Heretofore, I've not discussed the rape accusations against IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Although I've no particular affection for anyone connected in any way with the IMF, my initial impression was that this was a probable set-up.
That idea -- always the majority opinion in France -- would have outraged most American readers until recently. Across political lines, Americans have become wedded to an inane set of stereotypes in which every prominent male is seen as a PenisMonster and all females are automatically presumed to be HolyWoman.
The people who remain emotionally tied to this scenario never seem to understand that there are behind-the-scenes manipulators who seek to control the behavior of politicians. These manipulators have at their disposal a limited number of tools. The primary weapons are the four "B"s: Bribes, blackmail, beds and bullets.
(By "bullets" we mean the whole range of assassination options, including the popular jet crash scenario. This choice is no longer favored, except in extreme circumstances.)
We know that Strauss-Kahn's accuser was after money. She lied about the details and may face perjury charges. Moreover, she was tied into drug smuggling and money laundering. Someone with that kind of rap hanging over her head is easily manipulated into participation in a covert operation. So who put her up to it? That's the question which people should be asking.
Think about it. She told her boyfriend that she expected a windfall. From whom?
Keep that question in mind as we return -- yes, once again -- to the Anthony Weiner debacle.
So firmly has the "HolyWoman versus PenisMonster" scenario taken hold of the public mind that everyone immediately presumed that Tony the PenisMonster had cyber-"raped" innocent women who wanted only to talk politics.
Oh, those poor women! As always, they are the eternal victims. Any male barbarian who suggests that they simply could have ended an offensive chat or phone call is simply furthering the culture of victimization.
But a simple review of the timeline suggests a very different scenario...
On April 11, 2011, Meagan Broussard -- the woman who eventually made the explicit photos available to Andrew Breitbart -- first got Congressman Weiner's attention by writing "Hottt" on his Facebook page. In other words, she was the one who signaled from word one that she was sexually interested and available.
On May 4, he sent her the rather innocent photo of himself sitting with his cats. In response, she sent him four photos of herself. Since these photos have not been revealed, we must guess their nature. At some point afterward -- we don't know precisely when -- Weiner sent more explicit photos of himself.
On May 5, Weiner emailed Broussard the "me" photo. The time: 3:08
Later on the same day (6:26), Mike Stack (a.k.a. Goatsred) tweets the following: "A big bomb about to burst: Rumor on the Right Coast is that a "big time" Congressman was caught with a mistress. There are pix and a top five Right-Wing blogger has them."
This announcement was retweeted immediately by PatriotUSA76, the mysterious Dan Wolfe (whom some suspect of being a sock puppet for Stack himself.) Stack later admits that he knew from the start that the target was Weiner.
On May 20, Broussard sent three photos of herself. Weiner responded with the bare-chested photo. Broussard then sent two more photos of herself.
On June 7, Broussard told ABC News that the photos from Weiner came out of nowhere. She never mentions the photos of herself that she had sent immediately beforehand.
ABC News paid Broussard somewhere between $10,000 and $15,000 for the photos and private email messages. That fact alone tells you all you need to know about Meagan Broussard.
It is perfectly fair to classify her alongside the Strauss-Kahn accuser.
Before you say it: Yes, I am aware that another woman had previously made accusations against Strauss-Kahn. Whether valid or not, that accusation probably inspired the more recent smear attempt.
Similarly, Weiner had a history (before his marriage) of engaging in cyber-sex. The same can be said of millions of other men and women -- and if you think that you have a right to judge all of those men and women, I suggest that you exit the current century and take your rightful place as a character in a Nathaniel Hawthorne novel.
Weiner then married a woman whose job frequently forced her to travel the world. It seems likely that Weiner's enemies got wind of his earlier history and put together a honeytrap for a lonely congressman.
Why is this important? Because similar honeytraps will occur in the future. And the all-pervasive "HolyWoman versus PenisMonster" stereotype will always work to the benefit of the schemers.
Of course, when more women take seats in Congress, the honeytrappers and smear merchants will invoke a different set of stereotypes -- something to do with cougars and maneaters. These stereotypes will be equally simplistic, equally ugly, and equally false. Then and only then will feminists stop looking at the puppets and start looking for the puppeteers.
9 comments:
Your "honeytrap" framing reminds me of a discussion I read recently about the "branding" of Jennifer Anniston as America's poor little dumped Sweetheart. We definitely could stand to look at the overarching, but that includes taking into consideration that very credible former attempted assault charge that may still be filed against DSK. So, yes, it possible that someone noted DSK's predator proclivities and set a "trap" for him. But who cares? Good riddance to the likes of DSK. Is it too much to hope for a modern civilized man who can defer to his big head?
Oh, also, if Weiner were that into cyber sex wouldn't it be a sexy good thing for the both of them that his wife was half a globe away? He could've indulged his proclivity of choice with his own life partner. So much for the "poor lonely" man scenario, complete with maudlin violin string background! lol
Regarding the maid - "She told her boyfriend that she expected a windfall. From whom?" Where did you see this? The news reports were so frustrating, concentrating on whether the case would be dropped and only mentioning that conversation in passing and not in detail. It was my understanding that this conversation happened after the fact (the NYT left it vague when it was known to be after) and that she and her convict boyfriend both knew "from whom" and were discussing getting money from DSK.
I don't give a damn what politicians do in their spare time as long as it's not breaking the law, not abusing another person, and not endangering security (as in the long ago UK Profumo affair when one of the prostitutes involved also had dealings with a Russian naval attaché at the Soviet Embassy in London).
Honeytraps wouldn't work if the US public loosened those puritanical straitjackets a bit.
"Honey traps wouldn't work if the US public would loosened those puritanical straight jackets a bit"
That will never happen!
Too many people get their jollies attacking others for their sexual quirks and love to point the finger of morality when they deem you a sexual, moral etc. pervert!
Those hypocritical "Jesus Freaks" and Moral Crusaders (That the media and it's talking monkey brigade absolutely love them some )are probably some of the "Kinkiest" SOB's ever to walk the earth!
I don't care who does who and who does what so long as the business of the Government is getting done!
Sex is as natural to humans as it is to dogs and to deny that primal urge is ridiculous! As long as we as a Nation continue to give the "mental challenged Jesus Freaks and Morality police" a springboard to spout their bullshit............We will never advance as a so-called "CIVILIZED Society!"
In my humble opinion.
The whole DSK rape story never passed the smell test, imo. As a woman, I know there's no man who can force me to give a bj unless I have a gun to my head or after some serious beating leaves me no choice. DSK was in serious danger of a major injury to his penis. Instead the man has a joyous ending? The media publicity is also troublesome. Was the hotel involved in the publicity or the DA? The media didn't find out by chance, that's for sure.
Prowlerzee,
No one is saying that DSK is a nice guy. Well at least I least I am not and I didnt think Mr. Cannon was either. From what I hear he is an assh*le. However he appears doesnt appear to have raped this particualar lady. It does appear to have been a setup.
Similarly with Weiner, my guess is that he didnt prowl around looking for innocents. He liked to cyber with strangers. My wife has told me that this is a form of infidelity in case I had doubts. Fine. However it isnt a crime.
I dont like him. I dont like his many of his views. I think he is a self loving assh*le as well. But his take down has all the hallmarks of conspiracy.
Why are we cooperating with those people who are selectively taking down various politicians without explaining their agenda?
Who cares if these guys are assh*les. We are being manipulated.
God knows, you probably would hate everyone in Congress if you knew them well enough.
Harry
Good points. Another thing that could be relevant: Look at the IMF under Strauss-Kahn. You can see an institution that has done some really respectable work, concerning, for example, the financial crisis, Iceland.
Today, Krugman praises a new IMF report--one that DSK probably had something to do with. The report speaks to a politically awkward truth:
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/07/contraction-still-contractionary/
Also there's DSK's view of the US dollar, his outspoken, critical, attitude toward Wall Street behavior.
DSK can be viewed as a rare thing: a sane and humane economist in a position of power amidst a world of powerful financial institutions gone mad. An obvious target for this reason. Whether he were to have stayed on at the IMF or went on to become the president of France, he would seem a threat to the successful execution of Shock Doctine.
"Sane and humane" is how you boyz describe someone who at BEST treats women as chattel. As meat-socks to spew their jism into at whim....allll fine and DANDY because it's no one's "business" and "not illegal." That is, unless the young woman journalist's credible charges of attempted assault proceed and are found true.
It's disheartening, but the reason I bother is because maybe one day you'll finally get it and say, damn..."the crazy insane inhumane bitch" was right. Try a little harder. What the fuck is "humane" about using women as rags to jerk off in?
Humanitarians already know...give money to the "crazy bitches" and they use it to improve the village. Give it to the "humane and sane"(sic) dicks and they spend it on booze and hookers.
prowlerzee,
Please don't take my words out of context. I am the writer of a blog comment about DSK, not the author of a DSK biography.
I wrote that Strauss-Kahn "can be viewed" as a "sane and humane economist" in a world of "insane" financial institutions. The context of my comment is the geopolitical landscape. I even explicitly aknowledged that there are other valid ways to view the guy!
Yet, you have the audacity to suggest that I had meant to cast judgement on DSK as human being. Obviously, I left that to others. Plenty seem to be volunteering for that task. I have nothing interesting to add to that discourse.
I think it ought to be evident to anyone who read my comment that I'm providing some background on DSK's career, some thoughts as to why DSK might be expected to have many powerful enemies in powerful places today.
To recognize that, you have to look beyond the man's bedroom activities and consider stuff he's said or done that might have pissed some people off. Of course, most people don't care to learn about that, they just want the juicy stuff. Moreover, if it was a set-up, whoever did it is counting on people like you to make it politically incorrect NOT to view DSK's life except through the prism of the alleged rape.
Unwittingly, powerful men may be counting on misandrists to turn every discussion back to DSK's sexual past. The effect of supporting these men in this way may be to help destroy the last vestiges of a "sane and humane" economic system. What metaphor would best describe that?
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