From the time that the police arrested former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Khan until the time that the New York District Attorney revealed to the court the inconsistencies of the alleged victim in the case, the issue has been one of men in very important positions exercising their power to have asymmetrical sexual relations with women.
There had been a number of articles written that the defendant's considerable wealth would eventually influence the alleged victim. In one of my postings on the subject some weeks ago, I noted that the best thing that DSK could do is pay off the woman - legally and above board, only after the criminal trial was over - and then he could move on. He may indeed have done just that according to conspiracy theorists, but why would the politically-ambitious District Attorney C. Vance risk his reputation to discredit first the accused and then accuser. This is indeed material for a mystery movie of the week, and I have no doubt that DSK will cash in eventually, as would his alleged victim. That is just the kind of cash-value society in which we live - everything is for sale.
Now that the hotel maid appears to have lied about her past and her associations with a convicted drug dealer, the case is falling apart. Until the court trial takes place, we do not know that there was or was not sexual assault and attempted rape, or consensual sex where there were disagreements about money changing hands. Regardless of how the case ends up, the end result is very bad for women who in the future will be victims of sexual assault. The DSK case may impact future legitimate cases of attempted rape, assault, and rape. The credibility of women would be questioned no matter how solid their complaints. Such a climate in the US would only discourage women from coming forward to file complaints against powerful individuals - politicians, businesspeople, sports and celebrities.
No matter what the outcome of the DSK case, the impact on women in the US is bad. Meanwhile, the man who was former French Socialist Party candidate for president enjoys more than 50% popular support from the public to return and resume his political duties in France. The French may indeed elect him president and he will use the sex scandal as a platform to mobilize pity-support from voters. What does it say about human values when a segment of the voters want as their leader a man with a history of predatory sexual conduct toward women? What does it say about the degree to which society values women?
There had been a number of articles written that the defendant's considerable wealth would eventually influence the alleged victim. In one of my postings on the subject some weeks ago, I noted that the best thing that DSK could do is pay off the woman - legally and above board, only after the criminal trial was over - and then he could move on. He may indeed have done just that according to conspiracy theorists, but why would the politically-ambitious District Attorney C. Vance risk his reputation to discredit first the accused and then accuser. This is indeed material for a mystery movie of the week, and I have no doubt that DSK will cash in eventually, as would his alleged victim. That is just the kind of cash-value society in which we live - everything is for sale.
Now that the hotel maid appears to have lied about her past and her associations with a convicted drug dealer, the case is falling apart. Until the court trial takes place, we do not know that there was or was not sexual assault and attempted rape, or consensual sex where there were disagreements about money changing hands. Regardless of how the case ends up, the end result is very bad for women who in the future will be victims of sexual assault. The DSK case may impact future legitimate cases of attempted rape, assault, and rape. The credibility of women would be questioned no matter how solid their complaints. Such a climate in the US would only discourage women from coming forward to file complaints against powerful individuals - politicians, businesspeople, sports and celebrities.
No matter what the outcome of the DSK case, the impact on women in the US is bad. Meanwhile, the man who was former French Socialist Party candidate for president enjoys more than 50% popular support from the public to return and resume his political duties in France. The French may indeed elect him president and he will use the sex scandal as a platform to mobilize pity-support from voters. What does it say about human values when a segment of the voters want as their leader a man with a history of predatory sexual conduct toward women? What does it say about the degree to which society values women?
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