Semantics

The need to comment on everything that goes on in the world is not something I necessarily feel, especially the world of politics, but the Elliott Spitzer scandal deserves some attention.

I didn't think I had anything to offer that would add to anyone's understanding of Spitzer's downfall, but after reading a post in Smirking Chimp that suggested a "right wing" plot to "get" Spitzer, I added a comment:

How handy

When I first saw on the news that Elliott Spitzer has been involved in paying for - I don't like to say sex; especially with a "call girl," it's more intimate -companionship, I was dismayed. He has been one of the few shining lights in "American" politics.

After thinking it over, I concluded that it's part of being human, that the level on which he operates is on the edge of life, and that spending time with a prostitute is high-risk behavior that goes with being an A-type personality. We're really animals, and monogamy is a bit too high a demand.

Then I looked at Huffington Post, and at the newspaper pictures of him with his wife by his side. The look on her face told it all. She probably found out only hours earlier. I doubt seriously that it was her idea to appear with him before the cameras.

She looked like a completely controlled woman, dominated by her powerful husband. I suspect that as this story plays out that we may be finding out more unpleasant things about New York's crusading governor.

As far as legislation being threatened, a little patience is required. "Republicans" are criminals almost to a man and woman. The tide is rolling on real criminality, which with the "Republicans" is far more serious than being friendly with women who let you pay them for being friendly. No one died. No one was maimed. No one lost their homes. No one lost their jobs. No one was invaded. No one was kidnapped. No one was waterboarded. No one was held incommunicado for years. No one was spied upon. Woops. Why, it turns out that Elliott Spitzer was spied upon. How handy. The "homeland" is secure. Or is it the fatherland?

Submitted by JAH on March 11, 2008 - 3:09pm.
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Last night I read that the woman Spitzer spent time with has been identified. In all the hoopla about Elliott Spitzer, there hasn't been any concern about her. She's just a "hooker," in the parlance of "hip" smugocracy, which includes most "Americans."

Actually, she is a human being, and as the article mentioned, had trouble paying her rent. She's far from alone in this predicament. Many thousands of "Iraqis" who have fled their home country have chosen "prostitution" over starvation. Indeed, throughout human history, "prostitution" has been the only way for countless women to avoid starvation and homelessness. In countries like "Thailand," "Brazil," the "Philippines," and, well, everywhere on this planet, millions of women earn their daily keep in "prostitution." Millions of men do too, for that matter, as the Larry Craig silliness attests.

On yesterday's Democracy Now, the plight of "sex workers" was covered in an interview with Juhu Thukral, Director of the Sex Workers Project at the Urban Justice Center. It at least gave some recognition to the plight of people who engage in sexual activity for money, but I found the treatment lacking.

"Sex worker!" It sounds like a trade, like ironworker, plumber, or laborer. I prefer a more professional title, like carnal associate, or erotic specialist. How about orgasmic provider?

Engaging in sexual activity for money may not be a girl's childhood dream, but in the grand scheme of things, it is not such a shameful thing, relative to other things one could do with one's life. I wrote about this in a previous post, Army stories, thusly:

"K-town," as it was called, was a pit. Because there were so many GIs, the economy of the town was built around entertainment for the soldiers: drinking, prostitution, drinking, and prostitution. Prostitution is legal in Germany, and the practitioners could be seen at several roadside areas in town (It is worth mentioning that prostitution is also legal in the "USA," particularly in the fields of business, government, and journalism). Antiwar GIs found each other out with relative ease, and we managed to find alternative forms of entertainment, consistent with the cultural ferment of the times.
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On another note, Wall Street is supposedly having a big laugh and sigh of relief because of Spitzer's downfall. This is because he made his reputation on prosecutions of Wall Street criminals, many of whom no doubt enjoyed the same type of "prostitution" services as did Sptizer. If there is such cheering on Wall Street, that can only mean that they are either criminals or enablers of criminals. If investors, brokers, bankers, speculators, embezzlers, hucksters, and fraudsters on Wall Street feel more free to engage in bilking the public, then the country is weaker because of the downfall of Elliott Spitzer.

That is not to say that he is faultless. His treatment of his wife and family has been callous at best, but is a private matter. In the age of the Bush criminal regime, in which the entire Federal government is under the control or heavy influence of an organized crime gang, the dalliances of New York's former governor are almost meaningless. We can force a governor from office, but we can't do the least little thing to remove a criminal sociopath from the nation's highest office. Meanwhile, he is planning to attack and/or invade "Iran," possibly with nuclear weapons.

Then of course there is the myriad of other crimes by this "administration." Enron (yes, the BCF (Bush crime family) played a hand there), September 11, 2001, the invasions of "Afghanistan" and "Iraq," Hurricane Katrina, the purge and criminalization of the Department of Jusice, the crony Supreme Court appointments, the theft of two presidential elections, Blackwater, Halliburton, Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, extraordinary rendition, Fox News (yes, Fox News. They wouldn't be doing the propaganda they do without help.), the FCC, and on and on and on.

Enough said. We live in silly times. Let's hope we get out of this era with our species intact, to say nothing of the thousands of others who are threatened by the rampant criminality of those in power.