I have a question. How is it that modern day progressives seem to be turning such a blind eye to the sad, depraved phenomena that is internet pornography? I am having a hard time understanding how people can post all sorts of comical, light hearted responses to this feature while ignoring the sad reality that this industry has become. Maybe it does exhibit some traces of "art,' but art in the historic sense that featred nude models was hardly a multi billion dollar industry that preyed on the socially desperate, alienated, and poor like this one does. "aliceinreality" posted something I hope we can all think about. This stuff ruins lives, confuses people, and fosters violence, gendered sterotypes, and twisted sexuality.

So what I need to understand is how a magazine where most of its readers (I presume) speak out against sweat shops in China and environmental destruction can also be so permissive when it comes to something like pornography? How is it that 'progressive thinking' in this country has become so confused with moral and ethical depravity? Now I know there are a lot of issue at stake in my last statement, but this one thing alone. How can internet porn in any way serve a good, admirable place in a society we hope to improve?

I guess I just long for the days when it seemed like liberals stood for something (e.g. Tipper Gore speaking out against the record industry and pusing for censorship laws), and were not afraid to address just how confused and perverse something like this is.

How about this post? "People (overwhelmingly female) who are desperately poor, drug addicted, single moms, living in a third world/eastern bloc countries. I champion people like Jenna Jameson who willingly participate and control their own careers, but people like that are rare."

What the heck is this all about? How do you sleep at night holding this opinion? How can you live with such a wicked contradiction? Who care about Jenna Jameson? What about the single moms and people in third world countries? These are the people pornography hurts the most! You can't ignore this just because a small pocket of the porn world does it voluntarily.

You want to do "good" in this world, give up on your lax morality and look at the things that are hurting individuals and families. Just because you are not affected is hardly an excuse. This stuff hurts people.

So again, help me. I guess my concern is more ideological than anything. How does a magazine like this and its so-called do-good readers tolerate something like internet porn? To those who have had a similar reaction as me, let me know what you think. But to those who disagree, let me know too.