Reply #32: Had a conversation in Amsterdam two years ago...

[shcrane71]

A very liberal Dutch lady was in favor of their liberal views towards narcotics. However, she said that many of the Dutch have found that legalized brothels lead to greater demand. And then they found that the demand of the unionized/protected prostitutes was actually decreasing because customers were demanding younger, child prostitutes.

I believe that we do need to legalize and regulate narcotics like many commodities in our economy. Since thirteen is the average starting age for prostitutes, it much more difficult for me to believe that the sale of a person's body for sex is a commodity rather than exploitation. I spoke with an environmental activist about this, and he said that he could understand that argument as he often argues that things such as clean air and water are more than just commodities to be exploited by our markets -- much like a child's body.