Sex Scandals and Their Cost

Published in La Prensa
(Honduras) on 7 May 2012
by Otto Martín Wolf (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Soledad Gómez. Edited by Gillian Palmer.
The golfer Tiger Woods, who some years ago was considered to be the best in the world, was caught by his wife — and most importantly, by the tabloid press — during an act of infidelity. In his attempt to save his marriage, he wrote a check for $300 million, which was not enough to make his wife forgive, much less forget.

The final price he had to pay was enormous; many of his advertisers and sponsors cancelled their contracts.

Speaking of high prices, what has been paid by the actor-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger was even higher. Apart from his divorce from Maria Shriver (who belongs to the Kennedy clan, which, by the way, does not want to have anything to do with him), his career seems to have come to an end (maybe he will try to become a porn star, which I doubt).

The former managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, lost his job, the chance to become the next president of France and went to trial for several felonies that include his alleged participation in a prostitution ring.

Now, someone who was once a promising figure in U.S. politics, former senator and ex-presidential candidate John Edwards, is currently on trial facing charges of using campaign funds to help hide an affair (and a son) while his wife was battling cancer, a battle she ended up losing.

Some have survived, as did former president Clinton, who became embroiled in a scandal when he was occupying the White House. In the past, the media used to have a strange whitewash code that helped several U.S. presidents. Eisenhower, a hero of World War II who later became president and served two terms, apparently had an affair — with his private secretary and chauffeur, Kay Summersby — that never appeared in the media. John Kennedy had many affairs while in the White House, including one with Marilyn Monroe, a sexy Hollywood superstar at that time.

In Italy, former president Silvio Berlusconi was accused of sponsoring wild sex parties, called “bunga bungas.” And since in Italy everything is done in the “Italian style,” none of that cost him his job. “The Knight,” a nickname given to Berlusconi in his country, lost the election due to the economic situation; the sexual situation was not important to the Italians because they love and forgive the “dolce vita.”

Social networks like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube help reveal almost everything under the sun (or the moon).

I personally think that the sexual affairs of any man or woman are matters that should not interest anyone except those directly involved. Except of course cases of sexual assault, the use of a position of power to obtain sexual favors, or the use of public funds should be exposed, and the perpetrators should be brought to justice.

A couple of weeks ago, the summit that brings together every president on the entire American continent was held in Cartagena; what will go down in history will not be the agreement reached by the leaders, but the behavior of some of the U.S. Secret Service agents, who demonstrated their lack of moral and good judgment by hiring prostitutes and then refusing to pay as agreed.

Moral: When it comes to sexual matters, it is not always the perpetrator who pays.


El golfista Tiger Woods, considerado en su momento como el mejor del mundo, fue sorprendido en un acto de infidelidad por su esposa y más importante aún: por la prensa sensacionalista.

En su intento por salvar el matrimonio le hizo un cheque por 300 millones de dólares, cantidad que no fue suficiente para obtener el perdón, mucho menos el olvido.

El costo final para Tiger Woods fue enorme; muchos de sus anunciantes patrocinadores cancelaron sus contratos.

Hablando de precios altos, lo pagado por el actor -convertido en político- Arnold Schwarzenegger fue mayor. Además del divorcio de María Shriver (perteneciente al clan Kennedy, quienes ya no quieren saber nada de él) la carrera cinematográfica aparentemente le llegó a su fin (quizá quiera probar en el cine porno, pero lo dudo).

El presidente del Fondo Monetario Internacional –Dominique Strauss-Kahn- perdió su puesto, sus posibilidades reales de llegar a presidente de Francia y está siendo juzgado por varios delitos que incluyen supuesta pertenencia a un “ring” de prostitución.

En estos momentos, quien fuera una promesa en la política norteamericana, el exsenador y exprecandidato a la presidencia de los Estados Unidos, John Edwards, enfrenta un juicio por usar fondos de su campaña para tratar de ocultar un romance (con un hijo de por medio) mientras su esposa libraba una batalla contra el cáncer, la cual finalmente perdió.

Algunos personajes han sobrevivido, como el expresidente Clinton, quien se vio envuelto en un escándalo mientras ocupaba la Casa Blanca. En otras épocas la prensa tenía un extraño código de encubrimiento, el que ayudó a varios presidentes de los Estados Unidos. Eisenhower, héroe de la Segunda Guerra Mundial que luego sirvió como Presidente durante dos términos, aparentemente sostuvo un romance con su secretaria privada y chofer -Kay Summersby- que jamás apareció en los medios. El asesinado John Kennedy tuvo muchos amoríos mientras era Presidente, incluyendo uno con Marilyn Monroe, sexy superestrella cinematográfica de la época.

En Italia al expresidente Silvio Berlusconi se le acusó de haber patrocinado desenfrenadas fiestas sexuales, llamadas “bunga bungas”. En Italia todo se hace al “estilo italiano”, así que nada de eso le costó su puesto.

“El caballero”, como se le llama en su país, perdió las elecciones por la situación económica, la situación sexual no les interesa a los italianos, ellos aman y perdonan la “dolce vita”.

Las redes sociales como Facebook, Twitter y Youtube contribuyen a que casi nada quede oculto bajo el sol (o la luna).

En lo personal soy del criterio que los amoríos de cualquier mujer u hombre son asunto que no deben interesar a nadie más, excepto a los directamente involucrados.

Pero claro, violaciones, uso del poder para conseguir favores sexuales y gasto del dinero público deben ser expuestos y sus perpetradores llevados ante los tribunales.

Hace un par de semanas se realizó en Cartagena una cumbre de presidentes de toda América; lo que quedará para la historia no serán los acuerdos a que llegaron los gobernantes si no la conducta de algunos agentes del servicio secreto norteamericano, quienes demostraron su falta de moral y buen juicio contratando prostitutas y luego negándose a pagar lo acordado.

Moraleja: en asuntos sexuales no siempre el que la hace la paga.
This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

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