condoning this activity leads to a more depraved society, not a more civilized one. Regulation will prevent people from rationalizing away their actions and put the accountability squarely on the person and easier to spot for prosecution.

I've never understood 'rationalizing away their actions'... precisely what is meant by this?

Depravity has nothing to do with a civilized society. You can have a civilized society of people that only want to do a couple of things... and you can have a civilized society of people that have every kink in and out of the book.

I don't care that an action is illegal, tacky... legality almost never enters into whether I will act or not. I simply do not see a problem with porn. You tell me that it affects people's brains, and I don't deny it. I think it is false that people go from the point of it affecting their brains to them either losing control or willfully acting on a thing they found in a fantasy. I've yet to see someone do something I consider 'wrong' as a result of harry potter, a fantasy that contains a good few murders and lots of violence. Same for any book that isn't titled 'steal this book' But that isn't a fantasy, it is a guide and a way to understand the processes.

On the side note, they have a rating system for games, at least it's in place. It may not be enforced and is easy to circumvent, but it's at least present and actionable. That's why I support grossly violent and inappropriate video games, but not porn; At least the game industry makes it seem they care on the surface.

Wait... now I am confused. You wish to deny adults rape porn... but are fine with video games being violent and 'inappropriate', so long as they have a rating that means only adults can play them???? 0.o

And I dislike the rating system. I wouldn't mind if it was a suggested/recommended thing... but it's a legal thing. It annoyed me greatly to have to ask my mother to buy a game for me because I was a year or 2 beneath 17. I don't have to as her permission for me to buy candy (a much more damaging creature), but I have to waste her time and mine in pulling her into my favorite section of a store to buy something for me.

---

4-Whatever your sexual actions are with another consenting partner are your business. You're ignoring the fact that women, men and children are actually raped and it's recorded and some people want to do that to other people. Your breadline doesn't work because the line right next to it is for a free buffet. There's tons of porn out there other than 5-6 categories of faked illegal porn. No one will starve their sexual appetites by shutting these categories down. I stopped porn all together and I don't crave it in the slightest, because I have a healthy sexual output, my wife. There will be an increase in urge momentarily but the people who have an urge to do illegal shit, will eventually lose that battle with themselves. I'd rather them be called out of the closet, then wait for the next girlscout knocking on their door.
8-I can't get over my parenting instincts on this one, nothing is worth one child extra being abused, raped or
exploited. We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one. I'm not a end justifies the means person.
9-"I don't care that an action is illegal, tacky... legality almost never enters into whether I will act or not." I can say that I'm honestly on the exact other end of the spectrum on this one. Maybe it's an age or lifestyle or cultural difference put to me it's plain as day. I think very carefully about what I say and how it will affect the others around me before I say it. The same for my actions. I appreciate orderliness in society and while morality is subjective for most, legality is only subjective by your community, and I'm thankful for that.
10- Yes, I'm fine with the video game industry because at least it makes some easily circumventable legal standard. At least they acknowledge that it's harmful to individuals.