Human dignity - Hard-core pornography an evil virus

MODERN telecommunications are one of the most universally empowering advances in the history of civilisation.

They contribute daily to the health and wellbeing of vast numbers of people. They are engaged in spreading educational opportunity and the fight against poverty.

However, there is an increasingly dark side to the story. As we describe today, in the first instalment of a two-part series, hard-core pornographers are using telecommunications’ ability to ignore national boundaries and legislatures to sell the most appalling, violent and dehumanising material, material that, in marginally different circumstances, would lead to some of the central characters spending very long periods in jail.

A liberal society where the rights of the individual are advanced, cherished and protected is a precious thing. To suggest that this liberalism should be used to facilitate the production and sale of film of actual rapes and the vilest subjugation of women for entertainment is utter nonsense.

As is the tosh spoken by those who advocate that more or less anything is permissible between consenting adults, especially if that consent is achieved in the most dubious and exploitative way.

Hard-core pornography is a virus that undermines human relationships, behaviour and expectations. It also completely destroys our notion of human dignity, so hard-won over centuries of social evolution.