In Porn, A Story Of Iraq's Politics

An interesting article by Associated Press studies the recent history of Iraq through the diffusion of porn. "The nude women on the DVD cover in a Baghdad street stall say it all: Change, whether you like it or not, is afoot in Iraq."

In this Thursday, July 22, 2010 photo, Iraqis walk past a street vendor selling DVD movies in central Baghdad, Iraq. The nude women on the DVD covers in a Baghdad street stall say it all: Change, whether you like it or not, is afoot in Iraq. The porn, in an odd way, has told the story of Iraq's security and political situation since Saddam Hussein's ouster in 2003. It emerged in the anything-goes atmosphere that erupted in the vacuum immediately following the U.S. invasion _ then went back into hiding amid the anarchy when armed militias roamed the capital through 2008, targeting those they saw as immoral. Its reemergence since then reflects how security has improved but also how the fragile government is busy with more pressing issues than spicy videos.