The Bush Admin's War on Porn

[Zimbacca]

http://www.washingtonpost...9/AR2005091901570_pf.html

Recruits Sought for Porn Squad

By Barton Gellman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 20, 2005; A21

The FBI is joining the Bush administration's War on Porn. And it's looking for a few good agents.

Early last month, the bureau's Washington Field Office began recruiting for a new anti-obscenity squad. Attached to the job posting was a July 29 Electronic Communication from FBI headquarters to all 56 field offices, describing the initiative as "one of the top priorities" of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and, by extension, of "the Director." That would be FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III.

Mischievous commentary began propagating around the water coolers at 601 Fourth St. NW and its satellites, where the FBI's second-largest field office concentrates on national security, high-technology crimes and public corruption.

The new squad will divert eight agents, a supervisor and assorted support staff to gather evidence against "manufacturers and purveyors" of pornography -- not the kind exploiting children, but the kind that depicts, and is marketed to, consenting adults.

"I guess this means we've won the war on terror," said one exasperated FBI agent, speaking on the condition of anonymity because poking fun at headquarters is not regarded as career-enhancing. "We must not need any more resources for espionage."

Is it just me or does this seem like a waste of time and money?  

[SFS]

I remember something about this being posted on another forum I go to a while back.  I think it boiled down to tighter restrictions on porn  Something along the lines of more indebth age checks or something or making sure there are "WARNING!  Adult content" pages.  I can't really remember, and the microsystems lab is not exactly the best place to look up "porn internet bush" on google.

[Arrrhalomynn]

I like porn that has gaping assholes and peeing lesbians. What's obscene about that?

[The Metamorphosing Leon]

Meh. Shit like this happens all the time.

[archetype]

Anyone see the episode of Jon Stweart with Sarah Vowell? There were some sad, but true comments. If you like intelligent and educated reasons for why the Bush Admin. is so depressing read Vowell.

I do say we have more problems in the country than the profuse amount of porn available to the masses. Let's try educating the people on making good choices.

[The Metamorphosing Leon]

Come on now. It isn't the government's job to teach people values.

[SFS]

Porn promotes sexism (I'm only going to refer to hetro for simplicity and since it is the majority of porn).  Notice how I didn't say violence or rape.  I said sexism.  Porn is male dominated, and makes us think of sex similarly.  The angles, positions, everything is tailored to make men seem dominate.  I will agree that this does not make someone suddenly sexist, but it does strongly enforce gender roles.

Hell, just look at how people view to sperm.  Any situation comedy always has that one flashback episode where one of the main characters was a sperm before they were born.  Never an egg.  Why the hell not?  We were just as much, if not more so an egg than a sperm.

I think (and this part is just an opinion) that people confuse sexual maturity with throwing sex/nudity/whatever around.  What two adults do behind closed doors is not their own business if they want to live in a society.  They can't for example do heroin and then expect to hide behind the “but we're adults” argument.  The same goes for people who make a product where people are degraded based on their gender, which influences others.  But hey, if you think people need to be educated on other matters than sexism, and then blame bush for ruining this county, more power to you.

[Mike Leon]

Archetype, I didn't realize you like porn so much. Want to hang out and watch some movies some time?

[Arrrhalomynn]

Porn promotes sexism (I'm only going to refer to hetro for simplicity and since it is the majority of porn).  Notice how I didn't say violence or rape.  I said sexism.  Porn is male dominated, and makes us think of sex similarly.  The angles, positions, everything is tailored to make men seem dominate.  I will agree that this does not make someone suddenly sexist, but it does strongly enforce gender roles.

Hell, just look at how people view to sperm.  Any situation comedy always has that one flashback episode where one of the main characters was a sperm before they were born.  Never an egg.  Why the hell not?  We were just as much, if not more so an egg than a sperm.

I think (and this part is just an opinion) that people confuse sexual maturity with throwing sex/nudity/whatever around.  What two adults do behind closed doors is not their own business if they want to live in a society.  They can't for example do heroin and then expect to hide behind the “but we're adults” argument.  The same goes for people who make a product where people are degraded based on their gender, which influences others.  But hey, if you think people need to be educated on other matters than sexism, and then blame bush for ruining this county, more power to you.

Maybe you just watch the wrong movies.

[SFS]

I said that I wasn't talking about girl on girl.

[archetype]

My comment didn't imply that I hold the government responsible for educating the masses. I am not so sure I can put a finger on who holds that responsibility as it becomes a bit complicated between parental figures and societal changes over time, etc.

I do agree with your argument about sexism, but do I want the government to regulate what I watch? What if that filtered over into video games adn other forms of media? I am more concerned about  "soft porn" on TV these days that is not constructive of sexual beahvior which I think influences the impressionable minds more readily.

I refuse to watch it E. Leon (you do realize who I am?).

[SFS]

do I want the government to regulate what I watch?

short answer: yes
You can't go out into the streets and yell "fire!" and expect the government to not take notice.  The reason being is that it is harmful.  So is a lot of porn, and I see any reason not to implement measures to control both of those things happening.

[The Metamorphosing Leon]

My comment didn't imply that I hold the government responsible for educating the masses.

Yes it did.

[Arrrhalomynn]

short answer: yes
You can't go out into the streets and yell "fire!" and expect the government to not take notice.  The reason being is that it is harmful.  So is a lot of porn, and I see any reason not to implement measures to control both of those things happening.

How is a lot of porn harmful? I doubt that has ever been scientifically proven. Sure, you can find plenty of people saying it's harmful, but those are the same kind of people that believe in creationism.

[SFS]

Porn promotes sexism (I’m only going to refer to hetro for simplicity and since it is the majority of porn).  Notice how I didn’t say violence or rape.  I said sexism.  Porn is male dominated, and makes us think of sex similarly.  The angles, positions, everything is tailored to make men seem dominate.  I will agree that this does not make someone suddenly sexist, but it does strongly enforce gender roles.

Hell, just look at how people view to sperm.  Any situation comedy always has that one flashback episode where one of the main characters was a sperm before they were born.  Never an egg.  Why the hell not?  We were just as much, if not more so an egg than a sperm.

I think (and this part is just an opinion) that people confuse sexual maturity with throwing sex/nudity/whatever around.  What two adults do behind closed doors is not their own business if they want to live in a society.  They can’t for example do heroin and then expect to hide behind the “but we’re adults” argument.  The same goes for people who make a product where people are degraded based on their gender, which influences others.  But hey, if you think people need to be educated on other matters than sexism, and then blame bush for ruining this county, more power to you.