THINQon : DSK and Political sex scandals

Bedroom General DSK and Political sex scandals

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Julie Sabatier

DSK and Political sex scandals

Latest Post: January 28, 2012 at 12:28 PM

27 followers

I wished to bring into a discussion here the continuation scandal of DSK's which is now under the name of the Carlton's scandal in Lille.

What I find important in discussing this issue is the fact that many people here in France are very angry and disappointed with DSK as he was clearly the best candidate to become the President of France in 2012. More than anyone else, he was designated as having the qualities of leadership that are rare and which are especially needed in this critical moment. If the Sofitel scandal was seen by many as a trap put by his enemies to hinder his running for presidency, the new scandal leaves little doubts as to his having quite extreme sexual habits that are not suitable to a man wishing to be a state's President.

The subject of this discussion would go around two main questions connected with previous discussions:

1. What are he qualities needed to lead us, and if DSK shows talent in those, shouldn't we just forgive him his sexual habits which after all are not relevant? What would you prefer, a guy who cannot rule but whose personal/sexual life is quiet and unproblematic, or a guy who can rule but who has special needs as far as sex is concerned?

2. Following the Penn State pedophilia scandal, a question I ask is why are people so ready to forgive the behavior of sports (Kobe Bryant's rape scandal and others), when they are not ready to forgive a potential leader like DSK. What is the difference between the two? If DSK must retreat from the presidential, shouldn't KB not be allowed to play either? What really bothered the French public are all the crude details. As they said in the Express, the parties that DSK was enjoying were not any less exciting than the Bunga Bungas of Berlusconi. The investigations show that he had a special hotline mobile where he arranged all these parties with 2-3 men friends who were bringing prostitutes to different hotels around the world where he had professional meetings. Evening libertines parties with up to 12 people with sometimes 4 prostitutes. One of them describing his having had sex with another one in the shower and sodomizing her quite brutally afterward.

Coming back now to the original questions, is it all that bad and why can't it be overlooked? Do we really care if he is a degenerate sexually?

This post is referenced by the following other contributors:

Mike Strong

in "Should prostitution be legal or not?"

(Bedroom)

Reply to:

Michael Gerson

November 16, 2011 at 2:25 PM

9 followers

When I originally wrote about DSK and the Sofitel affair, I wasn't aware of his sleazy lifestyle. I'm sure many others in France were as shocked as I am by his uncontrollable libido. Not that a politician or person in high office should be whiter than white, but there are limits to public decency and he has clearly overstepped them. Your account of his latest indiscretions don't help much, and I'm left wondering why you chose to air them when you also appear to want us to forgive him and concentrate instead on his leadership qualities. He not only humiliated France but also his wife and family. It suggests an irresponsible selfishness or sexual addiction ( not to mention an astonishing stamina for a man his age ) which is totally unacceptable for public office.

It can't be an easy time for French socialists when their leader, François Hollande, is ridiculed for being weak and lacking stature or charisma.

Would DSK have made a good President? We'll never know. His TV appearances showed traces of arrogance and inflexibility under pressure.

In any case, Nicholas Sarkozy has both the experience and stature required for the French Presidency in 2012 and beyond.

Reply to: or

Hugh Dupin

November 16, 2011 at 6:59 PM

27 followers

Great title Julie. It's especially funny near the end of your post.

Thinking on why people are more worried about sexual depravity than other kinds of depravity, here's a possibility why. Before saying it I should explain that I don't think it is really the reason, or at least no more than a partial one. We all know the major reason is people's puritanism. The same puritanism that causes the word Fuck to be beeped on American TV, and x-rated films not to be allowed on TV. Even in France X-rated films can only be shown around midnight to 4 AM, or something like these times, even on cable. The American Puritanism has spread all around the world.

But if we are to try to give a logical reason, one could say that one's sexual desires are uncontrollable, as is very obvious from seeing the many political scandals. The fact that they are uncontrollable, specifically for these people, makes them susceptible to being manipulated, whether through blackmail or other means. Do you really want a leader who can't control himself or herself? This is usually a strong argument used against women running for office - they can't control themselves, they cry. Sexual depravity is a sign of a lack of self control which is the last thing people want in a leader.

Yet we all know that logical reasoning is not what's behind people's view on the matter. It is puritanism.

Reply to: or

Linda OReilly

In response to Hugh Dupin

November 16, 2011 at 11:33 PM

88 followers

'Yet we all know that logical reasoning is not what's behind people's view on the matter. It is puritanism.'

What do you mean when you say puritanism, Hugh?
How do you define the word as compared to its meaning 400 years ago?

I think what I want to know is where the line needs to be drawn between good old fashioned sex (which can be weird in the extreme but as long as everyone says yes it's okay, really--it is)
and sex that's coerced or physically forced.

The Penn State juggernaut threw 10 year olds under the wheels for money. Is that good business practice? It seems so, the game went on.