The long lasting externalities of Porn

In this article, the case is made by Chris Dillow (in support of Larry Flint’s $5 Billion government bailout request for the porn industry) that porn has many positive externalities on society. He calls it a “strategic industry, the driving force behind many technologies”. He furthers this idea by asserting that without Internet porn, computers wouldn’t have been as successfully sold. Porn also creates skilled workers for other industries (actors and cameramen that switch from the porn industry to other industries). But mainly,

“sex has been a major source of comfort during the recession. Battered bankers and finance sector professionals have been seeking solace from the turmoil, by relying on the sex industry (apparently more for comfort that for any actual sex).”

If we happen to believe this: that porn has a net positive externality on society, and because government doesn’t support this industry (at least not yet), this good will be undersupplied by the market. And thus government should not only positively respond to Larry Flint’s request, but should seriously consider secularly subsidizing the industry.

I personally do not believe that porn has a net positive externality on society because of how overwhelming the negative externalities are. As a lot of feminist groups claim, porn has dramatically and negatively altered the way women and their bodies are viewed in society. What’s interesting about this case is that even if the government imposes a tax (which was discussed in congress several times) to internalize these externalities, the harm already inflicted might remain unchanged, and in that case the internalization of this cost on society might fail. Which is practically, a good reason to oppose the imposition of a tax on porn (because marginal costs on society are basically zero at this point) and also to resume the consumption of porn if it was previously abandoned because of the guilt felt for contributing to such a societal cost.

N.B: Do not read the comments left bellow the article that I attached, and don't click on any of the links in those comments.