Are we the new Victorians*?

Are current politicians turning into the new Victorians? I ask as in recent days there has been an increasing case of prudishness in a number of things that have been done.

Of course firstly the UK has decided to bring in line what is allowed in online pay on demand pronography with what is produced in DVD in this country. The new law bans scenes of caning, aggressive whipping, penetration with an object "associated with violence", physical or verbal abuse (regardless if it is consensual), urolagnia (ingesting during "water sports"), female ejaculation, strangulation and face sitting. This list seems more an arbitrary list of things the panel dislike rather than based on any reasoning as to dangers etc.

Over in Northern Ireland this week we have the latest stage of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation Bill, which somehow is actually the introduction of the Nordic model on all sex workers including those that aren't trafficked or exploited. One of the amendments on Monday even raised the question, which the DUP refrained from answering were they now looking to ban lap dancing, strippergrams or kissograms with the clause of B touching themselves for the sexual gratification of A, whilst B is in physical proximity to A.

Of course with also all the moves as well to bring in a minimum price for a unit of alcohol it seems that those in power are trying to restrict people's morality to suit their perceptions.

So are our politicians becoming modern day Victorians with their attacks on the modern day equivalents of whore houses and gin joints? Are we entering the early stage of prohibition on a number of activities that the free market always seems to have provided through time immemorial.

Somehow, somewhere people will still access the sex workers that they want to, although by pushing it underground you are making it less likely that victims will come forward for support when they need to. People will still find ways to consume cheap alcohol, though if they are forced to set up illicit stills will what they produce be safe. As for porn, well as Avenue Q famously tell us, "The Internet is for...PORN!" somewhere out there in the unmanageable back streets of the interwebs there will still be British productions of all the porn that has just been made illegal. How you find it? How you determine it was made in a room in the UK (when all rooms can look alike)? How you can persecute the content creator who may well use a foreign domain? These are the questions that politicians have not and will not answer through their prudishness.

* Apologies to the all the debauched, drunkard and promiscuous Victorians that lived. Some of your generation gave your entire era a bad name as goody two shoeses. Though if you are viewing this in the UK terms and conditions now apply so maybe the Internet isn't quite so great...