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Accused by many of fething people over, it may be the case that the head of the IMF is, literally, a rapist.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/nyregion/imf-head-is-arrested-and-accused-of-sexual-attack.html

The managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, was taken off an Air France plane at Kennedy International Airport minutes before it was to depart for Paris on Saturday, in connection with the sexual attack of a maid at a Midtown Manhattan hotel, the authorities said....

The New York Police Department arrested Mr. Strauss-Kahn at 2:15 a.m. Sunday “on charges of criminal sexual act, attempted rape, and an unlawful imprisonment in connection with a sexual assault on a 32-year chambermaid in the luxury suite of a Midtown Manhattan hotel yesterday” about 1 p.m., Deputy Commissioner Paul J. Browne, the department’s chief spokesman, said.

The hotel room the guy was in cost $3000 a night. Take that austerity!

Trickle down economics at work.

I'm sure he has more than enough of our money to get out of this scot free.

IMF rapes country... that's not news.

Head of IMF rapes a chambermaid... now that's news!

sebster wrote:IMF rapes country... that's not news.

Head of IMF rapes a chambermaid... now that's news!

Again with the news that those in power abuse their position.

It's like people never learn that humans have weaknesses and need to be perfect in order to maintain their high profile positions and occupations.

WarOne wrote:

sebster wrote:IMF rapes country... that's not news.

Head of IMF rapes a chambermaid... now that's news!

Again with the news that those in power abuse their position.

It's like people never learn that humans have weaknesses and need to be perfect in order to maintain their high profile positions and occupations.

It's not like he nicked some towels. Sexual assault is not merely a weakness.

WarOne wrote:

sebster wrote:IMF rapes country... that's not news.

Head of IMF rapes a chambermaid... now that's news!

Again with the news that those in power abuse their position.

It's like people never learn that humans have weaknesses and need to be perfect in order to maintain their high profile positions an d occupations.

Another way to look at it is that sociopaths rise to the top.

WarOne wrote:Again with the news that those in power abuse their position.

It's like people never learn that humans have weaknesses and need to be perfect in order to maintain their high profile positions and occupations.

It's one thing to become vain or egotistical as you gain more power, it's another thing to try to rape somebody. The head of the IMF being accused of rape is certainly a serious story.

My point was more that this becoming news shows that the IMF is a very important organisation, which only makes it more odd that some of the more disastrous efforts of the IMF haven't, typically, been news.

This certainly tells us something about French Socialists.

No diddums, it tells us something (potentially) about A french socialist.
Toodles.

Da Boss wrote:No ... it tells us something (potentially) about A french socialist.

You're right, it doesn't tell us anything about those who support an alleged rapist and philanderer.

Is Strauss-Kahn French for "Clinton"?

Biccat are you being intentionally...wrongheaded?
His political career is almost certainly finished. He was more popular amongst the moderate french voters than the extreme left anyway- he wasn't seen as radical enough, from my reading.
Check the next opinion poll to see if the people continue to support him, I am willing to bet his support will be in ribbons.

As for Clinton, the problem with him was that he lied under oath, not his personal indiscretions. From my perspective, anyhow.
It looks to me as if you saw "Socialist" and "Bad Man" together and got a bit excited.

Da Boss wrote:Biccat are you being intentionally...wrongheaded?

Nope, this is exactly what "Socialist" leaders do. They propose rules for the masses, violate those rules, and then expect to be vindicated because of their good works/intentions.

Da Boss wrote:His political career is almost certainly finished.

As it should be. But he skated through the last rape allegation and adultery scandal.

Da Boss wrote:As for Clinton, the problem with him was that he lied under oath, not his personal indiscretions. From my perspective, anyhow.

You're right. That was the problem. However, the whole situation arose from an accusation of rape. Clinton just thought (see first point) that he was above the law.

Da Boss wrote:It looks to me as if you saw "Socialist" and "Bad Man" together and got a bit excited.

This is news because it has "IMF" and "Bad Man" together and some people got excited. See above posts.

I am no fan of the IMF dude, but your fixation on his membership of the socialist party is strange to me. I mean, it's in line with your generally blinkered conservative stance, but still. It stood out that you would focus on him being a socialist.

I suppose there have never been ANY high profile capitalist rapists. Ever.

I don't think it is appropriate or just to prejudge the case.

You are right. The guy's political career is no doubt in tatters anyway though.

Da Boss wrote:I am no fan of the IMF dude, but your fixation on his membership of the socialist party is strange to me.

Any difference than a fixation on his "membership" in the IMF? Maybe you can explain how his position as the head of the IMF is more relevant to a rape charge than his position as a leader of the Socialist party.

Trolling and personal attacks pointedly ignored, in case you think I missed the rest of your post.

Oh come on, trolling? That's a bit rich.
You put some fine bait out there, and I took it.

The fact is, neither of them are particularly relevant, but you decided to make a story about a powerful man being accused of rape a story about the tendancies of French Socialists. I take extreme exception to this, and think it is underhanded and dishonest. You then defended the stance, which makes me...well, it makes me question your reasons for posting here at all, it really does.

You are using this small piece of information, irrelevant to the case, to push your personal political stance. I am calling you on it, because I think (especially the comment about french socialists, or the supporters of french socialists) your comments are disgusting and worthy of contempt.

Da Boss wrote:The fact is, neither of them are particularly relevant, but you decided to make a story about a powerful man being accused of rape a story about the tendancies of French Socialists. I take extreme exception to this, and think it is underhanded and dishonest. You then defended the stance, which makes me...well, it makes me question your reasons for posting here at all, it really does.

Underhanded and dishonest? Was the man not a leading contender for the Socialist Party nomination to replace Sarkozy? Why do you keep focusing on his relationship with the IMF? That seems strange to me.

Would it have been better if I had posted something along the lines of:

"Socialism rapes country... that's not news.

Socialist leader rapes a chambermaid... now that's news!"

Interestingly, and not surprisingly, the conspiracy theories have begun.

Oh, and there may still be some question about his diplomatic immunity (assuming France or the IMF haven't waived it already). The police say that he doesn't have it, but they seem to have a vested interest in the issue.

I didn't post in the thread until you did, I didn't bring up his membership in the IMF until you did. I am not a fan of the IMF (or the ECB, actually even less of a fan of the ECB), but that's not why I felt I had to respond. You made a comment tarring all french socialists with one very offensive brush. You needed to be called on it.

Y'know, there was an American arrested for rape the other day as well! Let's modify your first post slightly to reflect that biccat!

That certainly tells us something about Americans!

See, that's what's called crass generalisation. Or attempting to taint an entire group of people based on the actions of one (which are irrelevant to their membership in that group). I actually believe in aspects of socialism myself. So what if there's a socialist rapist? It's no different from a capitalist rapist, or a Korean rapist, or a liberal democrat rapist. Them being a rapist has absolutely nothing to do with those other things.

If you genuinely cannot see how your statement can be construed as offensive to anyone who might espouse socialist ideology, I will be in genuine awe at your inability to read the implications of your own statements.

Da Boss wrote:You made a comment tarring all french socialists with one very offensive brush. You needed to be called on it.

In that case, I apologize if my post suggested that all French Socialists are bad people, possibly criminals and/or rapists.

I intended to suggest that a majority of French Socialists are merely tolerant of bad people (possibly criminals and/or rapists) in leadership roles.

However, as I pointed out, this is true of Socialists Democrats in the United States as well. See e.g. the Senate majority and House minority leadership.

Again, even if he is not convicted, we will see how tolerant people are of him in the opinion polls. All signs point to his political career being over now.

For my part I apologise for my initially insulting remarks, I was very annoyed when I read your first post.

So the alleged rapist was denied bail. He'll be in jail until at least Friday (a grand jury is meeting evidently). If convicted he's properly fethed. He'll be going to a New York state penitentiary, not some cushy federal gig.

I do have trouble figuring how can people say "socialist" and "head of the IMF" in the same sentence, with a straight face.

biccat wrote:

Da Boss wrote:Biccat are you being intentionally...wrongheaded?

Nope, this is exactly what arrogant, privileged, powerful leaders do. They propose rules for the masses, violate those rules, and then expect to be vindicated because of their good works/intentions.

Fixed.

Political or philosophical orientation has very little to do with it. It's about power and privilege and seeing oneself as an exception to the rules.

When one is an advocate of a doctrine of control or restriction, it is particularly ironic to be seen violating those principles. Witness the mockery anti-gay preachers come in for when they get caught soliciting gay sex, or moralists like Falwell when they get busted with a prostitute, or guys who talk about throwing addicts in prison for life like Rush Limbaugh getting busted for abusing opiates themselves. The irony seems a little less pronounced in this case, unless Strauss-Kahn is a big anti-rape crusader?

biccat wrote:Would it have been better if I had posted something along the lines of:

"Socialism rapes country... that's not news.

Socialist leader rapes a chambermaid... now that's news!"

If he presently held a position of power and influence within the socialist party, then that'd be an entirely sensible story to take. As he was just a possible future leader, but held a real and very powerful position in IMF as at the time of the rape, it wouldn't have made much sense.

You're missing the greater point, though. The failure of various forms of socialism in many countries has been endlessly documented and discussed, as well it should be, whereas the failings of the IMF haven't been discussed in anywhere near the same depth.

I suspect this is because those failings rely on an understanding of complex structural forces, and would involve a whole lot of chart showing average incomes and gini indices. It really wouldn't make for good copy, despite being very important. So we end up in this weird position where we recognise the power of the IMF, shown in our willingness to report on rape allegations against it's managing director, but we don't actually spend much time discussing whether it's actions have actually done any good.

You of, course, have ignored all this, in favour of moaning about right vs left. Again.

And Ben Stein takes this special occasion to announce to the world that he's a special kind of donkey-cave;

"In life, events tend to follow patterns. People who commit crimes tend to be criminals, for example. Can anyone tell me any economists who have been convicted of violent sex crimes? Can anyone tell me of any heads of nonprofit international economic entities who have ever been charged and convicted of violent sexual crimes? Is it likely that just by chance this hotel maid found the only one in this category? Maybe Mr. Strauss-Kahn is guilty but if so, he is one of a kind, and criminals are not usually one of a kind."

http://spectator.org/archives/2011/05/17/presumed-innocent-anyone


Oh, he couldn't possibly be guilty, he's not from the criminal classes.

I understand the objection that "he's not guilty yet" and all. But the way Stein put it makes him seem like a real douchebag.

sebster wrote:Oh, he couldn't possibly be guilty, he's not from the criminal classes.

We wouldn't want to embarrass him in front of his community. Apparently more accusations are coming out from other women now. One was a french novelist and is filing charges from a rape back in 2002. She said she would have filed it back then but felt no one would believe her. Ben Stein's comments also remind me a Dave Chappelle skit.

NSFW - Language