The case against Backpage was bogus

10 comments

• Papi_Chulo

  •

  5 years ago

  It seems to have all the makings of mostly a political witch-hunt followed by social-justice-warriors piling on.
  
  Seems a certain group of politicians used Backpage as an easy-target for self-serving political-gain and seems Washington state is the most egrigeous from what I've seen over the last few years.
• RandomMember

  •

  5 years ago

  Complicated issue. I have no doubt that some fraction of Backpage's business involved sex trafficking of minors. However, in a practical sense, it also shut down the market for consenting adults. Some of these girls (of legal age) who conducting business without pimps are now pushed into the hands of pimps without a place like Backpage to advertise. So shutting down Backpage may exacerbate the problem overall.
  
  A lot of the business from Backpage ended up on SA, and a lot of pimps and johns use SA now. It's obvious from some of the posts here (like @3131's post about getting robbed in his hotel room).
• Estafador

  •

  5 years ago

  Sounds like bo were just fuel for potential government elections. And humans are dumb enough to listen to anything that a politician would say as long as it makes them feel good. Like sheep
• RandomMember

  •

  5 years ago

  "And humans are dumb enough to listen to anything that a politician would say"
  
  ---------------
  So you've done extensive research and you're absolutely sure that sex trafficking has never occurred on Backpage? Or are you saying accepting some trafficking is a necessary and acceptable because the government should stay out? Or, just what are you saying?
• mark94

  •

  5 years ago

  In the era of social media, it’s all about proclaiming your moral superiority and wokeness, Vote for me, I oppose trafficking.
  
  It’s a lot like celebrities flying their private jets to climate change conferences.
  
  Some of us have good enough bullshit detectors to spot the hypocrites. Unfortunately, most don’t.
• RandomMember

  •

  5 years ago

  Several different issues:
  
  (1) Are the owners of Backpage being prosecuted unfairly with trumped-up charges of aiding trafficking? Possibly, but I don't have much sympathy for those being prosecuted.
  
  (2) Does some fraction of Backpage's business involve trafficking? Almost certainly -- but I have no idea how big the fraction is. Either does anyone else on this thread.
  
  (3) Did taking Backpage down make it harder to fight trafficking? Almost certainly. The problem migrates to hundreds of other sites making it harder for law enforcement.
  
  (4) Did taking down Backpage put consenting adults in more danger? Almost certainly. Forces independent girls back on the streets and under the control of pimps.
  
  Painting the whole issue as politicians pandering for votes ignores all the complexity of a difficult topic. "Reason.com" is not as bad as some other publications -- but it's a libertarian rag and definitely has an agenda.
• Estafador

  •

  5 years ago

  @RandomMember your GROSSLY twisting my words to the point of abstract remote. NOthing I said indicated even remotely that sex trafficking is ok in ANY shape or form. The article even stated the owners and CEO of BP were happy to help combat sex trafficking while the site was up.
  
  I'm simply stating that many people are easily persuadable and will swallow anything that sounds good by a powerful official. no matter the subject.
  
  Stop trying to pick fights, it makes you look stupid.
• RandomMember

  •

  5 years ago

  ^^ I'm stating all the facts as clearly as I can and not trying to "pick a fight." Just disagree with the premise that politicians are pandering for votes. There was almost certainly some trafficking going on Backpage. But taking down the site probably did more harm than good.
• Mate27

  •

  5 years ago

  Randumbmember lives to overthink a topic. It feels like it gives him purpose in life in an otherwise meaningless vacuum of guilt from his affairs against his marriage.
  
  He compensated for being a terrible father, cat housing with Girls half his age, and then coming on this site spreading his self righteous ideas.
• RandomMember

  •

  5 years ago

  
  @Meathead-
  
  The girls are less than half my age and, yes, I do feel guilty about cheating on my wife.
  
  Self-righteous misses the point. Reason magazine is a libertarian rag supported mostly by the Cock brothers. Oh...excuse me...that would be the Cock brother (singular) as of now. Everything Reason reports needs to be fact-checked. In a libertarian fantasy world Backpage exists for consenting adults and nobody is being victimized and no crimes. The point is that some fraction of the Backpage traffic consists of girls being pimped and some fraction of that are underage. No, I don't know what that fraction is. And, in any case, shutting down Backpage hurts consenting adults. I have no sympathy for the owners of Backpage. Tough shit.