My decidedly libertarian take on prostitution has always been that it ought to be legalized, then taxed, regulated, and health-inspected. That seemed to me a sensible way to deal with an issue that is never, ever going to go away.
However, in Germany, where that precise approach to prostitution has been taken, a waitress has been told she’ll lose unemployment benefits if she doesn’t accept a job as a prostitute.
Which reminded me that when government sticks its nose in anything, it causes more problems than it solves. So. The story above is a clear demonstration of exactly why legalizing prostitution would be not just a bad idea, but a horrible idea. And it’s one that never even crossed my mind.
My new take on the legal status of prostitution — keep government out of it. Better that those who involve themselves on both sides of the transaction make their choices and take their own risks, than that women who would not choose to whore be told they either take the jobs they’re offered or they won’t get the money they already earned. We don’t need Uncle Sam to become Pimp-Daddy Sam.
