One thing conspicuously lacking in the recent public discussion about Eliot Spitzer’s political demise, is the draconian nature of many of America’s sex laws. Hélio Schwartsman writes for Brazil’s Folha newspaper, “In various nations including Brazil, the location a politician installs his annex is normally a topic that only concerns himself and those directly involved … The Americans, however, don’t only insist on scrutinizing the private lives of their public men and women, but they also cultivate what is likely the most absurd sexual legislation in the West.” After a bit of a history lesson on the sexual proclivities of Alexander Hamilton, Schwartsman goes on to warn his readers, “be very careful what you do in a motel along the highway in Idaho.”
By Hélio Schwartsman
Translated By Brandi Miller
March 20, 2008
Brazil – Folha – Original Article (Portuguese)
Politics, hypocrisy, sex and power. In a broader sense, all of these words are synonymous. As ex-Governor of New York Eliot Spitzer well-knows, after being forced to resign after being caught up with luxury prostitution ring.
There are two interpretations for Spitzer’s fall. In the first, he succumbed because Americans are a puritanical people who take pleasure in punishing their leaders caught in humanity’s “flagrante delicto [immoral acts].” In the second, his sin was to have been shown a hypocrite: secretly practicing what he condemned in public. The detail here is that the two interpretations are not mutually exclusive. On the contrary, they reinforce one another. Let’s look at them in greater length.
If there is something that Americans can’t resist, it’s a sex scandal. The first U.S. politician to get caught up in one was Alexander Hamilton (1755 or 1757-1804), who after a complaint was filed against him in 1791, was compelled to admit to his relationship with Maria Reynolds. Both were married – and not to one another, just to be clear. Although he insisted on not having violated any of his public duties, Hamilton had suffered a fatal blow to his career. Shortly afterward, he had to abandon his post as Treasury Secretary. In life, he never again enjoyed the prestige he had before, but – and here comes the first ambiguity – this peccadillo didn’t prevent him from assuming his historic place as a “founding father” of the North American Republic.
[It turned out the Hamilton had paid Maria Reynold’s husband, James Reynolds, a total of $1000 over several years in order to continue bedding Maria unimpeded. Rather than challenging Hamilton to a duel – which was the custom, Reynolds decided to blackmail the well-heeled Hamilton instead. Eventually, Reynolds tried to implicate Hamilton in a scheme to bilk Revolutionary War veterans, and rather than get caught up in that, Hamilton spilled the beans of his affair to Congressional inquirers, one of which was future President, James Monroe . Ironically, Hamilton was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr a number of years later].
Hamilton’s was decidedly not an isolated case. The Web site politicker.com has a list of the 53 biggest U.S. sex scandals. Bill Clinton, of course, occupies the number one position after his rumored “affair” with Monica Lewinsky – which almost cost him the presidency. That’s not to mention Gennifer Flowers and Paula Jones, his alleged lovers while he was governor of Arkansas. But the list is much broader and touches on representatives of various States and all parties during all eras. It involves heterosexual cases, homosexuals, prostitutes, married women and minors. There’s even a homicide.
A good number of these scandals would be “dispensed with” in other Western countries, which better-separate (or, at least with more clarity) the public sphere from the private sector. In several nations, including Brazil, where a politician installs his annex is normally a topic that only concerns himself and those directly involved. The issue only gains a public dimension if one of the parties complains about the behavior of “said party” (the politician – not the annex) or reveals a correlated fault. Otherwise, officials tend to be left in peace with their lovers, even by the press.
READ ON AT WORLDMEETS.US, along with continuing translated foreign press coverage of the United States.
Founder and Managing Editor of Worldmeets.US