Understanding the economics of sex work

Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism | Book by Yanis Varoufakis | Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fhgm5b8BR0k

Sex work can redistribute economic resources to women, children, the poor, and the working class. In Massachusetts, supporting a family with two children in a middle-class lifestyle costs $300,000 annually. We need to consider how decriminalization would impact these resources.

Key Observations:

- Historically, controlling reproduction and relationships has been a method for totalitarian regimes to assert dominance.

- In Boston in the late '90s, women could earn $300 an hour for non-sexual services, with full service going as high as $1,200.

- Contrastingly, in Amsterdam during the same period, full service was $300.

- Illegal sex work often results in higher wages due to non government interference, stopping corporate interference.

Economic Influences:

- Wage differences are affected by varying international incomes, economic conditions, and market isolation.

Impact of Big Tech:

- Big Tech's control over data and behavior undermines autonomy.

- Yanis Varoufakis's "Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism?" explores how tech giants have concentrated power similar to feudal lords.

- This shift exacerbates inequalities and marginalizes sex workers, making them more vulnerable.

Our Stand:

- We're exposing the exploitation and theft of autonomy by brothel owners and tech middlemen.

- In Boston, sex work is influenced by racial and economic disparities, often mirroring the city's broader societal issues.

Our Goal:

- Protect women’s small businesses from being overtaken by wealthy interests.

- Uphold the fundamental right to autonomy, dignity, and self-determination for all individuals involved in sex work.

Join us in shining a light on these critical issues and advocating for a fairer, more humane approach to sex work and personal autonomy.

The economics attached to sex allows the radical distribution of economic resources towards women, children, the poor, and the working class. In Massachusetts it cost $300,000 annually to support a family of a couple and two children in a middle class lifestyle. We must ask ourselves–how would decriminalization economically impact these valuable resources? Totalitarian regimes control by taking natural impulses and desires, such as reproduction and male, female, and romantic relationships, and attempting to regulate them, pressing them into symbols–commodities to become bought and sold.

The sex work markets are changing. I’ve seen this first-hand. For example, in Boston in the late 90s, women could charge $300 an hour for no sex. Full service in Boston can be as high as $1200. Yes, as opposed to Amsterdam, at the same time, which was $300 for full service. When sex work is illegal, wages are threefold higher. Why is that? Twenty years ago, catching a cab to the airport in Boston was $100. Today, it's 50. But why in a population collapse and supposedly a labor shortage?

Many economic factors play into wages internationally. (1) incomes are not equal across borders, (2) countries are usually never in the same economic positions, and (3) a market like sex work is never isolated. Sex work is a commodity, but a concrete dollar difference is impossible to find.

With its demanding appetite for control and dominance, Big Tech has claimed ownership over human thought and behavior. The gravity of this violation cannot be overstated – it threatens our very autonomy and existence. Is this intentional or a byproduct of a system that encourages infinite growth? This is important to expand on. How are we monitored? How is our attention turned into a commodity? 

"Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism?" by Yanis Varoufakis Data is the most valuable asset on Earth it has surpassed oil .. and sex workers don't own their own small business data.. so the behavior of men and who they choose to be with is now up to Big Tech middlemen.. so they own human mating behavior now.. with decriminalization. explores the concept that capitalism has morphed into a new form he terms "technofeudalism." In this framework, he argues that capitalism, driven by technological advancements, has led to a concentration of power and wealth in the hands of a few tech giants and elites, reminiscent of feudalism's concentration of power in the hands of lords and aristocrats.

This transformation, Varoufakis contends, has significant implications for society, economics, and politics. The rise of technofeudalism exacerbates inequality, erodes democracy, and creates a system where a small elite controls vast amounts of resources and dictates the terms of economic and social life.

Regarding the impact on the sex work market, technofeudalism can intensify existing inequalities and power imbalances within this industry. Tech platforms and digital marketplaces increasingly dominate the sex work economy, shaping its dynamics and extracting property. This concentration of power in the hands of a few platforms can marginalize individual sex workers, limit their autonomy, and exacerbate vulnerabilities such as exploitation and precarious working conditions.

In essence, technofeudalism transforms the landscape of capitalism, concentrating power in the hands of tech elites and exacerbating inequalities across various sectors, including the sex work market, where it can reinforce existing challenges and vulnerabilities for workers.

But we're not backing down. We're here to shine a spotlight on the exploitation and overt theft of our autonomy. While women's small businesses are being ruthlessly targeted, brothel owners reign supreme, wielding unchecked power over workers. With integration laws within sex work relegated to history, we're rapidly approaching a new era of racial segregation that is starkly evident within sex work in Boston. Moreover, Boston's sex work industry is also shaped by its unique socio-economic and racial dynamics. The city's racial and economic disparities can often be mirrored in the sex work industry, with marginalized communities disproportionately represented.

We refuse to bow to the desires of the wealthy, who seek to monetize our bodies and control our futures. This isn't just about sex work–it's about the fundamental human right to autonomy, dignity, and self-determination.