a recent article in The Economist on prostitution in Germany closes with the below paragraph, comparing the different policies in two cultural similar countries, Sweden and Germany.
In the end, the policy choice comes back to culture and ideology, argues Susanne Dodillet at the University of Göteborg. Both the Swedish and the German laws originated in the feminist and left-leaning movements in these countries. But whereas progressive Swedes view their state as able to set positive goals, Germans (the Greens, especially) mistrust the state on questions of personal morality as a hypocritical and authoritarian threat to self-expression. Only this can explain why Swedes continue overwhelmingly to support their policy, and Germans theirs.
the article reminded me of a podcast which I listened this May on sinica on the presentation of a new Earnshaw book, Sex in China by Richard Burger. Jeremy Goldkorn, known for his outspokenness, makes the quote of the year, indicating that there is a decisive pro-prostitution culture and ideology in the Chinese government.
The Chinese government needs hookers. All politicians are married to some women they don't like, because it was better for their career. The entire government would fall apart if they would ban prostitution.
Interestingly Germans and Chinese seem to have one thing in common: they mistrust the state on questions of personal morality and view it as a hypocritical and authoritarian threat to self-expression. that's why tens of thousands Chinese flock to IKEA on weekends: to smell a breeze of true freedom.
In the end, the policy choice comes back to culture and ideology, argues Susanne Dodillet at the University of Göteborg. Both the Swedish and the German laws originated in the feminist and left-leaning movements in these countries. But whereas progressive Swedes view their state as able to set positive goals, Germans (the Greens, especially) mistrust the state on questions of personal morality as a hypocritical and authoritarian threat to self-expression. Only this can explain why Swedes continue overwhelmingly to support their policy, and Germans theirs.
the article reminded me of a podcast which I listened this May on sinica on the presentation of a new Earnshaw book, Sex in China by Richard Burger. Jeremy Goldkorn, known for his outspokenness, makes the quote of the year, indicating that there is a decisive pro-prostitution culture and ideology in the Chinese government.
The Chinese government needs hookers. All politicians are married to some women they don't like, because it was better for their career. The entire government would fall apart if they would ban prostitution.
Interestingly Germans and Chinese seem to have one thing in common: they mistrust the state on questions of personal morality and view it as a hypocritical and authoritarian threat to self-expression. that's why tens of thousands Chinese flock to IKEA on weekends: to smell a breeze of true freedom.
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