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Major Nikon

(36,917 posts)
21. I don't buy any of his arguments
Fri Oct 12, 2012, 04:56 AM
Oct 2012

My personal prospective on porn is that I simply have no use for it. At this stage in my life my sexual activity is equal to my desire for sex. So I have no use for masturbation or masturbation aids. However I have a libertarian stance on the subject. Even if you can make the case that porn somehow produces erotoxins that destroys or appropriates 'healthy' brain cells and ruin people's lives, so what? Maybe these people have just decided that life in general sucks and at least such things provide an outlet, albeit short-lived from life's general sufferring. Even if you can make the case that porn is an addiction, or compulsion or whatever, the reality is that it isn't as hard to break such things as some people make it out to be. Even hard physical addictions only require short periods of intervention to break. The reason people return to them is because a certain segment of the population is prone to chronic addiction. If they weren't compelled to porn they could just as easily be alcoholics or drug addicts. That doesn't mean everyone who does these things are going to ruin their life with them, and it doesn't mean that someone who ruins their life with porn wouldn't have ruined it with something else.

The problem I have with anti-pornographers of any stripe is that if I don't speak up for other people's vices, I can't really complain much when nobody stands up for mine. I like to drink whiskey and I like to smoke my pipe and I don't really care much for controlling assholes who try to curb those activities regardless of how good their intentions are. If I can't do what I want with my own bag of meat, regardless of personal consequences, what real freedoms do I really have? If more people were as concerned with making society more pleasurable rather than what someone else is doing with their body, maybe there wouldn't be as much demand for simple pleasures.

The very best you can say is that he makes the same flaw as any other anti-vice argument which is that people are incapable of moderation. The reality is that people can and do. The worst you can say is that he needs to give more thought into minding his own fucking business.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Art of Manliness: the problem with porn [View all] lumberjack_jeff Oct 2012 OP
Okay, for starts, define "compulsion". I'm not the statistical expert, but I do think it's fairly Warren DeMontague Oct 2012 #1
Fully agree regarding 1st amendment issues. lumberjack_jeff Oct 2012 #3
Well, again, like other things I think the problem is when a recreational activity bleeds into work. Warren DeMontague Oct 2012 #4
You make a good point about pot. lumberjack_jeff Oct 2012 #10
This message was self-deleted by its author eek MD Oct 2012 #2
You're touching on my second problem with it. lumberjack_jeff Oct 2012 #6
This message was self-deleted by its author eek MD Oct 2012 #7
It's an unavoidable implication. lumberjack_jeff Oct 2012 #8
This message was self-deleted by its author eek MD Oct 2012 #9
A strong sex drive is part of the definition of "virile" lumberjack_jeff Oct 2012 #11
This message was self-deleted by its author eek MD Oct 2012 #12
One problem with these arguments, such as they are, are the way they combine anecdote, Warren DeMontague Oct 2012 #13
I dunno. This is a discussion board. lumberjack_jeff Oct 2012 #14
Fair enough. Warren DeMontague Oct 2012 #15
I've never speculated what they "did with it" lumberjack_jeff Oct 2012 #16
Couple things, then I'm outty~ Warren DeMontague Oct 2012 #17
Compelling argument. lumberjack_jeff Oct 2012 #20
The rates of women using porn is up significantly Major Nikon Oct 2012 #22
I know just saying this causes some people to get apopleptic with sputtering outrage, but--- Warren DeMontague Oct 2012 #23
MRA!!!!!!!!!!! opiate69 Oct 2012 #24
Evo psych heteronomative male gaze phallopressor! Warren DeMontague Oct 2012 #26
I'm not so sure Major Nikon Oct 2012 #25
Post removed Post removed Oct 2012 #30
Interesting, to say the least. Denninmi Oct 2012 #5
I agree that if you view it as a problem then it is a problem 4th law of robotics Oct 2012 #18
Well, actually, I kind of got a fresh perspective on this by reading Warren's last post Denninmi Oct 2012 #19
I don't buy any of his arguments Major Nikon Oct 2012 #21
Post removed Post removed Oct 2012 #27
Alerted. This is not funny, this ppr'd troll should have gotten the hint after it was hidden in GD stevenleser Oct 2012 #28
"Dutch Liberal" Warren DeMontague Oct 2012 #29
There are only two kinds of people I hate . . . 4th law of robotics Oct 2012 #31
Same category as Illinois Nazis? n/t Goblinmonger Oct 2012 #32
I'll say one thing about this group. WE GET THE BEST CALIBER TROLLS OF ANYWHERE ON DU, DAMMIT! Warren DeMontague Oct 2012 #33
I think it would be interesting 4th law of robotics Oct 2012 #34
Yeah Warren DeMontague Oct 2012 #35
I have little doubt that an especially pernicious troll hifiguy Oct 2012 #36
Yes, like the mellifluous clomp clomp clomp Warren DeMontague Oct 2012 #37
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