# GOP Platform Officially Endorses Banning All Porn **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 8, 2013, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313 "2013-09-08T05:26:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/1 "2013-09-08T05:26:50Z")
The GOP official party platform on pornography has been altered this year. [According to this article in Buzzfeed,](http://www.buzzfeed.com/johnstanton/republican-platform-targets-porn) it’s been altered to call for a ban on ALL pornography, instead of just child pornography. It was only a matter of time. Censorship advocates like “Morality in Media” have never been all that interested in limiting their control over what other people can say and do to child porn, they have ALWAYS wanted to suppress all forms of sexual expression outside a very narrow band (that is, practically none) and they have gotten the Republican Party to sign on for advocating a full frontal attack on porn. Expect gender feminists to jump on the bandwagon as well. Of course, the question is, how vigorously will the Republican Party attack regular adult porn? My feeling is, it’s no coincidence that the Republican Party has opened up the floodgates on porn. After losing decisively on gay marriage and getting their butts kicked electorally after their war on women, with marijuana legalization blowing in the wind, they’re looking for a new social issue to get the troops roused without getting their candidates seriously de-elected, and porn might just be it. The Republicans NEED social issues because their stands on economic issues are extremely unpopular, as t hey all support the real business of the Republican Party, which is of course, making the rich richer and the poor poorer while destroying any social safety nets they can get their hands on. Porn, they hope, with its arresting imagery and so forth, might just be the cover they need. And historically, censorship campaigns have been most successful during times of economic stress, for example, the Great Depression started in 1929, and the Hayes Code went into effect in 1934. Could be be on the verge of a new period of censorship and control over adult imagery? Well, we will be if the Republican Party has anything to do with it, and I’m not so sure our Democrats will fight them with any real enthusiasm. The Democrats are in the thrall of Wall Street, too, THEY could use cover for their looting, and a donnybrook over porn could be Just the Thing to let leaders of both parties get their thievery on big time! ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/2 "2013-09-08T05:31:31Z")
Last year. That article is from 2012. They’re talking about the 2012 Republican platform. Here’s the complete section of last year’s platform. > [@](#): > > Making the Internet Family-Friendly > > Millions of Americans suffer from problem or pathological gambling that can destroy families. We support the prohibition of gambling over the Internet and call for reversal of the Justice Department’s decision distorting the formerly accepted meaning of the Wire Act that could open the door to Internet betting. > > The Internet must be made safe for children. We call on service providers to exercise due care to ensure that the Internet cannot become a safe haven for predators while respecting First Amendment rights. We congratulate the social networking sites that bar known sex offenders from participation. We urge active prosecution against child pornography, which is closely linked to the horrors of human trafficking. Current laws on all forms of pornography and obscenity need to be vigorously enforced. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/3 "2013-09-08T05:38:32Z")
The NSA has your browser history and your wife’s e-mail addy. You will obey. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/4 "2013-09-08T05:45:20Z")
Yeah, the article is outdated by about a year. Woops. Ran across it in a current search and saw that it ran in August, sorta skipped over the year. I think the scenario will still be viable because the underlying reasoning is sound, but I haven’t seen a LOT of calls for banning all adult porn from major Republican candidates, so they may not have decided t move in that particular direction. For now, Syria’s gonna keep people busy in any event, especially if Obama is actually stupid enough to put his pecker in that particular pencil sharpener. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/5 "2013-09-08T05:49:21Z")
Well, it’s just a platform position. And the platform doesn’t support banning adult porn, just enforcing existing pornography and obscenity laws. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/6 "2013-09-08T07:04:52Z")
Plus, I’m pretty sure that when push comes to shove, Republican voters will - discretely - oppose a porn ban. After all, it’s not as if only Democrats download porn. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/7 "2013-09-08T07:41:39Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Well, it’s just a platform position. Has any political party ever actually passed a law after the election based on the rhetoric written into its platform before the election? The platform is a tool used for getting airtime on the TV news, and for making colorful speeches to a convention hall full of cheering people wearing straw hats and big lapel buttons. The only practical use for the platform is that the paper it is written on can be used for making the confetti which adds to the circus atmosphere at the convention. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/8 "2013-09-08T07:45:38Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Plus, I’m pretty sure that when push comes to shove, Republican voters will - discretely - oppose a porn ban. No, more likely they’ll just ignore it. That’s standard for them; look at how anti-abortion protestors notoriously have abortions for themselves. Right wingers have no interest in obeying the tyrannical laws they want to impose on others. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/9 "2013-09-08T08:43:41Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > No, more likely they’ll just ignore it. That’s standard for them; look at how anti-abortion protestors notoriously have abortions for themselves. Right wingers have no interest in obeying the tyrannical laws they want to impose on others. But how will they manage to close down porn sites that only Democrats use, while leaving the sites \*they \*like online? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/10 "2013-09-08T10:33:34Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > But how will they manage to close down porn sites that only Democrats use, while leaving the sites \*they \*like online? Easy. Republicans go to porn sites with names like “[FreedomTits.com](http://FreedomTits.com)” and “[LibertyBuns.com](http://LibertyBuns.com)”. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/11 "2013-09-08T11:34:53Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Easy. Republicans go to porn sites with names like “[FreedomTits.com](http://FreedomTits.com)” and “[LibertyBuns.com](http://LibertyBuns.com)”. Well done! ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/12 "2013-09-08T11:36:22Z")
I’m going to have to register those sites now, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/13 "2013-09-08T11:40:16Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Easy. Republicans go to porn sites with names like “[FreedomTits.com](http://FreedomTits.com)” and “[LibertyBuns.com](http://LibertyBuns.com)”. I’d suggest “[MarriedAndMissionary.com](http://MarriedAndMissionary.com)” myself. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/14 "2013-09-08T14:06:44Z")
Well the utility of a porn debate for the wealthy Republican elite is different from the utility it has for the social conservatives who proposed it and who are its strongest advocates. The elite cares primarily about economic issues, for them a porn ban would be nothing more than a distraction. The debate itself is what they find appealing, they are mostly indifferent as to whether or not the ban succeeds. And while it’s true that many Republicans love porn, far fewer Republicans are comfortable with taking the position that “I like porn and don’t think it does any harm to people.” They generally belong to churches whose membership dislikes porn, have wives who dislike porn, etc. Democratic leaders will also find a porn debate appealing, even if they don’t want porn to be outlawed, it’s a small thing compared to their interest in distracting the voters from the way the One Percent run the government. Handy all round! In Britain the social conservative censors who oppose porn on familiar religious morality grounds combined with gender feminists who opposed porn on the grounds that it leads to violence against women to push for censorship iniitiatives such as the current push to force anyone who wants to be able to see adult content on the Internet to opt in, that is, to declare one’s interest in receiving porn, the default being no porn. I’m sure some American social conservatives might consider this proposal attractive, after all, they will say, “We are not banning porn!” Just setting up a public list of “porn fiends” and “decent Americans.” All that said, I don’t see any sign that it’s happening right now, Syria has the public’s attention, there is nothing like a war to distract us all from the fact that we are becoming an oligarchy. Problem is, this is not an especially popular war. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/15 "2013-09-08T14:32:05Z")
The OP claimed that the GOP was endorsing the banning of all pornography. The actual language used in the platform was “_Current laws on all forms of pornography and obscenity need to be vigorously enforced._” Unless all pornography is already currently banned, the platform language does not call for a ban on all pornography. In fact, it is remarkably similar to the GOP position on firearms that encourages enforcing current laws rather than writing new ones. As noted, this is not a new position, but one that was directed at the last election. I do not recall any major campaign statements from GOP candidates pointing to that plank and I have heard no GOP politician or pundit point back to the 2012 election and claim that the Democrats were ruining the country by having no similar plank, nor have I seen any efforts in the House to bring that plank to reality, (_e.g._, threatening to withhold funding from law enforcement agencies or prosecutors’ offices that were “failing” to provide vigorous enforcement). I have not heard a single GOP voice raised to claim that the corruption of Miley Cyrus is an example of the country’s failure to vigorously enforce such laws. _meh_ ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/16 "2013-09-08T15:12:37Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > The GOP official party platform on pornography has been altered this year. [According to this article in Buzzfeed,](http://www.buzzfeed.com/johnstanton/republican-platform-targets-porn) it’s been altered to call for a ban on ALL pornography, instead of just child pornography. Since your thesis has been proven to be factually incorrect, not just a matter of opinion or policy, you’ll be asking a mod to close this thread, right? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/17 "2013-09-08T15:19:10Z")
They insist on enforcing laws on pornography. Which means they will rigorously support all the laws that _favor_ pornography as well. Which are what, exactly? ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/18 "2013-09-08T15:26:54Z")
> [@](#): > > We support the prohibition of gambling over the Internet [Might want to work on that “example-setting” thing…](http://www.usmagazine.com/uploads/assets/articles/66039-john-mccain-caught-playing-poker-on-iphone-during-syria-hearing-unapologetic/1378323390_179438929_john-mccain-467.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/19 "2013-09-08T15:32:06Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > And while it’s true that many Republicans love porn [More so than Democrats, actually:](http://www.pcworld.com/article/160566/utah_online_porn.html) > [@](#): > > For most of my life I have lived in the cauldrons of sin - first New York, then California. These Bluer than Blue states are the source of most of our society’s ills, or so we are constantly told. > > When it comes to online smut, though, it appears I’ve been living in the wrong places. Thanks to Harvard researcher Ben Edelman, we now know the most avid consumers of Internet pornography live in the heartland – the “real America,” I believe someone once called it… > > One key finding: The biggest consumers of online adult entertainment live in the great state of Utah. An average of 5.47 people per 1000 broadband subscribers pay for porn in Orrin Hatch’s home state. (Utah also leads in porn consumption among the general population and dial-up users, in case you’re wondering.) > > It must have been all those Osmonds Gone Wild videos that sent them over the edge. > > Close behind Utah with just over five porn subscribers per thousand is Sarah Palin’s Alaska. California and New York, on the other hand, average between 2.4 and 2.9 subscriptions per 1000 broadband users, smack dab in the middle of the pack. Overall, eight of Edelman’s top 10 porn-consuming states voted for McCain last fall, while six of the least smut-crazed states went for Obama. > > It appears the Red states are also the Red Light states… ---
**Author:** ![Human\_Action](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@Human\_Action](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Human_Action)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313/20 "2013-09-08T17:08:43Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > They insist on enforcing laws on pornography. Which means they will rigorously support all the laws that _favor_ pornography as well. Which are what, exactly? The First Amendment? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-platform-officially-endorses-banning-all-porn/668313.md?page=2)