Quote:
Originally Posted by HlavinKitheri
Now, any who have gotten into it with me on economics or politics can tell you I'm what you'd call a liberal, a progressive or what-have-you. I'm persuaded by Defoe, by Smith (but not on monetary theory), Keynes, and Krugman; and I part ways utterly with any kind of "supply-side," "Chicago-school," or "Austrian" so-called economics (which I regard as wishful thinking dressed up with bad math, a transparent rationalization for government nonfeasance).
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That's funny, the bolded part is exactly how I'd describe Keynes. ^_^ (Although you'd have to substitute "malfeasance" for "nonfeasance" in order to get the rest of the sentence to work.)
:-)
I'm kind of curious how so many are indicating that standard economics don't apply to this--black and gray markets are very much measured and considered in economic thought, and in a lot of ways more honest portrayals (you've got the one big government market distortion--prices are pumped up due to risk--but you don't have the countless minor ones pushing things in weird directions.)
The main assumption is that we're making too much for any of us to consider doing anything else (particularly vis a vis dickheads.) But prices don't come out of thin air--there is going to be a floor where the girl believes that the costs (both tangible AND intangible) are not worth the income, just as each of you is going to have a ceiling, where the price isn't going to be worth services received. (And it is the individual's perceptions of these costs that's going to matter, rather than an outside perspective.)
Feelings of self-worth is going to be a large expense--possibly larger than legal risk, as (not to put the finest point on it) enforcement of vice laws seems to not be a huge priority in most jurisdictions. And there's a minimum hit that you're going to have to put up with--the fact that most people view your profession with disdain, the fact that you can't discuss it with friends, the fact that if anything happens it's going to be considered your fault for doing something so stupid in general.
But in general, that's countered by the fact that gentlemen are... well, nice to you. Most of the folks I've ever seen have obviously valued me and thought I had worth, and that's a good feeling. All the stereotypes of drug-addicted hookers being used by an uncaring populace who views them as trash... aren't, in my experience, true. And that makes the calculation a lot easier. (I even give a discount for a couple of my regulars who consistently make me feel good and worthy.)
That's when I meet folks, anyway. Let's be honest, most of the folks who are great to meet are absolutely silent on the forums. Annnd... at least in my case... I spend a lot more time on the forums than in sessions. (I think it's more pronounced in my case, where I keep a vigil to see if there's anything I need to know about and only have the occasional visit out... but I think it's going to be the same for a lot of people.)
And having folks trash you, the idea of you, people in your position, and the like in the arena where you have most of your interactions with the other half of this industry... yeah, that impacts things, and does add to the overall "hit to self-worth" cost.
Which will impact the calculation of what you're willing to do for how much.
What's the argument otherwise? That no other job will get us the money for drugs? I don't use drugs. A lot of girls don't use drugs. And even if one picks up a certain few luxury expenses (new foreign car, big apartment, whatever), in general it's not hard to trade those out if you decide enough is enough.
(Me, I'm in this because it affords me way more leisure. I can make as much money at a job as I do here--and plan to--but it'll occupy way more of my time when I do. Also, y'know, sex is fun, at least when people aren't being dickheads.)
Girls are only going to be here as long as they want to be here. And to imply that we're here because we have no other option in life is incorrect.
*phew* Got sidetracked on a rant there, sorry. But--to get more to the main point--the study of shadow economies is also a legitimate academic area of study, and a pretty interesting one to boot. To say that something being illegal means it doesn't have to do with economics shows a staggering lack of foresight or imagination.
