Photo from, Vogue Italia, September 2007One of my interests is understanding and sharing the power of the creative and healing potential found in the Erotic experience. Erotic energy is innate in all of manifestation and is a force of creative interaction, birth and re-birth. Cultures throughout the world and throughout human existence have embraced and revered this phenomenon in Art, special rites of worship, sacred practices and general celebration of life that binds humans together in common experience.
The subjugation, repression and exploitation of this universal human force has been rampant in the US. Sexual or nude images are considered harmful and those who show them are considered purveyors of evil. A woman's breast, a fountain of life since the dawn of humankind is considered as something evil and harmful to children, whereas, it can be symbol of life and hope in other cultures.
At the same time, sexual images of titillation and manipulation abound in main stream media.(MSM) Even while condemning a thing for degrading morality, MSM uses its power to promote their own agendas of control, consumerism and degradation of individual sexual expression, they will use not its sacred, human and intimate essence, but its more base part for their purposes.
It is also true that in the US, we glorify and worship, power, control and...conquest. Any evening watching prime time American TV or sports broacast will show this to be true. Fox's "24" as well as video games, were noted as influencing interrogators in gathering intelligence from prisoners.
I do not want to begin a discussion about extremely complex subjects such as State sponsored or sanctioned torture, the amazing double standard the MSM has for sexual themes and other subjects close to my heart, not right now anyway.
But I do want to briefly talk about something that seems to be misunderstood repeatedly and which I may be able to help some people understand who have a clouded sense of nuance of the finer points of a subject.
I have heard in the past and recently, that since I am a teacher and practitioner of bondage, dominance and submission and certain types of, what is called by some people, SM play, that my views on war, feminism, detainee treatment and torture etc are hypocritical. Some people want to know, how can a person who promotes free expression and equal rights for everyone, gag and tie up women? How can a man, like myself, who abhors torture, spank and drip candle wax on a helpless and bound person? How can a nice guy like me who wants America's elite rich class, to divest from oil exploration and weapons manufacturing to invest in schools, health care and social programs make a person serve and revere me like a Feudal Lord? How can a humble man like me, who is passionate about the separation of religion, government and social activities, tell captured women to grovel like a supplicant in the Sacred Presence of My Latex Solar Beef?
How? I will tell you how. These things seem to be contradictory but they are not. The reason that I can and do these things is because they are CONSENSUAL. I am asked to do them or I am asked if they may be done for me or to me. We make a plan to do them or they are offered to me or we make a plan together and negotiate how it will be done for the pleasure of and respect for BOTH parties involved. This is a simple thing but it makes ALL the difference in the world to the why and how of human interaction of this or, for that matter, any type of human interaction.
What people seem to misunderstand, is that these "sick"elements permeate our society. D/s, torture, humiliation, fetishism, bondage, SM, cross gender fetishes and many, many other things that are considered, "immoral" and "perverted" are everywhere in our culture. What the difference or the problem is that people like myself do it in a fun, intimate, sometimes sexual but ALWAYS a consensual way.
To do these things in certain contexts is readily acceptable by society. In others, moral outrage is rained down on the evil perpetrators. The irony is that in the case where it is considered "sick" is when those enjoy and consent to it.
Hypocrisy has been evident in many of the recent political scandals where the public moral high ground is often just the other face of the private immoral dungeon that lives inside. When trust is betrayed, honesty shattered and JUST laws are broken, that is where the immorality begins. It must be understood that it is not what an activity is but the how and why some thing is done that makes it harmful...or accepted.
Since the War has been a subject in recent posts let's take a quick look at some "perversions" that are inherent in US Military culture, though these types of things are seen in other authoritative institutions such as law enforcement and organized sports and institutions of higher learning have cultures of strange behavior with sexual overtones. These of course are acceptable, encouraged even required practices.
D/s - Lower ranks always must show respect obedience to higher ranks. Salutes and "Yes Sir, No Sir" are mandatory. Obedience to higher rank is inherent in the system. Following orders without question. Inspections. Deference to rank. RHIP.
Humiliation- Boot Camp, Basic Training, Hell week, Hazing, Drill Instructors, Punishments in public. Verbal dressing down. Shaving of hair
Bondage- Detainees in high numbers, "use of stress positions" in interrogations, the "hooding" of prisoners.
SM- Standing at attention for extended periods, many types of training that are used to "toughen up" soldiers, Some sayings from the USMC, "Pain Is Weakness Leaving The Body," "Nobody Ever Drowned In Sweat," "Pain Is Only Temporary, Pride Is Forever" " Try this exercise...Pull down your pants and dangle your nuts over an open desk drawer. Have a buddy kick the fucker shut. Welcome to day one. Asshole."
This is enough for now. Hopefully you get the idea. If the US Military who we idolize and spend trillions of dollars on has a certain "style," why such intolerance for the rest of us who do it with love, care and consent?
A crystallized buffer exists in our minds about the world. We see a thing we do as good but the same or similar thing done by another as evil. This mindset must be smashed and pulverized into dust. We can not continue to live in a world where hypocrisy is invisible, double standards are standard. If we can make an effort to see just a bit more of ourselves and begin to see how others are similar to us, we may begin to develop the capacity for tolerance. It is in this light that the sincerity of our intentions coupled with respect for others determines our morality. Following a path of tolerance will lead eventually to acceptance, which may with effort and hope, lead to Peace.
3 reactions:
I don't think we'll ever get rid of the hypocrisy of the state-sanctioned mores and activities and what goes on in private, but the people have to be heard. America is quite the bizarre construct.
Just tell them buying rope stimulates the economy. ;-)
I agree, hypocrisy is part of how things dys-function. I am not an optimist, I just play one in the 'sphere.
I like the idea of "surging" in rope though!
Now that I think about it, I make stimulus packages all the time. I tie a package and stimulate it...
Post a Comment