Monday, November 23, 2015

Every explanation except "self indulgent decadence is not good"

I note from The Guardian that there has been some controversy in England around something they call over there a "chemsex" subculture amongst gay men.   This article talks about a documentary on the topic, but the NHS has complained that it is a public health issue given the amount of HIV and other problems it is causing.

Reading the comments that follow the article, there is some well deserved skepticism expressed of the view that gay men get into this because when they were younger and not "out", they didn't really learn about intimacy in the way most people do.    But I have yet to see a comment that uses the word "decadence" in the way someone would have if discussing this years ago.

Whatever happened to politicians and doctors making the rather obvious argument that, if you need or desire a chemical enhancement to make sex more enjoyable than it routinely is while sober and in full control of your facilities, you're putting self indulgent pursuit of physical pleasure on a corrupting and harmful pedestal.    It's a wonder that this has to be said at all, but obviously it does. 

Maybe time to bring back teaching Aristotle to the schools? 


2 comments:

Jason Soon said...

stop sound like an ISIS member Steve.

Steve said...

Sorry. At least they aren't having children with which to infect the rest of us, hey?