The New Sin City: Buenos Aires?

[Cornoir]

What if Buenos Aires was to welcome and of course profit from vice like so many cities have? Actually create laws and structure for vices like prostitution, drugs (softcore) and gambling? Would not this in turn bring more money into the country that could be used for the greater good?

Look at gambling and "sinful" entertainment in Las Vegas or softcore drugs and prostitution in Amsterdam. The profits in sin can be used for good or evil depending on the people of course, but in this economy with Buenos Aires having to deal with economic instability why not embrace sin for profit.

Imagine if Buenos Aires had casinos / brothels / drug cafes like in other places of the world. The influx of money from outside would come rolling in, tourists from "puritanical" countries would flock to BA (especially during BA's warmer seasons when the rest of the north is freezing)

What would follow then could be more hotels or convention centers, dance clubs and restaurants. And as more money is invested in the country and stability is ensured perhaps other economies could flourish (filmmaking, real estate, etc)

Thoughts fellow members?

Cornoir

[El Perro]

What if Buenos Aires was to welcome and of course profit from vice like so many cities have? Actually create laws and structure for vices like prostitution, drugs (softcore) and gambling? Would not this in turn bring more money into the country that could be used for the greater good?

Look at gambling and "sinful" entertainment in Las Vegas or softcore drugs and prostitution in Amsterdam. The profits in sin can be used for good or evil depending on the people of course, but in this economy with Buenos Aires having to deal with economic instability why not embrace sin for profit.

Imagine if Buenos Aires had casinos / brothels / drug cafes like in other places of the world. The influx of money from outside would come rolling in, tourists from "puritanical" countries would flock to BA (especially during BA's warmer seasons when the rest of the north is freezing)

What would follow then could be more hotels or convention centers, dance clubs and restaurants. And as more money is invested in the country and stability is ensured perhaps other economies could flourish (filmmaking, real estate, etc)

Thoughts fellow members?

CornoirLOL. Buenos Aires is already nearly everything you describe! Prostitution might as well be legal, pot is for all intents and purposes legal, and there are casinos. As for "drug cafes", they exist as well, though certainly not to the extent that they do in Amsterdam (they don't exist there like they once did) It is easy to score all kinds of illict drugs here in bars, etc.

Making all these activities "above board" as you describe would just not happen in a heavily catholic latin american country.

Of course most of the filthy lucre from these activities pretty much stays in the underground economy, which is humongous. Them mangos ain't going to build no bullet trains.

[Olivos]

Amsterdam (I've lived there for eight years) used to have it all: big redlight district, coffeeshops that sell weed / marihuana / pot / spliffs / spacecake or whatever you may desire over the counter, legal casino, illegal casinos, you name it. And it was the gay capital of the world, and our friends would always make for a mellow atmosphere.

In recent years the government (both central ans local) is changing it's stance and the redlight district is shrinking like a scrotum in ice water. Coffeeshops are being banned more and more and now gays are being bashed in the streets of Amsterdam. I mention the gayscene explicitly because it seems to be an indicator of general openmindedness.

Buenos Aires appears to be developing positively, with an up and coming openmindedness, or am I mistaken? Again I look at the gay scene as an indicator (the gay pride they have here, gay marriage recently instated). Maybe the efedrina-crimes will cause a government crack down on harddrugs (no pun intended) but sexuality is very much out in the open here, like it used to be in Amsterdam: shops, cinema's, video rentals, tv-shows, articles in women's magazines, you name it. There's a union for working girls in Amsterdam (http://rodedraad.nl/other-languages.html) and I think there is one here. I don't think many cities have them, so it's another sign BsAs is opening up to modern, liberal times. Maybe they should organize an erotic fair here, like this one (words in Dutch, sorry, but there's some pics ;)) http://www.kamasutrabeurs.nl/ or do they already do that? It would easily fill the Rural on Plaza Italia.

[Wild Walleye]

Making all these activities "above board" as you describe would just not happen in a heavily catholic latin american country.That is part of it.


Of course most of the filthy lucre from these activities pretty much stays in the underground economy, which is humongous. Them mangos ain't going to build no bullet trains.Yes, and the people garnering the largest profits from the underground economy stand to lose the most in the event it all goes above board. Therefore, the industries themselves do not want legitimate economic status (although they would love decriminalization in order to take out much of the risk)