Price Discovery and the Economics of Reality

#Occupy Cathouse!

Following a progressive clampdown by French police, Le Temps reports that hookers are flocking to Geneva in droves.

Though most agree that the prostitution market in Geneva is booming, the local police vice unit is not concerned, saying that the increase will eventually level off. "In the 1980s, Geneva prostitutes were already complaining about competition from German prostitutes," says Michel Félix, a member of Aspasie, an association that has been protecting the rights of prostitutes for 30 years. "Then other nationalities started arriving – it works in cycles."

Which might possibly give then more of a sense of how supply and demand works than their Johns who are probably representing the finance industry well.

Lisa angrily accuses the media of hyping up the Swiss Eldorado’s huge salaries, thus attracting throngs of girls lured by easy money. Girls can indeed bring in 15,000 to 20,000 Swiss francs (12,000 to 17,000 euros) a month. But rates are actually comparable to those in the other European capitals. As the Gclub puts it: "Customers will usually pay 150 to 300 Swiss francs (120 to 250 euros) in high-class places, but 25 to 40 euros to turn a trick in the street -- that’s really slashing prices."

The economic nationalism, labor competition, and nativism are rife. It’s busting out all over, in fact:

Lisa, who runs Venusia, a legal and regulated house of prostitution in Geneva, has just about had enough. "France is trying to get rid of its prostitutes by sending them abroad. So they come here," she says. "We’re sick and tired of this situation."

Protectionism is rearing its’ ugly head in an industry critical to Europe, my friends, and something must be done.

I recommend the conventional European solution: a syndicat that you have to bribe your way in to despite a lack of “talent”, and, of course, unionization. Organize the workers and shut the place down!!! Death to the bosses!!!