this post was submitted on 15 Jan 2026
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Apparently the US Department of ~~Defense~~War thinks that they can order non-US citizens not resident in the USA to cease and desist from mailing things.

Uh…

Hilarity of the items involved aside, the gall of the US military postal service to give orders to civilians not under their command and not even of their nation is shocking.

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[–] panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 103 points 1 week ago (8 children)

This is squarely on the military personnel ordering buttplugs to their work address.

If you did that anywhere else you'd get in trouble.

[–] warbond@lemmy.world 64 points 1 week ago (2 children)

They practically only have a work address when they're overseas. In some cases it's literally the only way to get things sent to you. Why anyone knows or cares is another question entirely.

[–] PhoenixDog@piefed.ca 34 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Because as a queer bisexual man, I can assure you republicans care more about the genitals of other people than we do.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

they are quite obsessed with gay sex, and trans people.

[–] Taleya@aussie.zone 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

And they have the search history to prove it

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[–] definitemaybe@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I read a previous article about this: importing any sex toys (including butt plugs, but they get the headline because the Republicans in power being squeamish about the existence of gay soldiers) are illegal in the country where they are stationed, so they're getting seized by customs and it's awkward since their soldiers are violating local laws.

[–] stealth_cookies@lemmy.ca 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)

My initial thought was that this is an attempt at a prank (not a very good one) between two military members.

[–] imsufferableninja@sh.itjust.works 12 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Why do you think it isn't a good prank?

[–] Hozerkiller@lemmy.ca 35 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Too much of a pain in the ass.

[–] uninvitedguest@piefed.ca 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] Hozerkiller@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 week ago

Then it's not enough of a prank.

[–] stealth_cookies@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 week ago

Its somewhat homophobic in a "Hurr Durr, you are gay and like to take it up the butt" way. Plus the general stigma around men using sex toys.

[–] Drusas@fedia.io 12 points 1 week ago

This is to their home address. Where do you think they live?

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 3 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Why would I get in trouble for shipping myself something to my work address?

Lots of cities have porch pirates, so shipping to work is done commonly.

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[–] KazuyaDarklight@lemmy.world 19 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

In some fairness it sounds like the Kingdom of Bahrain are the weird ones here. But still, it sounds like all other arguments aside, she has no way of knowing if a soldier is any particular place. So asking her to stop sending to soldiers in that region is kind of pointless.

[–] kali_fornication@lemmy.world 19 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Everyone in the Trump admin needs a butt plug, given how full of shit they are

[–] PwnTra1n@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

Why do you think it spews out their mouths?

[–] FaceDeer@fedia.io 14 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It's pretty standard for American commenters on social media to unthinkingly assume that American law is somehow "universal." I guess that's the level that the American government in general has descended to at this point.

[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Yeah, you see stories of Americans in foreign countries being detained or arrested and they are like "I know my rights" LOL. Clearly you don't.

[–] Drusas@fedia.io 6 points 1 week ago (3 children)

You also see Canadians citing their First Amendment right to free speech, which is always amusing.

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[–] Gork@sopuli.xyz 13 points 1 week ago

Sounds like Secretary Kegseth doesn't have enough things to do.

[–] kerrigan778@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

If I recall correctly this was more an amusing story of troops stationed in a country where these items were illegal ordering these things to the base and the military trying to remind people to respect local laws. This is probably more about the military not wanting a diplomatic incident with the host country than them morality policing themselves. Reminding a business to not ship items to a country where those items are illegal seems a pretty reasonable thing. For now the US military doesn't care if you order butt plugs to the base, they care if you bring butt plugs into a country where they are illegal.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 7 points 1 week ago

Yeah because the US is really big on respecting local laws and not causing international incidents. I'm sure a quick perusal of current and historical headlines will reaffirm this stands.

[–] Soup@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

It’s a very US thing to do, that, blaming the adult store instead of or alongside their soldiers.

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[–] HertzDentalBar@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Ah so it's not just the department of war it's also Bahrain's backwards laws, and the US is obligated to do this any time shit gets sent back I guess.

It's really silly since she even says they have no idea where it's going when they ship to soliders.

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[–] tehsillz@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago

War on Buttplugs?

[–] Grandwolf319@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 week ago (5 children)

Willing to bet over half of those orders are gag gifts

[–] MummifiedClient5000@feddit.dk 30 points 1 week ago (2 children)

That's a bad idea; Using a buttplug as a gag could leave you with a bad taste in the mouth.

[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

Hey, don't kink shame, some people like it like that.

Not me, but some people...

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[–] Drusas@fedia.io 6 points 1 week ago

You sound like someone who has never tried butt stuff.

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[–] OshagHennessey@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

She should mail a bunch of butt plugs to the Pentagon.

[–] HugeNerd@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 3 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Finally, an issue we can get behind!

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[–] ComradeRachel@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Great we are going to get huge tariffs on butt plugs.

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 7 points 1 week ago

Would you pay out the ass for things that go in the ass?

[–] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Apparently the US Department of ~~Defense~~War

You had it right the first time.

Congress hasn't made the name change official.

It's not legally changed just because Trump waved his magic ~~wand~~ sharpie and wished it to change.

[–] hark@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

To be fair, department of war is far more accurate a name.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 4 points 1 week ago

In some ways it's a bit of a shame that he lacks self-awareness. If he knew what he was doing he could have renamed the press department to be the Department Of Truth and gone all in on the Draconian.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 week ago

The store was in Canada, so DOW can just fuck off, eh, please.

[–] malle_yeno@pawb.social 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

So what I find interesting is that this exact story was reported in CTV like a week ago, but in this one, the reasoning has changed somehow?

https://www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/article/stop-sending-butt-plugs-to-bahrain-toronto-sex-store-receives-letters-from-us-department-of-war/

Originally reported, the problem was that Bahrain does not allow adult items to be shipped to them. But the adult shop said that it actually doesn't ship to Bahrain and most of Asia because of rules like that making it more complicated to do business. Owner said that it was likely forwarded to a base (so a third party shipper, ~~something the shop has zero control over~~.)

But in this one, the rationale has changed to "these objects are dangerous", and I don't see focus being placed on the third-party ~~seller~~ shipper.

edit: shipper, not seller. We don't know if this was after market, just that it's not directly shipped. They might actually have some amount of control over that, if that's the case, because they would have needed to label the original package as being shipped to Bahrain.

The more I think about this story, the more I think that it's being ramped up as a "look how the US military is interfering with canada on behalf of a middle eastern country!" instead of like "someone made a mistake by ordering something not allowed in Bahrain, and the business didn't check whether they were allowed to ship it there or not." I dont get what the big deal here is. This actually kinda looks bad on the business now that I take a second look at it.

[–] GreyEyedGhost@piefed.ca 10 points 1 week ago (2 children)

From the article:

The United States Postal Service and the DOD work together through the Military Postal Service Agency (MPSA), managed by the Army, to provide worldwide mail services (APO/FPO/DPO) for service members. These address formats don't reveal the country, just the person and military unit.

Bennett had no idea her business's products were going to a country where they would be illegal.

So how exactly is it her fault if someone buys something they will have shipped somewhere, she has no idea where it's going, and the MSPA redirects it there? How does she even know where it's going? Certainly, the buyer should have known, as should the MSPS.

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