"What about the woman who wants to be self employed?" What, non-union labor? Perish the thought! (Actually, I'm anti-union, myself.)

My father was self-employed and still had to withold (quarterly, rather than weekly) and pay a double-share of social security taxes (no unemployment tax, though).

And, while we're on the subject of fantasy, let's not forget that prostitution is 'the oldest profession'. Professional people need to be TRAINED and liscensed, and need to be periodically requalified and undergo refresher-training. Practising without a liscence, except upon your own family, makes you subject to arrest and...punishment.

While you may be right about the incidence of STDs in North America and Western Europe, in the Balkans, India and most of sub-Saharan Africa rates of HIV infection run nearly 100% among prostitutes.

The British Army liscenced and inspected prostitutes in their areas of operation during both world wars, and the rate of STD infection among their troops was less than 10% of what it was among American soldiers, who had unenlightened top brass.

I suspect that this is also why Americans left so many bastards behind when we pulled out of Europe in WWII and later Vietnam. It may have happened to British soldiers, too, but I sure don't hear about it.

Finally, I think you're probably right about how the feminists of the 70s feel about prostitution, but the 'new age' feminists, with their 'Grrl power', seem to believe that feminism is all about taking charge of your sexuality. If that's really the case, shouldn't they be in favor of legalized protitution? Or wouldn't they consider prostitution to be an expression of sexuality? Maybe they would consider it to be a business.

I'm liking this thread!