What stinks is that he is known for his "persuasive" abilities for women, and perhaps us Americans have a much higher standard than some are used to. Sexual harassment doesn't exist in places where regular sexual assault is just how it is. I am sure this is just the tip of his iceberg with disputable sexual "consent". All men (and possibly women) who climb to such positions of power have to be capable of abusing others, whether or not they believe it is abuse.

Some people think it looks fishy, although, they could be wrong.

i was kinna disgusted by that too.

Assange makes me puke, he is such a drama queen. I still demand to know how he only gets dirt on us, never Australia and never the UK.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn has a history. Anyone else is probably scared to death to say anything.

I hope the maid took some chunks of the creep with her when she escaped. I think that she may have and that they are testing the DNA.

As for the IMF, it is a racist, European plot to control the world. But this time, the Chinese and the Indians want to grab their piece of the pie. They want the top spot. If those jokers get in, I quit. I just quit.

The Indians have gotten in, taken over, and fucked up the US finances for the past 20 years and we know it. The Chinese own most of our debt and we know it.

I say, US get out of the IMF and the WTO.

Thanks for letting me rant and well done as usual, N!

Oryoki, yeah, the guy has a long history of being "persuasive." A woman in France spoke up today about how persuasive he thought he was with her several years ago; she managed to fend off his persuasiveness at the time, but I'm sure she was a CIA plant anyway.

Don, it's easy to make things look fishy. All one has to do is say "but did you see how she was dressed" or "the CIA was involved" and blam, it's all fishy.

Loriannnnnnnne! It's odd how the disgust in these cases is so often directed toward the women.

Zuma, thank you for ranting, and it's worth noting Jon Stewart's reaction on The Daily Show a little while ago: he described Mr. Strauss-Kahn's actions as being like "posing for his own editorial cartoon." The metaphorical implications are staggering; I couldn't make stuff like this up if I spent a month huffing glue while watching Hugo Chavez's speeches.

1. A prominent French journalist, daughter of a significant politician of his own party (Socialiste), has accused him of attempted rape, using pretty much the exact same Modus Operandi. And that was 2009.

2. Hard to see how he's anything but a slimebag. And the concept that this was an American woman who, upon having her breasts grabbed and being thrown against the wall, was somehow holding the Frenchman to a higher standard than he is used to in France is absurd. See 1. (Above) for French standards.

Backsight: exactly.

He is running for President, and is in the middle of a major policy dispute over Greece, with hundreds of billions on the table. His death would raise too many questions. Discreding is better, although people have been known to die rather conveniently, although he may well be guilty. He deserves a fair trial, with the presumption of innocence, but he has to resign at IMF very shortly absent something dramatice is now is what I concluded after going over it more.

Wikileaks has dirt on pretty much everyone, though it's worth noting that most of that dirt has been filtered through a sieve of anti-Americanism. Yeah, we're the source of all evil, blah blah blah, I get it, and Julian Assange's apparent disinclination to use condoms regardless of his sexual partner's wishes is just more CIA lies.

i see the words in the balloons above their heads, 'hey, i'm powerful and used to getting my way, so open up, honey, 'cuz i'm having you whether you say yes or not.' piggish entitled bullies.

and - [sigh] - i'm sure those morons would be saying it's our fault even if it happened in antarctica instead of new york (in the case of the frenchman). for me, the Bad Americans thing is getting pretty fucking tiresome.

Nana, I don't know who came up with that comment but don't use it to tarnish the many of us it doesn't speak for.

For now I'm inclined to let the judicial process take its course. Interesting that his defense appears to be that he was having lunch with his daughter so that there could be no set-up since nothing could possibly have occurred. Unless his "enemies" got the maid to invent and entirely fictitious encounter.

Or it could be that his lawyers are aiming at using every legal tactic in the book. Like that archetypical case where you say my dog bit you. My lawyer's reponse:

My dog doesn't bite.
It was someone else's dog.
You weren't even bit.
I don't have a dog.

Padraig, pardon my flip tone there, it wasn't directed at you but at conspiracy theorists who are always ready with a pat analysis of why their golden boy must have been framed. I get a little sick of hearing, as per the OS excerpt I included in this post, that every bad thing that happens in the world emanates from Washington DC. Sometimes assholes are just assholes, and though it pains some to admit it there is no American monopoly on douchebaggery.

Don: he deserves a fair trial, no question, and regardless of his innocence his job at the IMF is over. There is nothing though, aside from conjecture, which indicates any of this is anyone's fault but his own.

Candace, the Bad American thing gets a little wearisome, as does the way there are always people ready to make excuses for cavemen who think they're allowed to stick their dick any place they want whenever they want.

Abra, what would we do without lawyers? Sure, we might lead productive lives free from institutionalized lying and thievery, but what fun that would be?

Excuse me - Xenolit?

Why exactly are the world's two biggest democracies doing far better than you growthwise, jokers?

How many unnecessary wars did these two nations lead their unsuspecting children into and brought home truck loads of damaged people that live on state welfare with PTSD and what not?

Are they "jokers" to you because they do not engage in indiscriminate wars across the world leaving damaged civilians, dead people, damaged property and alienate half the world with their stupid foreign policy?

I take it that you are the erstwhile Zumalicious, right? Zuma the fierce American femalesoldier, that served in the US Army once, on active duty?

Did you like being there?

Did you think it was of national importance for you to be there risking your life day in and day out?

At that time did you not wish you were in the Indian Army studying at an US univ at the expense of your govt, instead of pissing in the open and sleeping in makeshift barracks in the middle east waging wars for some oil magnate to get richer back home?

Well, China is a Republic now expected to be a true demcracy soon - so - one of the world's largest democracies (India) and another of the world's largest Republics (China) - two growing tigers with eco growth rate way higer than you or Canada in the past few years constantly buying up your banks your country in fact - jokers?

I think what's happened is that, in the absence of facts, most people rely on their general knowledge of human behavior.

Generally, to reach the kind of position Strauss-Kahn reached, a person needs to have impulse control, some ability to judge risk and consequence and other personal attributes that prevent them from forcing themselves on random strangers. People who make a habit of doing such things, generally get caught long before they are the age of Strauss-Kahn and people's characters usually don't change suddenly.

So, in contemplating Strauss-Kahn, we are forced to choose between two possibilities both of which are outside our common experience, that either a normal man suddenly turned sex fiend or that a man given to assaulting strangers with so little caution went uncaught for so long.

On the other hand, the requirements for cleaners aren't very high. It's far easier to believe that a cleaner managed to hide some unsavory, but unprosecuted, habits long enough to get hired than it is to imagine the same of a man who's been in the public eye for at least 20 years.

I am sure that the facts will ultimately prove Strauss-Kahn to be an arrogant, insensitive and very sexist jerk. I'll wait and see about the rest. Innocent until proven guilty and all that.

WIKILEAKS get dirt on you Xeno, bec you are dirtying your hands all over - why dont you pick up a standard edition encyclopoedia and take a look at what has happened to your world since you left school?

IMF is racist? Why? Bec the US doesnot run and the French do?

US is running into debts progressivley now - it would need the Frenchman out of the way so it can get a share of the pie bec otherwise your govt wont be able to pay your salaries in the next ten years. Your debt is somewhere in the trillions now, India's millions, China's less than that. So then whos the joker, here?

nananananananana - i was disgusted at the whole idea that there was any need to spout theories about this. and how many people were just willing to git on board the conspiracy boat.

it really felt like a slightly more sophisticated version of: "yes, but did you see what she was wearing?"

sickening

Rolling, I guess we'll see who wins the eco-growth wars - and as illustrated by Japan's case the projected winners sometimes don't do as well as expected - but in the meantime China, despite your claim that it's *expected* (by who?) to be a democracy remains a dictatorship and btw, what is India's literacy rate? ;-)

Malusinka, it's good to see you, and your comment, unlike one or two other recent ones, is very insightful. Innocent until proven guilty, most definitely.

Rolling, I see you've found another person you think you need to have a war with. If you wish to address the topic of this post, fine; if on the other hand you want to act like a venomous, demented bitch you need to find some other venue for it.

Lorianne, the conspiracy boat always has room for more passengers, as does the "blame the victim" boat.

Why would the Indians not get in if the US is "getting in" all over?
Is not that the rule to live? If you "get in" into other people's territory, did you truly believe they woulkd have left you alone?
You fuck the world and they would sit there and be fucked? Why Xeno?

By the way, the US uses Indian NGOs to whiten black money - billions of dollars are laundered routinely in the name of social giving - dont you read the papers at all? India stamped down on that and the scam was revealed - it is your companies that are eager to get a share of the growing consumer markets in Asia especially India, didnt you know that? It is your country that is inviting brains into your country bec there is labour shortage? Dont you read the immigration rules? And study who they are inviting in? Indian scientists are cheaper and easier to please and hardworking - so why not? After all your companies are profit driven!

And in any case Zuma or Xeno, very soon now thse two "joker" countries would take over the world? You know why we need to do that? Bec we are bursting at the seams, we need more space, we need more food, we need more of everything - mostly space, so we are buying up on the moon, in the US, in the oceans, methodically, constantly and the Chinese are ruthless about this - they are also lightning fast and tactical masters - they go about things quietly like the Japs - and would soon take you by surprise.

One great exodus occured way back - and it is now nearly time for anoter major movement - reason? Space shortage.

You would continue to wage your wars and drive your expenses higher and higher and soon have to sell out -

Jokers? That I think is called eco warfare Xeno.

Do you see the diff between a common Indian woman from the third world and you, thinking?

Did you even think about what you were saying when you had made awful comments about this Indian lady at Bill Beck's when she was legitimately pointing out a bad EP as a reader which all of us have the right to do? Did you stop to check facts? Try and get the context/understand the point the lady was making?

No. Bec you are thoughtless - you find it easy to give in to what's popular - you find it easy to hate. That is now the "average" in your nation, all the tigers that once built this beautiful nation of yours - is gone. And you are not thinking.

Rolling, I'll repeat what I said a minute ago: I see you've found another person you think you need to have a war with. If you wish to address the topic of this post, fine; if on the other hand you want to act like a venomous, demented bitch you need to find some other venue for it. Repeated, obsessive, lengthy comments attacking someone who had the temerity to express a view you disagree with won't be tolerated here. I hope I've made myself clear.

ya know what i find easy to hate? when someone hijacks a post by using the comment section for their own wacky agenda.

Isn't this post bitching about something that doesnot affect you as a common man? Does it affect your livelihood, your laws, your borders, your children's welfare, your health system, your economy?

"When you view the world through an ideological prism you will always see exactly what you want to see, but unfortunately what you see will bear little resemblance to truth. "

Irony of all ironies. When you drive out other points of views bec you do not like them. I shall not trouble you again. I dont think bitches belong here and you said I am one. You are a good man you deserve better. Bye.

Me too, Lorianne, me too. ::sigh::

Rolling, I welcome any and all viewpoints, whether I agree with them or not. What I do not welcome and have no patience for is the type of vicious and obsessive personal attacks you seem to specialize in these days. If that bothers you, then bye indeed.

"vicious" is what harms and what damages a person's reputation - a lot of people have been doing that to me lately, esply Xeno. I did not attack her - I questioned what she said - theres a diff. But you choose not to see that.
I never attack people, I attack ideas - theres a diff. If you comment on an issue of national imp, if you comment about nations, it is necessary you do not call them "jokers" - I did not ever call your country "joker" - or "aggressor". theres a diff Nana. anyway, you have sold your soul to hearsay. You wont see me at your space again. I dont take name calling from people I love and genuinely like. Love, hugs, and a rate

vicious is aimed to alienate a person from her freinds. viciousness is driving a person to depsair and desperate uncharacteristic action. Padraig was vicious, Bill Beck was vicious to me - dont talk to them at all unless they are absolutely poking me in the eye.

I simpy addressed her idea and that too for the first time here bec the occasion arose - have nothing against Xeno personally.

"Sexual assault is OK if our side does it"

Fuckin' A!! USA!! USA!!

Also okay to torch people and run them over with tanks. But if other side does it, WAR CRIME!!

WE'RE #1!! PFFFFFFT!!

**Wanders off to report nanatehay to the appropiate government agency** I'm guessing the Food and Drug Adminstration.

Cheap ass drug!!

nan, there is good reason to to suspect american black ops with assange.

dsk will have to take care of himself, on evidence to date he's in the habit of treating women badly. but he messed with the wrong house maid this time....

Your conclusion:

"When you view the world through an ideological prism you will always see exactly what you want to see, but unfortunately what you see will bear little resemblance to truth. That goes for left-wing ideology as much as it does for the right-wing variety."

That seems to imply that you see issues in dyads. I don't think that is effective but it does reflect the culture in which we live. Western culture as portrayed through our media is always presenting reports that say that something is right or wrong, left or right, two choices, as if that is all that is possible, and not infinite possible ways to see things.

Julian Assange & Dominique Strauss-Kahn are cut from the same cloth--and so is Arnold Schwarzenegger. It isn't about left or right, it's about an internalized sense of privilege that makes them think they are entitled to take what they like and that their privileges count for more than the rights and happiness of anyone they encounter. Sometimes they try to cover it with smarmy 'charm' but it isn't charming if you are the target of such desires.

That is the behavior of a psychopath. Psychopaths gain satisfaction through antisocial behavior, and do not experience shame, guilt, or any remorse for their actions. Sound like any of those guys?

Our culture has led some of those people to think that they are 'leaders' in various spheres, titans of industry, or other kinds of big fish in a small pond that doesn't call them out or punish them for the people they hurt. Some of those behaviors have become woven into the fabric of feminist criticism of patriarchy. But decent men don't think this sort of thing is okay and it isn't patriarchal, it's effing crazy and felonious.

The psychopaths simply hide their criminality behind the cover of patriarchal machismo. They are skirt chasers; great swordsmen, wolves, womanizers and they pretend to be admired by other men and to be the libertines that those men envy. It's a bullshit cover for sociopathic behavior that leads to more and more felonious attacks.

I also like the part of his being described as a socialist while staying in a $3000 a night suite. Yeah, this guy is a socialist. While innocent until proven guilty, I for one don't buy the 'impulse control' argument that Malusinka makes because we've often seen people who were in some position of power protected from the consequences of their acts. The French are tolerant of philandering and that tolerance can easily be manipulated to cover more heinous acts. Just ask the journalist who was mentioned. In the coming days I won't be surprised to hear that there are more women coming forward who felt powerless to complain before.

The New York Times has a slew of articles regarding how the French dealt with this man, and also with other 'leaders' indescretions. You can start at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/17/world/europe/17fund.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha22

He's a weasel that thought he was above everyone else. How many other "maids" has he done this to and paid off, or scared them into shutting up. I'm glad he's at Riker's Island. They know what to do with scum like him. Great Post nana!

Most people believe what they want to believe no matter what evidence is presented. Maybe our problem is we're too quick to believe - anything.

What amazes me is how a guy like that thinks he's going to get away with it?! If he was an average anonymous Joe Blow (no pun intended) he might have gotten away from it....but a guy with his clout and position?!

Malusinka - people can have impulse control where they need or want it and let fly when they think it's safe. In fact, you might (I might) even be able to speculate that having great impulse control in public or in one's career is likely to mean some kind of reaction or outlet or something in "private" (or, in this case, privates). Total impulse control in all things...not really very human. Cf Bin Laden and his porn - just watched (morning edition) Jon Stewart's fun with that (Dead Man Wanking, something about Mass Turbation, etc.) (He also had a good bit about Strauss-Kahn screwing an African as a self-made living editorial cartoon.)

Oh yeah, and there's the thing about Powerful Important people having a sense of entitlement and being unassailable...

I'd be interested in the results of the DNA test...on what? It was oral sex. She got her mouth swabbed (so to speak)??

In other news, Rolling's on a roll again (sigh).

Wow. Latin. French. And some great vocabulary words. Congratulations.

I guess when you can afford a room for three grand a night, one feels entitled to anything, including the maid.

Myriad ---

So, I'm not saying I think a man in his position would never take advantage of opportunites to be a sexual predator, when he thought he could get away with it.

I'm saying I find it hard to believe anyone who had the brains and judgement, to make it to his position would have thought he could get away with what he allegedly did in NY. I mean, the man's was a considered a front-runner for the French presidency. You don't get there without being very adept at judging situations and people.

On the other hand, I don't think the NYC police would have hauled the man off that plane without good reason to believe the cleaner.

I can imagine any number of scenarios that reconcile these points, but I don't have enough evidence to choose one over another, so, I'm keeping an open mind.

This guy has already been convicted in a fair trial of everything he's been charged with, right? Cuz if it is established fact that he committed these crimes (and not just something we read in the tabloids), then I eagerly join in the enthusiastic condemnations.

Joisey, the Bollywood thing has always puzzled me, but then so does the crap people over here think is entertaining.

Tink, if you report me to the FDA I'll rat you out to the RCMP. Don't trifle with me!

Al; regarding Assange and the CIA, anything is possible. Even DSK deserves a fair hearing, though as you point out this wasn't his first pecadillo and usually where there's smoke there's fire.

Susanne, I'm not a very dyad-y person, but we live in a culture which sees things as left and right and my point here is that too often we're willing to give someone from "our" side a free pass. For instance, many of the things Democrats view as acceptable when done by President Obama would raise howls of outrage if done by a Republican president.

I'm off to work now; will address the rest of these comments when I get home.

I hope when you have a chance you will address my other remarks. I'd love to hear what you think.

According to the news, he's saying "consensual". Like the maid was horny - or wanted $ (which could be, but less likely than the accusation, it seems to me). Seeing it all play out in court may or may not (depending on lawyer games) reveal the truth... (full disclosure - I just cut and pasted from my comment on Don Rich's blog)

A good bit from Eugene Robinson in WP:
"It’s useful to be reminded that there was a time when powerful men could expect such incidents to be dismissed as misunderstandings or indiscretions or peccadilloes, not prosecuted as criminal assaults. Yes, this sounds like the age of the dinosaurs. Dominique Strauss-Kahn gives every evidence of being one."

Myriad, anything to say about my comments? Peccadilloes sounds like something nice, not felonious behavior.

Susanne, you say It isn't about left or right, it's about an internalized sense of privilege that makes them think they are entitled to take what they like and that their privileges count for more than the rights and happiness of anyone they encounter.

I agree. You go on to say that such behavior is normal for psychopaths, which begs the question: Are the upper echelons of our society occupied by psychopaths who somehow made it into positions of power in spite of their mental illness, or does our society itself turn a blind eye to this kind of thing, thus creating an environment of permissiveness which encourages psychopath-like behaviors? My take is that it's a little bit of the former and quite a lot of the latter.

Scanner, I'm sure he's finding Rikers quite enlightening.

Matt, yeah, believing stuff is easy. Sifting through the flow of data in a thoughtful way to separate the wheat from the chaff is the hard part. Not that I did that in this post; I was simply reacting to something I read which struck me as asinine. I do believe, just going off the little bit I've learned of human nature over the years, that Mr. Strauss-Kahn is a fuckwad of the first water, but it's entirely possible I'm wrong. I doubt it though.

Myriad, that sense of entitlement and being unassailable is one of the main attributes of Powerful Important people. The thing about humans is, if we think we can get away with something that feels *good* we will usually do it and there's nothing like power to allow one to get away with stuff. As near as I can see, morals are for the lower classes.

From The Midwest; thanks for noticing the Latin!

Bart, as others have mentioned, it's an "innocent 'til proven guilty" kinda thang, at least from a legal standpoint. Who knows, maybe the CIA framed the poor bastard. I doubt it though.

Patricia, I missed you there. I'm guessing a guy with his clout and position usually finds it quite easy to get away with stuff like this.

Sigh. It's never about sides, it's about a creeping evil and people make a dangerous mistake in looking the other way. In regards to Dr. Freeborn's comment she hit the nail on the head. People take this lightly and don't stop to really think about what it means. Not caring who you hurt or use and discard can make a person incredibly successful financially. I think sociopaths or people with some form of Narcissistic Personality Disorder are more likely to make it to the top and that's the biggest factor. The inability to feel guilt or remorse of the socios and the inability to feel empathy of the NPDs makes them ruthless. The revisions of the DSM have lumped psychopaths and sociopaths into antisocial personality disorder and the APA debates on whether they're one and the same. There's debate on whether it's genetic or environmental factors or a combination.

My father has complete facial and voice tone recognition and a fear of legal ramifications so I see them as different disorders, he's no psychopath. His fearlessness regarding his physical safety, and that of others, is insane as the constant ER trips prove. Along with his other traits I'd say sociopath but he could just have NPD with most of the traits. Who cares? My mother has 5 of the 9 traits of NPD, it's getting so prevalent in the population that they want to break them down into levels of severity. Talk about environmental factors, what are we doing rewarding these behaviors?

The public is so stupid that they rationalize by thinking I lie once in a while, or I cheated on my wife one time, and think they're like everyone else when they're not. Or they're busy joking about this head-shrinker stuff and these people simply escalate their behavior becuase it benefits them since they're incabable of remorse and are extremely grandiose. If nothing else go to wikipedia and read about those three disorders I've said it before and I'll say it again, they're dangerous because they're not like us.

Doesn't matter if they're the same party, in the same church, or even your family, trust me, if you give them a pass, eventually they'll do it to you. Rated yesterday but didn't want to think about it enough to comment.

I don't think psychopaths necessarily have a clue that anything is wrong, because they are rational and our culture puts great store by those who it views as rational. Here's an explanation at Scientific American that is pretty brief and to the point:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=what-psychopath-means

I heard someone say in the past few days that there are a substantial number of people in positions of leadership that are psychopaths.

There are plenty of people who suck up to anyone with money or power and tolerate a great deal because they allow themselves the weak excuse that they are powerless to do anything to change the situation. It's a co-dependent's argument for following the lead of a narcissistic abuser.

Too late my friend, reported you to the top!!

The FAA!! Pfffffft!!!

You going down my friend, way down, like BEND OVER, GRAB YOUR ANKLES, CAUSE WE THINK IT'S TIME FOR INSPECTION TIME!!

Oh yeah....

You'll smile the whole time cause they're making a training film!!!!

PFFFFT!!!!

Many people ignore this but as a retired Policeman said on a national radio station recently the worse cases of rape he ever attended were Gay Rape scenes.

Talk about being 'torn a new arsehole' - no thanks.

******Rated***** with an Ug !

"Press send please FRed(tm). Yes I know only 6% of rape cases are successfully prosecuted in the UK, but we are a small island and the perps can easily drown by accident whilst being questioned."

Gotta love the U.K.!!!!

Here in the states, in some parts, some of these folks end up having 'accidents' while in custody, such as they accidentally hang themselves, and somehow end up with a broom stick up their butt!!!!

Suicides are such a strange case...~nodding~

~wanders off~

CNN which if you must be picky means
CAT NEtwork NEws have been interviewing people - men mainly - who have been caught_out following over exposure of their penises to Hotel Staff.

"No I didn't see the point either FRed(tm). Nana's at work so that doesnt mean we can prattle on about irrelevant crap, but in the UK we have low standards. There's a Recession on Boy."

p.s.
In defence of my previ'arse comment and Tinks reply - we also have three types of burial ceremony for sex offenders and the most popular after bbq their genitals is 'dumping in the Thames' - there is a choice of dead or alive and coloUr of plastic bag.

People are stereotypes and quickly jump on the band wagon. As soon as the news hit internet people started to condemn Julian Assange.

Accusations should be weighed in with the facts. Both sides have contradictions, and yet many people are ready to point a finger to condemn Julian Assange. Accusation does not equal to Guilty. Or does it?