Lewis

I just can’t get my head behind this indulgent nanny statism. From 6 Nov 2026, new provisions of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 will criminalise possession of certain types of porn in England & Wales, with offenders facing up to THREE YEARS in prison. THREE YEARS This has been gnawing at me for DAYS. It is quite a crude subject so i can understand why people might not want to discuss it over tea. BUT the implications for individual liberty are worth examining I don’t particularly like porn or sex work. Neither appeals to me. In fact i find both degenerate & exploitative. But the Govt isn’t seeking to ban either outright. Instead it’s selectively criminalising certain depictions, including some involving adults roleplaying sexual acts that aren’t necessarily unlawful in themselves… I have no difficulty supporting prohibitions on child sexual abuse material. In fact i welcome it BUT I do question criminalising depictions of oral sex for example, “face sitting”, involving consenting adults. Is there sufficient evidence that watching something causes someone to commit sexual violence? And even if exposure influences behaviour, does that justify criminalising private possession? At what point does the state stop preventing sexual violence and start policing private sexual fantasy? Feminism has fought for women’s bodily autonomy, sexual freedom & protection from coercion. But doesn’t protecting women risk becoming paternalistic when the state starts determining which consensual sexual expressions are acceptable? John Stuart Mill’s harm principle seems particularly relevant here… the exercise of power over an individual against their will requires justification by reference to harm to others not merely moral disapproval We ought to be able to distinguish between what is immoral, what is distasteful, what is dangerous and what ought to be CRIMINAL . . . And if we’re going to start sending people to prison for what they privately watch, I’d rather hope we can offer a more convincing justification than an article about throat cancer 😂