Good Friends of XPT:

Our thinking can be distorted in assessing cases like this by the "black and white", or absolute, application of certain concepts, namely, innocence and guilt. This can distort the quotidian fact that real life cases actually fall along a spectrum.

This conception of a spectrum allows, then, that a victim may not be wholly innocent, and a perpetrator not wholly guilty. That leaves untouched the thought that a victim, though not wholly innocent, can be victimized nonetheless, and that a perpetrator, though not wholly culpable, may perpetrate against the victim all the same.

The parables of The Garden of Eden and of Faust are classical illustrations:

The Serpent of course does not compel Eve by force to taste of the apple. Rather, he tempts Eve by stimulating unsavory desires that exist in embryo within her. That Eve tastes of the apple and is cast out of Eden is obviously partly her own fault--she did, after all, decide to eat the apple. All the same, the Serpent's deed--that of tempting Eve--is patently evil, as he knows the consequences to Eve, if he succeeds in tempting her, will be dramatic (for her, anyway). To this extent, Eve is the victim of the Serpent's exhortations, though she is certainly not wholly innocent.

Similarly, Mephistopheles does not force Dr. Faust to sign away his soul to the Devil, but rather tempts him to give in to his own greed--in this case, for knowledge; for sex workers, the temptations are usually easy money and attention. Again, Mephistopheles knows the consequences to Faust will be serious, but he forges ahead self-interestedly anyway: obviously an evil act.

The Serpent and Mephistopheles are thus nourishers of the evil within humankind. They exploit the weaknesses of Eve and Faust, respectively. To do so, of course there has to be something to exploit in the first place. That's just to say, Eve and Faust have weaknesses in their character--they are really anything but perfect. And those weaknesses are preyed upon.

I trust it's clear enough how these thoughts, mutatis mutandi, apply to the adult industry (not to mention, with some differences, the illegal narcotics industry). Simplifications have of course been made, and surely inaccuracies and distortions remain. But it is a step in the right direction I hope.

Thank you all for your thoughts.

I wish you well.



Good Night.