wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Comments

• [1] Jim January 08, 2009 - 12:10PM

  I remember reading in the book "Rougue Economics" by Loretta Napoleoni, that one of the Russian Oligarchs use to run "Beauty Pagents" as a way to kidnap or get girls in the sex trade.

  According to the author, one of the big markets for Russian girls is Israel. Apparently Israeli men like most men have a soft spot for tall blond slavic women. They all want their own "Natasha"

  And, that conservative Orthodox jews are among the biggest customers of the brothels.

  Part of the demand is that the Orthodox can't get what they want from their wives and that their religion does not allow them to masturbate.

  And, the port of entry for these women is GAZA. So the girls are smuggled from GAZA to Israel!

  
  
• [2] abbey from manhattan January 08, 2009 - 12:13PM

  The Tahirih Justice Center in conjunction with Legal Momentum (a legal feminists activist group that is part of the National Organization for Women) recently advocated the passage of IMBRA or the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act. IMBRA was crafted to slow down the popularity of dating foreign women via international dating sites and therefore sex slavery and trafficking. This is the first law that seriously addresses this issue.

  Does the pursuit and dating of foreign women in foreign countries by American men contribute to the growth of trafficking and sex slavery? If so, why was Match.com and other large corporate dating sites excluded from being regulated under IMBRA?

  
  
• [3] mark January 08, 2009 - 12:14PM

  How much of this is motivated by demand. If your sex life stinks, then you are going to go for prostitution. If a girl doesn't want to sleep with you or you are not able to have sex with a woman. What are you suppose to do? If you or only shot at sleeping with an attractive woman is to pay for it, why not?

  
  
• [4] Steve January 08, 2009 - 12:16PM

  But isn't there a problem that skews the statistics in that many girls know what they are doing but tell their family or husband a story of being enslaved when they return home. Likewise in South Asia parents know where there kids are going to end up but just play dumb when outsiders ask.

  
  
• [5] Andrea Sandvig from NYC January 08, 2009 - 12:19PM

  Law & Order last night was on this topic. The plot was about a slave trader who bought Haitian kids and faked adoptions so families could use them as servants. How many slaves of this sort might be in the US? And who is buying them?

  
  
• [6] Beth from NY January 08, 2009 - 12:19PM

  Two organizations working to end slavery, including sex slavery, and helping the victims are Free the Slaves and Equality Now:

  http://www.equalitynow.org

  http://www.freetheslaves.net

  
  
• [7] Buzzie January 08, 2009 - 12:20PM

  please ask you guest to comment on the accuracy of the depiction of child slavery in the film "Slumdog Millionaire". Specifically the scene where the children are blinded on purpose because a blind child signer earns twice as much.

  
  
• [8] Elizabeth from Queens January 08, 2009 - 12:22PM

  What about the many New York children who are forced into prostitution by pimps? See GEMS: http://www.gems-girls.org/aboutus.html

  Isn't that slavery?

  
  
• [9] richard January 08, 2009 - 12:23PM

  What would be the future of these girls if they were not in slavery? What are their lives like pre-slavery? Is it just as miserable?

  
  
• [10] Andre from Middletown, NJ January 08, 2009 - 12:26PM

  How do you suggest action be taken to stop the demand? Are you aware of an organization called Stop Child Trafficking Now that is focused on the demand side?

  
  
• [11] Peter from lic January 08, 2009 - 12:28PM

  There's a strip club in my neighborhood that concerns me. I've heard there are lots of Russian women there. Is there someone to call who could investigate whether or not they have been trafficked?

  
  
• [12] Elizabeth from Queens January 08, 2009 - 12:28PM

  P.S.: I'm concerned about the way that we think of this as an international and not a local problem. We don't consider the victims in our own midst-- surely a person who is intimidated and forced to work by a pimp is a slave, no? She's owned, isn't she? Especially the girls in the GEMS program who are prostituted from the age of 11 or 12. Here in New York!

  
  
• [13] Bhasi from London - UK January 08, 2009 - 12:32PM

  I applaud the work of Siddharth and his can-do attitude. If his efforts save even one person from slavery they are worthwhile. However, given that the industry is demand-driven, does success not ultimately depend on men 'just' being taught (or forced) not to behave like jerks? And how feasible is that?

  
  
• [14] Richard from NYC January 08, 2009 - 12:32PM

  Commercial sex work requires trust between the owners and the johns.

  Is anyone posting rewards/bounties for information that leads to prosecution, in order to inject distrust into the dynamic?

  If they can't trust the johns, won't that make them limit the market the offer services to? Won't that reduce the profits?

  
  
• [15] Christopher from Tampa, FL January 08, 2009 - 12:32PM

  Would you ask your guest to comment on the work of International Justice Mission, and the efficacy of its effort to attack the problem from the legal front?

  
  
• [16] John from Midtown Manhattan January 08, 2009 - 12:32PM

  DId the writer ever have a slave ask him personally to be rescued?

  
  
• [17] phoebe baumgarten January 08, 2009 - 12:33PM

  Does the UN have an agency that deals with this and how effective is it? What about international conventions against corruption, transnational crime and slavery?

  In othre words, what is being done or can be done to hold governments more accountable?

  Thanks.

  
  
• [18] rob January 08, 2009 - 12:35PM

  Actually price elasticity has to do with how much demand changes for with price.

  
  
• [19] Greg from Manhattan January 08, 2009 - 12:35PM

  Richard, as difficult as many of their lives may be outside of slavery, I cannot imagine that the indignity and abuse of that life outweighs and possible advantages (please post any that you can think of, as I cannot).

  
  
• [20] marisa from CA January 08, 2009 - 12:35PM

  Richard- Why don't you ask yourself that question? Keep in mind that the usual introduction to slavery prostitution for a girl (often in early teens) is to be drugged (I suppose, if lucky), and gang raped.

  Mark- perhaps you should consider learning about the issue of decriminalization of prostitution (as opposed to legalization) for people who CHOOSE this (yes, oldest) profession. The issue need much more understanding and discussion. Prostitutes only suffer more because of bs morality-illegality, dirty cops, and pimps.

  
  
• [21] John from Midtown Manhattan January 08, 2009 - 12:36PM

  Wouldn't elevating price -- thereby elevating risk -- put the ones who are still enslaved MORE at risk of harm and making it harder for hem to escape?

  
  
• [22] rick January 08, 2009 - 12:36PM

  Is there a correlation between the level of sex slavery and the amount of religiosity of ina society? Meaning how much of this occurs in Saudi Arabia, Iran and any other religious republics. How much of this is in very catholic countries like Ireland?

  
  
• [23] John from Midtown Manhattan January 08, 2009 - 12:38PM

  Wow! Thank you Leonard and Melissa for a great segment.

  
  
• [24] Noelle from New England January 08, 2009 - 03:05PM

  My question is why would anyone want to buy sex? Why would they want to be with someone they must know who really doesn't want to sell their body. I can't imagine anyone who would want to do that. What about disease and cleanliness? Why would anyone want to engage in sex in unsantiary enviroment or for that matter one that isn't aesthetically pleasing. It doesn't sound at all appealing. Why would anyone think it is justified to make money at someone's elses expense. Yes, the Johns, as well as the pimps should go to jail or be casterated. I think it utterly disgusting horrifing. I am sad for the girls. It makes me want to cry. It is also degrading for the pimps and Johns why do they want to lower themselves into this type of situation. You should do a show that explains why people are uttlerly purely evil and unsantiary. YUK!

  
  
• [25] Noelle from New England January 08, 2009 - 03:09PM

  Also comment to Mark at top YUK YUK YUK read the Light on Yoga and then perhaps you will realize how utterly declasse, vulgar , unsantiary, disgusting it is to degrade yourself and the prositiute by engaging in this lowly act. It is vile. Sex should be sacred act of love.

  
  
• [26] Ray Normandeau from www.Queensbridge.us January 09, 2009 - 02:06PM

  NYC Hot-97 WQHT jokes about child slavery.

  It can be heard on

  "longer_hot97_tsunami.mp3"

  which can be found on the web.

  
  
• [27] Mayann from New York January 18, 2009 - 02:50PM

  One organization which has fought trafficking and the mail-order bride industry is GABNet at www.gabnet.org -- it's an organization of Filipinas, who are among the most trafficked women in the world.