Strauss-Kahn’s Sexual Scandal:Rape, Sex and McCarthyism

IMF President Dominique Strauss-Kahn was released today; allegations by the housekeeper who accused him appear doubtful after being investigated by the police for five to six weeks. She not only resells drugs but had discussed with someone about whether she could gain by blackmailing Strauss-Kahn. After reading The New York Times yesterday and today, my first feeling was, surprisingly, happiness, because I had been proven right.

From the first time the incident was reported, I read about it in detail and said at home that the story was bizarre, that I doubted the possibility of Strauss-Khan, in sixties, raping or even having sex with a housekeeper. Didn’t he need to wait for a while before having sex at his age, even if he had Viagra? How many men in such an old age would have such strong sexual impulses when seeing pretty girls? My other half analyzed the political situation in France and said that it was a trap, possibly set by Sarkozy since Strauss-Kahn could be his political opponent.

As the coverage grew bigger and the story was reported overwhelmingly both on TV and in newspapers, I still couldn’t believe it. The immigrant (housekeeper) probably took advantage of the American interest in everything related to sex. The American society values freedom on the one hand and maintains a high moral profile on the other. Since a majority of Americans are not satisfied with their sex lives, they became more interested in others’ sex lives than their own. The immigrant also may have taken advantage of the attention paid by Americans to the social status of females to achieve her purpose. She has nothing to lose, but Strauss-Khan could possibly lose his “steak.”

As the story grew, every weekly issue of Time magazine was discussing it. I carefully read every article and felt that they were all right, but what they talked about was divorced from the reality in America. America’s problem is not a lack of education — people in every organization are trained every year regarding sexual harassment and issues of respect, and many even need to obtain a certificate. America’s problem is that it would rather mistakenly victimize 1,000 than miss one guilty person. The deep-rooted tradition of McCarthyism gives special trust to the accuser.

Perhaps it is because of their trust in people that they won’t tell lies that American society gives special trust to the accusers. I myself have endured the same experience. A person who can read Chinese reported to my superior that “Pretend Romance” was pornographic. After a while, I felt pressure. I had no opportunity to explain myself to anyone. Those who couldn’t read Chinese avoided me, thinking that I was a vulgar, erotic writer, even imagining that I made big money in China from “Pretend Romance.” Rumors are everywhere.

My experience makes me see the evil in people’s heart and the malpractice of the system: Blindly believing the accuser gives inexplicable opportunities to evil people. The housekeeper who accused Strauss-Khan lied on several occasions; she lied in the immigration application when applying for political asylum, and she has even taken part in money laundering several times. Such things could have been discovered by the police once they did their investigations, and the evidence could have been calmly dealt with, without going so far as letting the world focus on Strauss-Kahn’s penis’ activity that afternoon.

Since American culture demands special attention to, and care for, disadvantaged people, and also because of the expansion of feminism, females cannot tolerate other females being sexually violated. However, feminism doesn’t encourage hatred towards males but justice and equality for both sexes. This female immigrant manipulated American culture and the system’s trust in disadvantaged people to achieve her own goals, all of which was an abuse of the opportunities provided to females by feminism. I’m worried that this will have a negative impact on feminism.

I think that what the U.S. needs to do is reconsider the McCarthyist tradition of undue reliance on the words of the accuser, and their undue excitement with any news related to sex. America’s puritan society makes everyone look morally perfect on the surface, in accordance with the bourgeoisie law, while in all reality the people are repressed, even indulgent. However, what is clear is that Americans are much more interested in others’ sex lives than their own. In addition, American society needs to avoid approaching any gratuitous tale or accusation without basic common sense, then deal with it calmly. My own experience is an example of this.