Pornography now illegal in Ukraine, unless it’s “medicinal”
Ukrainians with a penchant for porn now risk fines and imprisonment for up to three years. In the last few days, President Viktor Yushchenko signed a law to that effect, much to the dismay of human rights activists and members of the artistic community.
The draft of the law was prepared by the Ukrainian government and was passed by the Ukrainian parliament, the Supreme Rada, on June 11.
Right now, I know little about the political and social motivations for such swift legislative action. Could a rise in porn addiction be a factor? It clearly smacks of nanny state prohibition, and I wonder just how it will be enforced and who might be targeted.
Intriguingly, the new law includes a caveat: pornography can be kept “for medicinal purposes”. I’m assuming were talking about ‘motivational material’ for sperm donors. Or perhaps the Ukrainian authorities have discovered some other medicinal benefit of porn.
If anyone knows more about this story, please do let me know!
Hi,
That’s a very intriguing article and very thought provoking too. However, even if governments like in Ukrainian pass such laws in an attempt to control access to pornographic websites (images & films) this begs the question how will this law be enforced. Unless Ukrainian sets up a firewall like the Chinese have done (known as the Great firewall of china! for obvious reasons) I cannot see how they can regulate access to porn sites. Or will the Ukrainian authorities actually track or spy on individual citizens in order to prosecute them?
**I do definitely think many governments would like to find a way to control & regulate the entire internet.
**The Ukrainian law also raises serious questions about freedom of speech & freedom to view material that others might consider morally dubious.
**Just as I would defend the rights of those people in any country to practice their chosen religion (even though I am an atheist). An example would be Falon Gong in China. I would also defend the right of anyone to be able to use the internet in the way they wish. Even if I don’t agree with them, i.e. disagree with the morality of some sites. Its the principal of freedom of choice, even if I don’t agree with the choices being made.
[Ukrainians with a penchant for porn now risk fines and imprisonment for up to three years]
**Whilst using & viewing porn is not really to be recommended in my view, fines and imprisonment is way to extreme in the other direction. That’s way to draconian though, I’m sure there should and could be better ways of helping people and weening them off porn or even preventing them for using porn n the first place.
**Rather than forcing people who have been discovered using porn or identified as having a porn habit. Perhaps offering some kind of web filtering on their computers or connection might be a first soft step and for the worst cases perhaps web filtering and some kind of therapy or counseling.
**I think we all have to be more open and up front about the realities or porn and web based porn too. Draconian measures is like using a road drill to crack a nut.
I’ve spent time in the Ukraine and it always struck me as more of a forward-thinking and enlightened nation. I really can’t shed any light on this new move, but as commented above, is raises some serious concerns about freedom of speech.
Marcus
We all make choices in our daily lives. Some choices have positive effects and some have totally negative or damaging outcomes. Even if you choose to use porn that’s your choice and you will then reap the consequences and have to deal with that.
But I would still strongly defend the right of anyone to make free choices or apparently free choices (using porn is often not a choice made consciously though and that’s what I have a problem with but that’s another story as they say). If you choose to screw up your life or body that’s your choice, I may not agree with or like the choices you made but I what is important to me is that you have the freedom to make such choices even if you fuck up your life as a result. Its the principal of freedom of choice that matters the most. We can only learn to change & become better people by making mistakes, you cannot avoid making mistakes, if we never made a single mistake or poor choice we wouldn’t grow or change as individuals, & the world would be a far poorer place for that.
This is an excellent site, a nice complement to your:
http://www.sexualcontrol.com
“Right now, I know little about the political and social motivations for such swift legislative action. Could a rise in porn addiction be a factor? It clearly smacks of nanny state prohibition, and I wonder just how it will be enforced and who might be targeted.”
I don’t see anything wrong with state prohibition.
At least it is recognition that there is a problem. Right now our governments don’t even recognise that porn could be a problem. I see this as irresponsible and anti-citizen.
If the Ukrainians intend to make porn illegal, surely state-level internet filtering will be required, else availability will be essentially the same?
“Its the principal of freedom of choice that matters the most.”
Addiction takes away freedom of choice.
Addicts are created out of a culture which is saturated in pornography: they are not given a choice.
“Freedom of choice” is an illusion: and always has been.
I will not be defending an illusion any time soon, even if the powers that be would like me to promulgate such arguments.
I have to strongly disagree with you “CAN” I definitely do think there is such a thing as freedom of choice, we are NOT helpless chidlren or victims of porn, or porn the culture. After all nobody is forcing you to go onto the internet & view porn or buy a porn magazine.
Secondly, using porn is NOT an addiction Yes! I know it looks like one but I don’t think it is actually. Too call porn an addiction is too misunderstand the use & purpose of porn. Using porn on a regular basis is an obsession or a compulsion which is not the same thing at all, anyway even if porn was prooven to be an addiction the addiction itself in “inside us” its NOT impossed from outside, it is actually a choice even if that choice appears to be made at a deeply unconscious level its still a choice. We all make choices in our lives some are positive choices and some are negative & deeply dysfunctional choices but they are still choices.
I’m guessing the prohibition in Ukraine has to do with human trafficking- you know the victimless crime that porn is suppose to be- Trafficking is easier to do globally than selling cocaine, or other drugs. I know there is a artistic value to some photography so I’m not saying that it can’t be .. but I doubt that Hustler would on display at the Louvre.
We don’t allow children to smoke,drink- so there are limitations to freedoms… If porn industry is not wanting to reach kids then why not list all porn web sites with xxx?
check out this site… pretty disgusting…to some xxxchurch.com
Alex…… Ted Bundy, BTK, Dalhmer…. all had compulsions and obssessions…. not sure they were exactly happy times for their victims