The Government Does Not Belong In The Wallets Or Underpants Of Consenting Adults
Scott Shackford writes at Reason about the shutdown by the Department of Homeland "Security" of gay escort site Rentboy.com. (Official complaint here.)
And he's right:
The forced shutdown of Rentboy.com is not small potatoes, not that it should matter when it comes to deciding when to fight for individual liberty.
A few important points from his piece:
•There is absolutely no pretense of pretending there are any "victims" here. Nobody is charged with "trafficking." There is absolutely nothing in the complaint that even hints at the idea that there is anything nonconsensual happening, that so much as a single human being is harmed, even tangentially, by letting men pay for sex with other men.•As usual, follow the money. Want to know the real reason why DHS is involved? Want to know why it took the government decades to go after a site titled "Rentboy.com"? It's on page three of the complaint against Rentboy. Between 2010 and 2015 the site had more than $10 million in gross proceeds. The feds are looking to seize $1.4 million from six bank accounts related to the raid. This money, thanks to federal asset forfeiture rules, would likely be split among the agencies involved, including the New York Police Department, who offered up their assistance in the raid even though there was probably no need for both agencies.
•The world is not New York City. ... Say you're a pudgy, lonely 55-year-old man in southern Illinois with a fetish for something very kinky. You're a minority within a minority. What do you do if you can't find somebody around you who shares your interest? DHS, Brooklyn's U.S. attorney's office, and a bunch of cops in New York City think you should just do without.
•Remember the names Susan Ruiz, Kelly Currie, Tyler Smith, and Melanie Hendry. Ruiz is the DHS special agent who thoroughly investigated the site and filed the complaint that led to these arrests. Currie, Smith, and Hendry are all attorneys with the U.S. Attorneys Office of the Eastern District of New York (the same office that brought us our current Attorney General Loretta Lynch). They are the attorneys going after the seven people arrested for prostitution charges. They will be responsible for destroying these lives and taking their property for facilitating sex work. One of the defendants is an immigrant who applied for a work visa, so all sorts of bad things could happen to him. If I accomplish nothing else, I want this bust to show up on Google searches of their names to show how callous and reprehensible the four of them are. Congratulations, folks. You've helped stop a lonely old man in Bolivia from getting a handjob from a hot twink! That's your contribution to American justice. Be sure to put it on your resumes!
It is absolutely disgusting and ridiculous that prostitution is illegal. As I've posted here before; it's your body; you should be able to rent it out if you want to -- without any interference from the government.
UPDATE: Much more insight and speculation on the RentBoy takedown from EmptyWheel.
DHS. More mission creep from our creepiest employees.
Canvasback at August 25, 2015 11:10 PM
Shades of when Obama's brownshirts raided Gibson Guitars:
http://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2013/05/24/now_the_gibson_guitar_raids_make_sense_100343.html
Some exec at Rentboy must have made a campaign contribution to a Republican.
Lastango at August 26, 2015 3:04 AM
The Obama justice department has attacked pornographers for years using the banking laws. If you are in porn it is just too risky for a bank to open an account for you. The risk solely being an audit by the fed.
Anything they do to an unpopular group can be done to you.
Ben at August 26, 2015 6:32 AM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2015/08/the-government-25.html#comment-6164695">comment from BenYes, you have to bake anyone who wants a cake a cake (and never mind your religious beliefs) but banks can turn away customers based on their business:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jul/27/federal-laws-have-banks-turning-away-marijuana-bus/
Amy Alkon
at August 26, 2015 6:55 AM
So much to say here, but I'll focus on one thing right now: What in the bleep is DHS doing involved in an ordinary prostitution case? I know, I know, the Commerce Clause, that all-purpose grant of unlimited authority to the federal government. And yeah, asset forfeiture, which is what it's really all about.
So basically what's happening here is that DHS have become a sort of combination mercenary outfit and pirate band. NYC apparently used them as a rent-an-army, and will pay them by splitting the asset-forfeiture booty.
Cousin Dave at August 26, 2015 7:01 AM
Well, Obama did call for a civlian national security force. Maybe the DHS is it.
"We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded." ~ Barack Obama, July 2, Colorado Springs, CO
Conan the Grammarian at August 26, 2015 9:16 AM
Part of me wants to say: which government thug didn't get his money's worth from one of the rentboys; and this is payback time!
Or, did one of the rentboys tell him; sorry you're too fat, and I don't do fat? Or something to that effect.
charles at August 26, 2015 10:38 AM
"Well, Obama did call for a civlian national security force. Maybe the DHS is it."
Ah, yes. Because the Brownshirts were such a wonderful idea last time.
Cousin Dave at August 26, 2015 10:52 AM
"Ah, yes. Because the Brownshirts were such a wonderful idea last time."
They kinda were for they guys who ran the Brownshirts. Not so much for everyone else.
Ben at August 26, 2015 2:50 PM
What in the bleep is DHS doing involved in an ordinary prostitution case? ~ Posted by: Cousin Dave at August 26, 2015 7:01 AM
Mission Creep
Isab at August 26, 2015 2:54 PM
As Instapundit said, "They said that if I voted for Romney the government would go after gay escorts, and they were right!"
Richard Aubrey at August 26, 2015 3:45 PM
If DHS wanted to bust hookers they should just hang out with the Secret Service on a Presidential road trip.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at August 26, 2015 7:54 PM
Side note: the fact that this all came about because they were trying to get an H1B visa for their accountant just cracks me up!
Hire an American next time.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at August 27, 2015 6:10 PM
Leave a comment