sex, drugs, and migrant workers

reefer madness: sex, drugs, and cheap labor in the american black market is the second book by eric schlosser, who also wrote fast food nation. the book is actually three essays, looking at different segments of the underground economy (with a focus on the united states): marijuana, migrant workers in california, and pornography. it is all quite thoroughly researched and fascinating stuff, and one of the most interesting things was the history of reuben sturman, who controlled a vast chunk of the porn market before he was convicted of tax evasion.

the book doesn’t really comment on it, but it is an interesting that it progresses from something totally illegal, to mostly-illegal-but-rampant (specifically the prevalence of undocumented immigrants as migrant workers), to mostly-legal.

perhaps it will eventually all be legal.