All well said. I agree - the medical benefits appear to be a rationalization after the fact. Clearly its roots are barbaric and irrational.

That being said: I am circumcised. And, I'm sure in great disappointment to 19th-century doctors and moralists, it has done absolutely nothing to keep me from masturbating.

Finally, I have a five-year-old son. And around the time he was going to be born, I was all about not getting him circumcised - for all the reasons you go into above. However, my wife disagreed. For religious reasons. What can I tell you, I buckled and went with it. But here's the interesting part:

I was there with my newborn son and the doctor when the circumcision was done. The doctor gave a local anesthetic - no reaction from him. The doctor made the cut - literally no reaction from him! Then something happened - it's been five years, so I can't remember exactly what - but something happened that wasn't getting his penis cut - like a cold breeze, or something - and my son starts crying!

My point being: I don't think the circumcision had any effect on him as far as pain or traumatic experience.

So, no, I don't think anyone should be getting circumcised. But at the same time, there's probably not too much that's negative about it either.