Yes it a late blogging and I have no good reason for my late work. However, I think this topic is always a contemporary argument in this decade, so I blogged it.
I don’t know why in Thailand curry powder is a symbol of prostitute. It a rude word to refer to prostitute. Why will people use food as a symbol of something which they disdain it? Do you know the history of Curry Girl? If yes, please tell me. Come back to the main topic. I read the argument about prostitution on the Economist debates. Before I read this debate I have strong belief that prostitution should be legal; however, after I read it, I consider the difference between criminalization and legalization. Both of them might be not contrast directly, and I think it the important point of this debate.
This debate is about prostitution. Should it be legalized or not? Mr. John Parker, the Globalisation Editor for the Economist is moderator, and Sienna Baskin and Melissa Farley role in a defender and an opponent respectively. Baskin tries to point the drawbacks of prostitute criminalization. She state that criminalization cannot decrease the number of prostitutes because if prostitute is recorded as criminals, she cannot do other work, borrow money, and be limited most opportunities. Therefore criminalization in prostitution cannot solve problems, but motivate problem to be more severe. Moreover, Baskin show the statistic that criminalization is the important factor which persuade prostitute to tell nothing to polices when violence happen because they are afraid that they will be arrested because of their job. In contrast, Melissa point that prostitution is legal or not is unnecessary because both legal and illegal prostitution disregard human rights of woman. In addition, Melissa, show the evidence which confirm that legal prostitution is not have better status more than illegal one. In Amsterdam, Netherland where prostitution is legal, there are about 80% of all prostitute used to be violated, while that legalization leads to increase in the number of prostitution. Therefore, legalization have no ability to solve the problem or help victims of prostitution.
Before I read this debate, I strongly believe that legalization is only one way to help the prostitutes. However, now I’m not sure. Like Melissa said, even if prostitution is legal, it does not lead to the better quality of life of prostitute because pimps and other violent factor still exist. However, I still believe that prostitute legalization is better than prostitute criminalization because even if both of them cannot reduce violence and disregard human rights, prostitute legalization grantee that prostitutes can protect themselves through the law such as tell polices or the court. Prostitute is one of the world oldest job. It occurred in every civilization. Some societies might disdain people in this job such as Thai society or most societies but some societies have different aspect. For the example, In ancient India, prostitute is the public persons they relate with every class in society, or in Greek prostitute is the acceptable job but they might have no rights to be the representatives in The Council of 500. Therefore, each society have deferent perspectives to prostitution. However, in modern societies the number of prostitutes increases rapidly and if there are no policy to curb this phenomenal it might develop to be the severe problem. I think legalization is one of the best ways to handle to this problem. If the prostitute is the legal job, people in this job will have to pay tax and have right to access into social welfare or other thing which can develop their quality of life. Yes it might increase the number of prostitutes, but I think it OK because in that time it not legal job. What is the problem if it increase? Moreover, someone might thing it might make bad reputation to countries. Yes it might and then? I thing good reputation cannot make people be full, while legal prostitution can. Now Thailand has bad reputation in this issues, so we should use this to develop the quality of this job. Make a standard of prostitutes, fix the rate, guarantee hygiene and make Thailand to be the centre of prostitution of the world. I believe this policy will generate countless money and will be the main product of Thailand. Now Thailand’s economy run partly be unofficial business, so what anything else should we concern, while moral cannot make people be full?
I think that if prostitution were legalised, all that the government would need do is crack down on violence, forced prostitution and abuse.
ReplyDeleteThere would be no need to control rates or standards since normal free market operation should look after that pretty well.
And removing the government from the operation of private businesses and personal affairs removes the temptation for official corruption that goes with it today, at great social cost.
I also enjoy The Economist Debates. The side I disagree with often presents strong arguments that force me to review and improve my own ideas, and sometimes I change my mind about an issue.
The "Room for Debate" articles in The New York Times are also good for presenting different sides of a current issue, although not quite so in depth as The Economist's debates.
I had never heard that curry powder symbolized prostitutes. In Western countries, red lights are often associated with prostitution (I have no idea why or how it came about), so those areas of cities are called "red light areas".
ReplyDeleteBut curry powder?
Peter, have you ever heard " E- Curry"? It a rude word for calling prostitution.
ReplyDeleteFor Red light I'm not sure but in past thai people call red light or green light area for refer girl club becauce it the light of chiness' light from chiness tea club.
I agree that if prostitution were legalised, the government should do something on violence and other problems that prostitutes have faced. If they wouldn't do that, it doesn't matter whether prostitution will be legalised. I think, in Thailand, it's hard for prostitution to be legalised because of our custom and religion. People look down on prostitutes because they do what good women (as people expect in Thailand) wouldn't do, and in Buddhism, it's immoral. It's ture that now there is a lot of prostitution in Thailand and we have a bad reputation for this in the eyes of foreigners. However it's still hard for most of Thai people to accept if it's legal.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, from doing research, I found that the slang "curry" or "ka lee" which we call prostitutes isn't from curry powder but distorted from indian language. In the past, there were brothels in phahurat area and they had a lot of indian customers. So, they used the word "chok ka lee" which actually means "a girl" in indian to show that they had young women in their brothels. This word has used until today but distorted from "chok ka lee" to "ka lee" or curry. Anyway, it's a rude word, so I don't like when some people called others this word.
Poome,
ReplyDeleteYes, I have.
But I'd never made the connection that they were the same words until your comment @ January 29, 2011 5:46 PM prompted me to think about it a bit more.
Bow's transliteration as "ka lee" also makes it easier to see. I also like Bow's etymological explanation, which helps us to understand the meaning of the word, and I agree with her that it's not a word I would ever use. In fact, there are a lot of words that I never normally use in English as well.
As we have already briefly noted in week 1, and will see next week, etymology can be a further useful route to defining a word along with the types of definition that Quest lists.
Prostitute career is a controversiacl topic for decades especially in Buddhism countries like Thailand. One possible explanation for this is that the third precept of Buddhism is that Buddhists who are married cannot cheat their couples or they must not sexaul misconduct. If the Thai government approve this career is legalisation, the number of prostitues will repidly increase like you mention it.
ReplyDeleteUndoubtedly, most of men foriegners are likely to know Pattaya or Patpong well more than Wat Pra Keaw. There are many toursits come to Thailand because the chraming of prostitues.
However, I strongly disagree this sentence " Make a standard of prostitutes, fix the rate, guarantee hygiene and make Thailand to be the centre of prostitution of the world" Actually, I have no a good reason for supporting my idea. Two reasons of mine, is that I am a Thai female who don't want every women in the world to be a prostitue and I am quite assure no one want to be a prostitute indeed. Another reason is that I don't want to see the formal symbol of Thailand is a prostitute.
Sorry Poome, I totally disagree with you. But your topic and your idea are great.
"If the Thai government approve this career is legalisation, the number of prostitues will repidly increase like you mention it." (Nid @ January 29, 2011 9:03 PM)
ReplyDeleteThis sounds wrong to me.
Legalisation of prostitution in Thailand is unlikely to lead to an increase in the number of prostitutes any more than legalisation normally leads to an increase in drug use or addicts.
I can't think of any facts or statistics that would support the idea that legalisation would lead to an increase in the number of prostitutes. And in teh case of drugs, the facts clearly show that legalisation does not lead to an increase in use or numbers of addicts. Why would legalizing prostitution be different?
I like Nid's comment. It brings up some important points, and presenting an opposing view is a good thing for both since it forces us to think more carefully about our own position on a question, which is an important element of what academic discussion is all about.
Argument is a very good thing when conducted under standards or politeness that show respect for people supporting views that you find totally wrong and perhaps even offensive. (You might like to see Praew's excellent blog on politeness for more on this - "Teaching manners to Chinese children – a solution to better image of China".)
And now I think I need to go and read Poome's source!
ReplyDeleteBut not tonight.
Thank you Bow my parents supported your explanation, especially my father who have that experience haha.
ReplyDeleteTo Peter, my source have information like that the number of prostitutes of Amsterdam, increase after legalization. However, I think it is not problem because in that time it likes the increase of the number of engineering, waiter, and other service jobs.
Nid yes I don’t want all of my friends turn to be prostitute. It just the extreme example, but if it happen I think it might be great. Moreover, there are both male and female prostitutes, so it is not sexist.
Lastly, in fact, some prostitute is not pity like most imagination of general people. I know quite a lot prostitutes who success in her/his jobs, have Mercedes, go to have lunch in Hongkong, or sell service from another prostitute.
Poome, maybe I misunderstand some of your point. And I agree with you that nowadays is quite abnormal in many things like you said "a lot prostitutes who success in her/his jobs, have Mercedes, go to have lunch in Hongkong". The possible is that money can change everything even though person prestige.
ReplyDeleteI am adult and I am pretty out-of-date, so it is hard to accept it. But your point is an interesting and it is a good to prostitue if this jobs is legalisation.