The European Parliament recently voted by 368 votes to 159 to reject the report from Dutch MEP Kartika Liotard that could have led to a Europe-wide ban on pornography. Liotard's resolution had already attracted the condemnation of Sweden's Pirate Party, but underneath the messed-up logic of the MEPs lies a serious issue that needs tackling.

The original document, entitled “On eliminating gender stereotypes in the EU” (2012/2116(INI) and emanating from the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality, read like the incoherent rant of Feminist-Marxists that it was, blaming culture, religion and socially constructed norms for all of the reasons why gender differences exist. It was unclear and did not define specifically many important points within it.

But it was point fourteen of the resolution that aroused the concern of the Pirate Party. It stated that “…a policy to eliminate stereotypes in the media will of necessity involve action in the digital field…” and would require “…the launching of initiatives coordinated at EU level…” to get internet operators to adhere to a policy. Thus adoption of this report could have led to a European wide ban on internet porn.

A global problem

The problem of pornography is now a global one, reaching into every level of society. In Muslim and Arabic Jordan, internet service providers report that 80% of users access porn. In the USA, porn shops outnumber McDonalds more than 3-1. And of course in Britain, our own politicians accessed X-rated websites more than 2500 times in 2012.

From 2000-2006, the number of men turning to porn quardupled, and now a minimum of 25% of all search requests on the internet are for pornography. French sociologists recently confirmed that porn is one of the main reasons behind child sexualisation in France.

And to anyone who claims it is not a problem: it is. As well as creating unrealistic expectations and ultimately providing a selfish means to achieving pleasure without any compromise, it leads to addiction, producing, according to neurologists, similar chemicals to those induced from using heroine; as well as leading to overall declining desire and increased mental problems.

EU's incorrect approach

The EU has half-identified some of these problems, but seems to think that stereotyping is the problem, and equality is the key issue. Yes; there is a problem of exploitation and pornography does indeed push incorrect stereotypes; but these are arguably the least of the concerns.

Studies have shown that when sexual activity is very high (involving numerous partners), poor mental health results and is often a cause (see Cohen, 1995, in Pediatr Ann; Stuart-Smith in the British Medical Journal in 1996). In other words, men are being encouraged in society to 'conquer' and 'gain experience', yet in being exposed more and more to different women, both real and virtual on the internet, they lose the ability to commit to one, real woman.

Women on the other hand, designed more explicitly for commitment, end up hurt and wounded, usually resulting in lower self-esteem that often leads to either increased promiscuity or becoming emotionally more closed (as argued by Dr Miriam Grossman, 2006).

This all leads to social breakdown, as men and women look for their warped ideas in new relationships, and reduced birth rates and rising social problems as more children are raised with various parents coming and going throughout their childhoods.

The physical consequences are of course well known, ranging from diseases from promiscuous behaviour to erectile dysfunction. The human being, quite simply, is designed for the 'traditional values' that modern liberalism and the 'acceptance of everything as right' EU so often tries to defile.

Solutions

Iceland has taken this all very seriously, and has sought to deal with the damaging effects this pornification of society is having on children and women (and also men, though this is less recognised). Iceland is debating a ban on pornography across their island-nation, that would involve internet restrictions.

This is drastic, but a recognition that people often are incapable of helping themselves: addicts are victims of their own chemistry. Yet Iceland is making this decision for the Icelandic people: the EU should never be given power to make decisions for the vast array of nations that live within the European Union. National politicians should be the ones giving these laws, as they are directly accountable to the people of countries in ways European MEPs are not. For example, people in Britain can never vote to remove Kartika Liotard, the proposer of the EU resolution, because she is Dutch.

The internet is also only one source of the problem: TV and the wider entertainment media is another problem. Studies have also shown that incorporating sex scenes into programmes increase viewing figures, and so dealing with this indoctrination, that more often than not comes from America via shows aimed at highly vulnerable teen audiences, is equally as important. And of course this would involve working with Washington, not Brussels.

As such, internet controls might need to be looked at, but the global problem needs to be dealt with, involving cooperation with the United States, while the only authorities with legitimacy to look at internet censorship are the nation-states of Europe, not the EU.