> The flogging in question is practiced on a British man-o-war fighting
> against revolutionary France -- the symbol of republican freedom -- in
> the aftermath of the Nore and Spithead mutinies. The story prompts
> the reader to consider: is America like revolutionary France or
> counter-revolutionary England?
Uh, Yoshie, do you understand the difference between flogging and whip play?
If you are going to go academic in this discussion and start talking about "use value", then maybe you should demonstrate some understanding of the sexual practices that you are making broad assumptions about.
My apologies if you know more about this subject than you are letting on.
Chuck