"Lascivious" Iconography

[l.m.fosse at easteur-orient.uio.no]

David Magier wrote:

>Unfortunately, the new champions of 'decency' have designed the law in
>such a way that any US internet access provider (e.g a public net
>terminal in a University Library, etc. etc.) might be prosecuted for
>providing *access* to the Tantric art, regardless of the location of
>the server on the internet...
>

This obviously calls for two editions of the IJTS: One "Mickey Mouse"
version for the American market and one "adult" version for the rest of the
world.

Or seriously: This may call for a test case in an American court. In
Norway, the authorities would no doubt want to eliminate child pornography,
sado-masochism and similar things. The police have reacted when such things
have turned up on public databases. But ancient art, be it ever so
explicit, would probably not be treated as a criminal offence. Books with
such contents have been sold freely for years in ordinary bookstores.

And of course: In Denmark and Sweden, you can do anything. The main
cultural difference between Norwegians and Danes is that when Norwegians
discover a vice, they immediately pass a law against it, whereas the Danes
just as quickly legalize it.

Denmark is the last refuge of frustrated Norwegians.

Best regards,

Lars Martin Fosse



Lars Martin Fosse
Research Fellow
Department of East European
and Oriental Studies
P. O. Box 1030, Blindern
N-0315 OSLO Norway

Tel: +47 22 85 68 48
Fax: +47 22 85 41 40

E-mail: l.m.fosse at easteur-orient.uio.no