Prostitution is arguably one of the worst things to plague modern society. It is considered barbaric and most un-Christian-like. Yet, a professor at the University of Ottawa is actually in favor of sex work.
Professor Naomi Sayers decided to comment on a Twitter feed started by immigrant Jordan Kong. Kong shared an “unpopular opinion” about how young people should work on the weekends. She believes it was a way to achieve success since no one was handing her anything.
Kong went on to explain that she worked her butt off day in and day out, though it wasn’t without costs. She gave herself pre-diabetes by working 90+ hours a week and suffered from stress-induced IBS.
She came to the conclusion that working hard allowed her to beat out her peers and earn opportunities that were “typically reserved for white guys” who went to Ivy League schools instead of an “introverted, short, nerdy Asian female.”
That’s when Sayers decided that it was time for her to share an “unpopular opinion” of her own. “The best thing young people can do early in their careers is do #SexWork on the side.”
Why would she suggest such a thing? She believes that early-career prospects are often unstable with low pay. Contract work tends to be exploitative, so sex work offers a way to achieve more stability.
Sayers believes that sex work is what is needed to overcome capitalism. Introducing young adults into sex work ensures that they can avoid low-quality work.
Apparently, morals have completely left the conversation.
Sayers, who is also an attorney, explains that people say that young people are exploited in sex work. However, she believes that those working in retail or at fast-food restaurants earning a low wage is also exploitation.
Capitalism is based on a free-market economy. Everyone can choose to have the business that he or she wants.
She believes that by abolishing capitalism (and adopting socialism), it’s a chance to pay everyone livable wages and access to clean water and free education. It ensures that no one has to take on a job where they are exploited – either through sex work or by working for low wages.
Alex Krause, the publicist for Sayers, jumped onto the thread to make it clear that the professor isn’t actually promoting sex work. Instead, she’s using it to point out what’s wrong with the capitalist society.
So, according to Sayers, both prostitutes and retail workers are being exploited. However, at least prostitutes are being paid better because they have chosen to work in the free market and take advantage of it.
What she fails to realize is that those who are working in retail and in fast food are also part of the capitalist economy. They, too, can work hard in order to get to where they want to be.
It’s clear that Sayers is going against the grain in terms of what she believes will help the economy.
She also believes that abolishing prison is a solution for society because it allows people to have the right to work for themselves. Again, though, people who break the law and need to be sent to prison have lost that right.
Sayers is the perfect example of why the economy is dragging. She wants to blame the economy’s problem on capitalism instead of identifying that some people are just lazy. If more people decided to push themselves like Kong, imagine what we could accomplish as a society.
Yet, there are people like Krause who backs up Sayers by saying “Capitalism, for-profit education, and prison are inherently stigmatizing towards certain marginalized groups.” Why are we making excuses for the lazy and blaming it on “marginalized” groups? Kong and countless others have proven that it’s possible to break out of the cycle by working hard.
Let’s try this on for size: prostitution is not the answer to helping the economy. Socialism is also not the answer. Hard work and the desire to succeed are all the country really needs.
