debating the whole Abu Ghraib prison scandal. Why? Well, to put it bluntly, a lot of those pictures mirror what we do. In fact, if we took exactly the same pictures of ourselves at play, we’d hail that as a pretty damn good party. So yes, it’s disturbing to see our methods of extreme erotic play co-opted by military and mercenary forces and applied to prisoners.
The thing that distinguishes us from them, though, is informed and willing consent. That’s what we take into our scenes; that’s what we base our participation on. And that something completely lacking to the imprisoned Iraqis.
I was going to pass on the prison scandal without serious comment, but when the brilliant Dan Savage — oh he of Santorum-spreading fame — flogged a bunch of writers (figuratively, of course) into writing about the scandal, I couldn’t let it go by. Though I must admit that the good General teasing me with lush Rush, the frat boy in ponygirl drag and making me think we’d achieved heaven on earth had something to do with it, too.
But honestly, I’m not sure what I can say beyond context is everything. Not that I’ve had the opportunity to get into puppy piles or engage in prison interrogation scenes lately, but if I had, the tops in charge would’ve highly aware of my willing consented and I would’ve known that they were responsible for my well being throughout the scene. Accountability would’ve been tantamount and I would’ve come out of it just fine in the end (and with a measurable amount of erotic satisfaction, too).
Not to mention that if I didn’t want to participate, I only had to say no.
Iraqi prisoners had none of that. Key difference, folks. Seminal and simple, too.
I don’t know why we’re so surprised with these unacceptable practices, though. The Bush administration went out of its way to undermine U.S. adherence to the Geneva Convention and did everything in its power to avoid the world court system. Now it’s apparent why. (Oh, and the abuse didn’t happen solely overseas either, if this Salon article is any indication.)
I suspect that in the process of opting out of systems of humane regulation, the Bush war machine co-opted anything it could use inhumanely. And with today’s recruits coming on board with lots of exposure to pornography — and then being denied it while serving — it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see what methodologies would not only humiliate and weaken Iraqi prisoners, but what would easily draw military personnel into its web as well.
But blaming porn culture for all this? Come on. Not matter how certain segments of American society might wish to blame and pray, porn didn’t invent this situation. Sexual practices got hijacked by a the subversive and covert arm of a war machine looking for a fast track to strong arm its detainees. And I say that as a “sex-crazed, anything goes” American. Even us happy perverts have a conscience. Let the Heritage Foundation blame me and my practices and my fellow American’s porn consumption for this incident; it’s just a bunch of religious people of privilege talking from upon a high horse.
A couple of cliches come to mind as I write this diatribe. We gave the Bush administration an inch with the Patriot Act and they’ve taken a mile when it comes to “detainees.” But thanks to the inherent pornography of war, the conscience of a good foot soldier, the tenacious muckraking of journalists, and the blessed invention of digital cameras, we’ve given them enough rope to hang themselves.
I’ll only say in closing and tangentially (and largely to Neal Pollack), that many of us here Connecticut are embarrassed to have given the world Ann Coulter, Laura Ingrahm, and even Joe Lieberman. Please note that all had to leave Connecticut to be heard. (It’s telling.) And, for the record, Joe was a pretty good during his days in state politics. All that changed when he left for Washington D.C.
And now, again nodding to Pollack, I’ll just shut up.
