On Contractors and Prostitutes

So yeah, being a contractor in a war zone, we get referred to as Ho's, Ho bags, Prostitutes, Pond Scum, and various other friendly descriptive names for someone who makes their living doing naughty things for others for pay. That's not unexpected, people are shocked, shocked, that they have to pay people more to come live and work in a very dangerous place! We're all just mercenaries! Pfft. Whatever.

But apparently a REAL pro is coming to town. (I note that someone else pointed it out to me):

http://wonkette.com/politics/sex-on-the-breach-dept%27/iraq-contractors-to-have-hooker+in+residence-284569.php

It is apparently a real "professional" who is going to be "working" in the IZ, for some period of time.

My reaction is this:

Bleh. Just bleh.

First, I'm not really pro-prostitution. I certainly believe that what consenting adults do in the privacy of their own home is entirely their business, and if it invloves one of them dressing up as a Rice Krispy Elf then err.. SNAP! CRACKLE and POP!, I guess. Whatever floats their boat. Seriously though, I truly dislike gov't intrusion into our privacy and our sex lives. It has way more important things to be doing than peeping in our windows and clucking disapprovingly. In fact it's a bit creepy, but I digress. I'm not really for prostitution because it seems to ALWAYS bring in human traffickers and underage manipulated children being used and destroyed. Amsterdam, Nevada.. everywhere it's legal the people who sell little kids and Eastern European sex slaves show up.

That being said, that is not the case here. The ..ahh.. "sex worker" in question is clearly of age, and I'm sure all of her "clients" in the IZ would/will be of age etc. So far as I know, she appears to be self-employed and does this of her own free will.

My issue is more selfish, I suppose, and more, well, basic. I'm sure we'll see this on CNN/FOX sooner rather than later. And frankly, we live under enough regulations as it is. This will only drive the moral police through the roof when it hits the news. That's what I have an issue with. Once this goes public, then the official hypocrisy season 07' will have officially kicked off.

I mean, consider. If it's NOT real, those of us in country get to endure the morality crusade for the next three months. Crackdowns on every damn thing to "prove" they're doing something about these wild hoary contractors out whoring/drinking/gambling/doping it up. People will be tossed for some ridiculous "infraction" that hasn't got shit to do with anything. Finally, you just have to know they're going to punish everyone, because it's way easier to do that than find the actual fuckups who NEED a boot to the ass.

If it IS real, then we get to deal with the fallout for a full year plus some. That. sucks.

I don't want to live by the *public* moral purity codes of either Muqtada "I get people to blow themselves up!" Al-Sadr or Pat "I run blood-diamond mines" Robertson. I don't really give a crap if he/she or some of the other Baghdad bed toys make their money on the side. But for fucks sake keep a goddamn lid on it!

The rest of us, even those who don't "utilize" those services, really do not need the additional preachy hassle that WILL come down because of this. Matter of time.

So.. no whooping it up from me. No yee haw. No 'clearing out the appointment book, boys!" Just... bleh. Keep the stupidity that attracts official pomposity away from me. I just want to do my job, and try to make it out of here in one piece mentally and physically.

If I seem a bit cranky, it's because the sunburn blisters are starting to show and I have to wear a backpack and that just plain hurts like a mofo. And where it's not blistering is ALL ITCHY! RAAGH!!

Oh, also I arrived in Baghdad safely. So there's that! :)

Regards,
-Bouncer-