Would you rather go out with a sex offender (reformed) or a fascist (unreformed)

As for the fascist I don't think they'd want to go out with me cos of my Jewishness. Oh well.

I would imagine one of the driving forces behind becoming a fascist may well be sexual impotance (Freud 101).

Not all sex offences are about power, some of them are just about sex. Or acting out learnt behaviour (these are the offenders who can generally be unlearnt and can be safe to society).

And who is to say that fascism is an incurable disease. Admittedly the general drift of political mind changing appears to be a swing towards the right in later life, but this need not be the case.

What I find interesting is that there are two sets of received sociological wisdom here - "Sex offenders can't reform because of their sexual urges" and "Sexual assault and rape is about power not sex" - which seem to allow for some contradiction. The reason I think the former is mostly wrong is because I think the latter is mostly right, for instance (though loads of consensual sex is also 'about' power relationships, and the wish to exert power in a non-sexual sense is often considered innate too - blimey, too many questions)

Because there's a difference between saying "Yes, they can be reformed" and "I would have anything to do with them personally". The fascism alternative was prompted by Emma and Pete arguing about how important political views are in a potential partner.

Your point about conflicting received wisdoms is a good one. Maybe 'sexual urges' is a simplistic way of characterising paedophile's compulsion. But it could still be a compulsion none the less. And maybe it's worth distiguishing between those that physically force themselves on children (who are perhaps more like 'conventional' rapists) and those that win their trust and delude themselves into thinking it's a consensual relationship.

My original question presupposed the possibility of a fully reformed sex offender anyway, so this 'can paedophiles be reformed' debate isn't really what I had in mind. It was more about how much one's rational side (assuming one has rationally accepted this reformed person's good character) can be carried through to the personal.

Would you find it easier to imagine having a relationship with, say, a reformed murderer?

On this subject I agree with Tom and think unfortunately generalising about all sex offenders or indeed all fascists probably isn't going to get us to a solution of a very silly initial question.

I dunno, usually on all these attraction sex thread there's a hardcore caucus arguing that physical attraction is either there or it's not. So is N. asking 'could you be attracted to someone you know has been a sex offender?' (which is surely only answerable empirically, not on the basis of ratiocination) or 'if you are attracted to someone who is an ex sex-offender, would you not get involved with them on principle?'?

and to answer the question, gimme the fascist in a minute. they are weak-minded and easily convinced, so i'm sure i could turn them onto my particular marxist political slant.

look, if they're weak minded and over 18, fuck 'em. wait, i think that came out wrong.