Iranian Pornography Dissidents
Above: A postcard from the front lines of the war on porn
Thank goodness I don’t live in Iran:
Tehran, Iran, A man was publicly hanged in the town of Qazvin, west of the Iranian capital Tehran, a state-run daily reported on Tuesday.
The unnamed man was accused of running a brothel and producing pornographic videos along with his wife, the daily Iran Newspaper wrote.
The couple had both been sentenced to 10 years in prison, five years in exile, 80 lashes and execution for running the prostitution ring and being found in possession of alcohol, drugs, and illicit CDs.
The man’s sentence was carried out in front of the judge that sentenced him in one of the town’s squares on Monday morning, while his wife had been executed in February 2004, the report said.
I find it interesting that the man was ‘accused’ for running a prostitution ring, but there is no talk of him being found guilty. The only proof the authorities seem to have on the man is that he was found possessing alcohol (big whoop), drugs (how very Canadian) and illicit CDs (in American, that translates as ‘Gangsta Rap’).
Every country has a different way of treating pornography. While it’s banned in India, and those caught watching are punished with humiliation, the United States and Thailand both declared an all out war on it this year.
Contrary to President Bush’s declaration, there has not been much action taken against the industry. When Bush declared a war in Afghanistan, he struck immediately. The same goes for Iraq. So, why did Bush even bother declaring anything at all?
There has always been talk in the US of putting a sin tax on pornography. Utah did this in 2004 and in July 2005 Kansas State legislators were interested in imposing a 25% tax on such products/services. I remember thinking how ridiculous this tax would be especially since I don’t consider it sinful or wrong. I read an even more radical proposal the other day, though, where a columnist proposed a 100% sin tax on pornography. Great deal… one for the price of two.
And so the question emerges: why bother talking about taxing something if the president has already declared a war against it? Should he be leading the struggle to eradicate it?
When it comes to regulating pornography, the US government is all talk and no action. Both the greatest weapon and the weakest target known to man is the human mind. Greatest weapon because it can misinform and instill fear in the hearts of men and weakest target because it can also be on the receiving end of such lies and fear.
It’s times like these when, although I hate the winters in Montreal, I’m glad that I live in the pot-smoking tree-hugging same-sex-marrying nation of Canada.
November 17th, 2005 at 2:13 pm
the war on porn??? sounds like the war on drugs - i.e., non existant!!!!
it’s the same as the whole pro life thing. Republicans played the Pro Life card to get elected… but what have they done about it??? Notta!!!!
Bush also said he is committed to tightening border security… but more ilegals than ever are enering the US via mexico?!?!?
i have my own theories about why this occurs.. but i’ll spare you
November 17th, 2005 at 10:42 pm
well, if they actually went ahead with their plans of fixing these issues, what issues would they have left to take a stand on at the next election?
They need these forever unresolved issues to gain the vote of the undecided…
It’s all just a ploy!
November 18th, 2005 at 9:31 am
yea Space Monkey… that about sums it up!
November 18th, 2005 at 9:46 am
The reason President Bush declared a “war on pornography” is to placate his base. As much as I’m sure the fundamental righties would prefer a “war on homosexuality” Bush gave them the next best thing.
In practice it becomes pragmatically difficult to fight a war against something that is both legal and mainstream within the public’s consciousness. The reason that Bush’s administration has done little or nothing other than talking tough is because a: they have very little they can do to make it harder to make, ship, and distribute a legal good and b: the people want pornography.
The porn industry is a huge money making industry, to illegitimize it would be to deny the government valuable income in a stagnant economy with a huge deficit. It would also be politically dangerous because although the pro-porn issue may not be explicitly [no pun intended] mentioned during campaigning it will be implicitly mentioned and such porn is big $$$ it means people desire it. People will vote on this issue.
Ultimately it is just useless pandering to his base and although it is dangerous and has the ability to pass senseless regulation to burden those who create pornography, and other much more important issues should be covered instead; mostly it should be ignored.
November 18th, 2005 at 1:23 pm
How can a married man honestly have a war on porn? It seems ironic
November 24th, 2005 at 2:08 pm
[…] So, in reply to robber_baron’s comment last week on Iranian Pornography Dissidents, it looks like there may not be much more that the Bush administration can do, but releasing personal information of adult performers is actually quite effective. Instead of fighting the ‘war’ using the judicial system, he is using the American public themselves… and we all there are many trailer park Americans who’d love to take the law into their own hands. […]
February 22nd, 2007 at 5:39 pm
It’s funny how they say they’re going to have a war on porn…
I don’t understand what the big deal is.
I think it’s stupid that they make such a fuss when there’s other more important things to be worrying about.
If it was a war on kiddy porn, I’d support that.
But they’re just wasting their time.
I think they should be more concerned with stoping priests from molesting little boys.
There’s other more important things Bush needs to be worrying about than porn, it just shows what an idiot he is.