It seems to me that the guys who put themselves in harms way in order to defend this country ought to be able to have a little fun once in a while.  But, not everyone agrees.  Read the linked article for details.

Obviously you did not understand the article.  Its a move to stop sexual slavery and trafficking.  Do you think its appropriate for our fighting men overseas to free the unfree and then have their daughters become tooties.  

These girls arent willing participants.  These are girls that are often kidnapped or sold by her parents to slave traders who sell them to brothels.  

Do the soldiers know this is the case? No.  Are they to blame for using what is there?  No.  Should we try to stop it.  YES.

I swear I am about to move to Canada.

Consider also the rate of rape on military installations is higher than that of the general population and also since women are increasing in numbers in the military, many are coerced into sex.

What a shame!  That's the only stress-relieving activity available to men who put themselves in harm's way, historically.

One of the brass is talking about replacing said activity with more educational and church-going opportunities on base so the guys can occupy their time better.

What kind of crock is that!

Actually, all kidding aside I am giving very strong considerations to moving to Canada.

The very first sentence of the article reads:  "U.S. troops stationed overseas could face court-martials for patronizing prostitutes under a new regulation drafted by the Pentagon."

Nowhere in that sentence, or anywhere in the article, does it say that they will only face courts-martial if the prostitute in question was a sexual slave forced into prostitution by human trafficers.

The article does say that the regulation is intended to "lesson the possibility that troops will contribute to human trafficing."  But by that line of reasoning this web site should be shut down and all of us who post on it should be prosecuted in order to "lesson the possibility" of human trafficing.

Don't get me wrong.  Pimping is a horrible crime, and trafficing in such is worse, and both should be punished.  But a courts-martial, which could mean dishonorable discharge and possible prison time, is going way to far for only doing what soldiers and sailors have been doing for hundreds of years.

we're so used to the US accepting anybody and everybody that I know I happened to forget that other countries don't work that way.

I have been frequenting my favorite (OK, second favorite) website: www.escapeamerica.com site for several years and you can find out pretty much anything you need to know about living somewhere else.
I was pretty excited about New Zealand until I saw all the red tape. I mean, other countries only want the best coming to their country. So, young, healthy, educated (some ethnicities excluded..yeah, really), working (in a field they happen to need).

One of my last corporate jobs, there were several Canadians who came HERE because they said they could make TWICE the money (but I argued, but your health care system is better, no????)..

Anyway, playing devil's advocate here..just do the research.

...what you give them by running is a border to attack.

I'm staying.  No matter how bad it gets.

/Zin

Yes, Nicole, it's a noble one, unless it's used as a means to control human sexuality.

So, the politics over slave trafficking has now been recasted into an anti-sex campaign.  As long as the war is waged against sex, there is nothing to win.  

Why should an 18-year-old now join the military instead of the hood?  The regression of this country is simply astounding.

/Zin  

-- Modified on 9/23/2004 8:29:31 PM

Reo you know what the requirements are? (legit question) Because

Sedona, here you go

To become a Canadian citizen you must:

be 18 years of age or older;
be a permanent resident of Canada;
have lived in Canada for at least three of the four years before applying;
be able to communicate in either English or French;
know about Canada;
know about the rights and responsibilities of citizenship;

I have been conducting business in both Toronto and Vancouver for over 15 years, my accumulated time is 3 1/2 years (there are exceptions for business travelers). I will take the citizenship test in Jan. 2005, once I obtain my citizenship I can than think about making some decisions.

Canada is a lot more liberal than most.

I agree with both of you, in that the trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable women should be abhorred and dealt with ruthlessly, but simply applying a blanket ban on prostitution is a heavy-handed answer.  It's a rather large sledgehammer to crack a somewhat smaller, er, nut, so to speak.  

Perhaps it's a lazy technique applied so that the authorities aren't put in a position where they have to consider each and every case viz-a-viz the prostitute rather than just the john.  It's surely easier to provide evidence that a man has propositioned or frequented a prostitute than to have to analyse her origins and background.  They're hoping to stamp out the trafficking without having to deal with it specifically.  And, of course, doing it in this way brings general behaviour into line with the dictates of the moral majority.  

What concerns me, however, is that this comes in line with what I see emanating from the US over recent years - moral crusading - the earlier thread on abstinence education being another example.  Because whatever is over there in the US finds its way to us eventually.  

For anyone who's interested, here's a link to a report on the trafficking of women from South Korea by military personnel:

http://www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/modern_day_comfort_women.pdf  

"Modern-Day Comfort Women: The U.S. Military, Transnational Crime, and the Trafficking of Women," Violence Against Women (forthcoming) (co-authors Katherine Chon and Derek Ellerman)

It's quite lengthy but interesting reading if you have the time.

~A~

For all those thinking about moving to Canada, have fun in the snow.  However, I have to tell you this isn't new.  Having served in the military all over the world, I can tell you that lectures and threats concerning prostitution and the avoidance of it have been on-going for many, many decades.  In Vietnam, the fear of death was put into newbies about prostitutes, including the jungle legend of an island off the coast filled with venereal disease-laden men who could NEVER GO HOME!  It's been standard for a century (and probably more) for lists of off-limits establishments are placed on the unit bulletin boards with severe penalties if ignored.  Ultimately, however, the military usually recognizes realitiy and cooperates with prostitution.  In Vietnam, there were "Sin Cities" run by the Vietnamese military for American troops.  They were staffed by girls just trying to make a buck and were rarely anything like a GFE experience.  One of my boys told me that while he was banging away at a girl, she was talking to her girlfriend in the next stall just as if he wasn't there!  Condoms were required, that was the main thing.  VD will put a soldier out of action just as well as a bullet so the military in a potential combat zone has no choice but to get involved with prostitution and the outlet it provides the troops!  We're sure going to miss all you guys when you go off to Canada!  Eh?

I understand the desire to deter sexual slavery overseas.
However, if the government is going to put soldiers overseas, it should be obligated to provide for all of their needs.
 They could recruit a highly paid group of patriotic providers to support our fighting men (and women) in the service.
 Alterrnately, the men and women already serving could volunteer as providers for set periods of time.
 Of course, only a sexually sane country could support this so it won't be happening soon.

....they'll be forbidding servicemen from orgasming as it might weaken them in the line of duty!! GEEZ!! That really sucks and not in a nice way!! GRRRRR

Their logo would be the universal female symbol and universal male symbol intertwined with the male appendage penetrating the female circle.  It will be a pink colored symbol on white background.

The insignia would be sewn on the front of a pink beret.  The uniform will be special ops.  There will be a removable cover in the crotch area for quick & easy access in times of needed fast service.

They get to earn merit badges based on an accumulation of review scores akin to the TER reviewing system.  Earning 10 reviews with a score of 10's gets a special pin similar to Expert pistol badge.

If someone goes down with herpes or syphillis, she gets a purple heart badge.

If she performs service in danger zones (at night, when the coast is clear), she earns a special meritorious badge of service.

She'll walk around with a little bag similar to what the medics carry around -- only it won't be a red cross symbol on white but the special insignia of the universal female symbol penetrated by the male appendage.  It'll have condoms, valtrex, wet wipes and all the accoutrements of a provider.

When in the battlefield, you know how when a soldier has been hit and shouts "Medic!" and a medic comes running opening up his medical bag?  Well, after a hard firefight a soldier can shout "Provider!" and someone in the corps comes running while she quickly opens the removable crotch from the trousers.

We need to work out more details, but I'm sure it can be done!

It was a segment of a show on prostitiution on the Discovery channel.

There was a secret military base in Africa guarding a grove of RUBBER TREES.  Rubber was so important that these soldiers were not allowed to leave the base (which was in a pretty remote area anyway, I think).  The men were so starved for companionship that the Army was compelled to set up a village of ladies on the base for the men.  The ladies were given regular medical checkups and Govt. approval.

Of course they never wanted to admit this, and since the project was Top Hush, they never had to.

Still not a bad idea.  

-SR

It is coming from people who have unhealthy attitudes about sex.

It's absolutely the most practical and best thing to do.  Unfortunately, we're nowhere near being that proactive.  

But this is exactly the way the Sumerians and Babylonians handled it for their warriors.

/Zin

Some parts of this are a joke, I know.  I can't tell how serious other parts are.  Not funny enough for a joke, not serious enough to be taken seriously.    

I find it difficult to believe that uniformed providers with their own rating badges would be treated with any respect.  Not in the American military, without an extreme change in this culture.

But stranger things have happened.

/Zin