It's the same argument with drug dealers. Legalizing drugs will just let them operate in the open! Or, it'll kill an industry that only exists because it's illegal, and as soon as you open the legality up, people can operate more independently and with more protection.

[–] doctorcrimson@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Bit of a stretch to compare the selling of the use of live human bodies for sexual gratification to the use of a plant. Mainly because we don't require the plant's consent.

You're saying that kidnapping and forcing people and children into sex labor against their will is something you WANT legalized, akin to selling hash? That's a pretty fucking wack take on this.

[–] Ookami38@sh.itjust.works 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It's not about the crimes, it's about the criminals. They all work the same. If the illegal industry they're operating in becomes legal, suddenly they lose a lot of their leverage. They're no longer the only supplier in town. Their buyers are no longer operating in the dark. This takes a TON of power from them.

[–] doctorcrimson@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Actually, you wouldn't lose clientele at all. Because it's no longer illegal to promote your business or use your services. So you can sell sex on the frontend and you can still perform much more illegal coercion and slavery on the backend.

And if a little girl is eventually found out by the authorities? Push the blame onto the person who brought her in. Push the blame onto the people who shipped her. Push the blame onto the people who kidnapped her. Suddenly it's a decade long legal battle with extraditions involved and no evidence of wrongdoing by your legitimate business, because the girl provided fake documentation and signed all the proper forms.

Jeffrey Epstein was doing Human Trafficking illegally for over 30 years before prosecutors came after him, imagine if his business was technically legal. He would be completely untouchable.

[–] Ookami38@sh.itjust.works 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I don't think anything Epstein did would be considered legal with prostitution being legalized. Underage prostitution would still absolutely be a crime, and human trafficking would still be a crime, both of which I'm pretty sure were the bigger issues with what was going on with him.

You also keep saying little girl. If there are little girls involved, it's a problem regardless of the legality of prostitution. I don't think anyone ever has made the argument that THAT Should be legal. Unless you're saying this will happen with more little girls if it was legalized in which case... I mean, we already had Epstein. Legality didn't do shit for those girls.

[–] doctorcrimson@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

If there are little girls involved, it’s a problem regardless of the legality of prostitution.

Legality didn’t do shit for those girls.

YES! THATS MY POINT. YOU CAME THIS CLOSE TO GETTING IT. Unfortunately, legalizing sex work leads to more Human Trafficking in those countries that have tried it. If we can create a solution for that then idgaf and we can legalize it, but until then my vote is no.

[–] Ookami38@sh.itjust.works 1 points 10 months ago

And you came this far from getting mine, at least with how you quoted my post. The point was, when I said "legalized didn't do anything" that it was still illegal where he was, and it still happened. I suppose I should have said illegality didn't do anything for them.

As I said in another post, even giving that sex trafficking increases in countries that have legal prostitution, what's the WHY? Is it only because it's legal there now? Or is there a deeper thing going on?