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May 20, 2013
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 Mr. Big Takes a Perp WalkPosted on May 16, 2011It’s almost enough to give socialism a bad name. We don’t know whether Dominique Strauss-Kahn—who heads the International Monetary Fund and, until a few days ago, was likely to be the Socialist Party candidate for president of France—is guilty of the alleged sexual assault for which he was arrested. Like anyone, he is presumed innocent until court proceedings prove otherwise. We do know, however, that at the time of the reported incident on Saturday, Strauss-Kahn was resident in a $3,000-a-night luxury suite at a posh Midtown Manhattan hotel. We also know that when he was taken into police custody hours later, aboard a Paris-bound jetliner that was moments from takeoff at John F. Kennedy International Airport, police found him comfortably ensconced in the first-class cabin. I didn’t think this was how socialists were supposed to roll. The tinge of opulent decadence that colors the whole episode would seem, at first impression, to cast a dishonorable light upon powerful, unaccountable, jet-setting international bureaucrats in general, with perhaps a special spotlight of shame for the French-intellectual variety. But Strauss-Kahn, who is based at IMF headquarters in Washington, was apparently in New York on private business. It is conceivable that he and his peers, while carrying out their official duties on behalf of humanity, make do with hotel rooms costing less per night than most workers of the world earn in a year. Advertisement It’s hard to look at Strauss-Kahn’s predicament without a sense of irony and perhaps a touch of schadenfreude. There is nothing remotely amusing, however, about the alleged assault—which, I should note, his attorney categorically denies. Whatever happened took place at the Sofitel, one of the sleeker of New York’s upper-echelon hotels. A 32-year-old female housekeeper—according to published reports, an African immigrant—entered Strauss-Kahn’s suite to clean up, believing the guest had already departed. In her account, Strauss-Kahn emerged naked from the bathroom. She apologized and tried to leave, but Strauss-Kahn allegedly blocked her way, accosted her in the suite’s bedroom, and then sexually assaulted her in the bathroom. The housekeeper reported the alleged attack to her supervisors, but by time police were called, Strauss-Kahn had checked out. He later called the hotel to say that he believed he had left his cellphone behind, however, and, according to published reports, a fast-thinking hotel employee told him—falsely—that the phone had been found and asked where it could be delivered. This is apparently how authorities learned he was at JFK, waiting to board an Air France flight to Paris. Airport police swooped in and made the arrest as the jet prepared to push back from the gate. Strauss-Kahn’s arrest had immediate and far-reaching impact. The most definitive seemed to be the extinction of his political career—and with it, perhaps, the best chance the Socialist Party might have had of defeating President Nicolas Sarkozy in next year’s election. A perp-walk photo is the kind of thing no politician recovers from. Well, no politician except former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry. And the arrest came amid delicate, complicated and urgent negotiations to rescue the European Union’s most threatened economies. Strauss-Kahn was a key figure in the ongoing talks, and while others can pick up where he leaves off, the financial markets could be unnerved by his sudden absence. Commentators in France expressed shock, outrage and embarrassment. Even if the New York allegations turn out not to be true, the incident revived memories of an admittedly improper affair that Strauss-Kahn had with a subordinate. French newspapers quickly produced stories recounting what they described as Strauss-Kahn’s long history of aggressive, obnoxious, even predatory behavior toward women. It’s useful to be reminded that there was a time when powerful men could expect such incidents to be dismissed as misunderstandings or indiscretions or peccadilloes, not prosecuted as criminal assaults. Yes, this sounds like the age of the dinosaurs. Dominique Strauss-Kahn gives every evidence of being one. Eugene Robinson’s e-mail address is eugenerobinson(at)washpost.com.  TAGS:
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By Arabian Sinbad, May 19, 2011 at 6:07 am Link to this comment
Lafayette, May 18 at 11:20 pm Link to this comment
HIGH HORSE
AS: What is likely to happen is that those two lawyers will sit together and settle the issue in favor of the criminal and against the poor little immigrant involved.
This is pure speculation on your part and totally unfounded. The fact that the “victim” is Muslim is obviously affecting your objectivity.
C’mon, get off you high-horse.
=====================================
Of course this was speculation and educated opinion, and that’s why I used the word “likely” in my post. It was presented as a possible scenario and not a necessary fact. All people who post here use speculation and opinion, and you, in particular, are notorious for that.
My challenge for you is this: Take a deep, reflective Look at the image you’ve adopted for yourself to accompany your posts, and you will realize who’s the one who needs to get off his high horse!In fact, whenever I see this image, I just say to myself: “God save us from the possibility of some haughty arrogance!”
Just for your information, in better days of my youth my best glorious moments were when I used to ride the beautiful Arabian horses that were in my family’s farm. However, since my fate brought me to the land of Lafayette I couldn’t afford that luxury anymore, for all the obvious reasons!
Report thisBy Leefeller, May 19, 2011 at 5:36 am Link to this comment
Mr. big is a socialist, thats like saying Republicans are friends to the working middle class? OJ did not have a perk walk he just had his perk chase down the freeway.
Now I am not a expert on sexists or criminals but I believe there is the tendency to blame the victim and in rape cases the victims sexual history is usually paraded in court, attempting to show they asked for it, the way she was dressed, it was consensual.
No one no matter who they are has a right to rape anyone. This guy sounds like a solipsist or psychopath, and probably a sexist, though pure speculation on my part.
People in places of power or authority like the clown in Italy and this moron need to be called on their piggishness, what was the stuff about someone in Hungry or Yugoslavia, though sexual promiscuity is not rape, one needs to know the differences. Supposedly rape is not a sex crime?
Lafayette, My stereotype of French men tends to suggest French men being a bit more sexist and what of womens rights in France? I do hope this guy is not typical anymore then the fornicating and foot tapping Republicans are here in the USA, just a small minority who hate gays who happend to be gay?
Lets hope the victim in this case sees real justice being served. Rule of law should include all and require accountability of everyone including the powerful and wealthy, not just the poor.
Report thisBy Lafayette, May 18, 2011 at 11:20 pm Link to this comment
HIGH HORSE
This is pure speculation on your part and totally unfounded. The fact that the “victim” is Muslim is obviously affecting your objectivity.
At best, the victim will walk away with a very nice compensation. At worst, she will have only the satisfaction of seeing DSK go to jail.
If you were her, which would you prefer - given that you were a single-parent, working-mother with a 15-year old daughter and lived in decreptic housing?
C’mon, get off you high-horse.
Report thisBy Lafayette, May 18, 2011 at 11:12 pm Link to this comment
DSK DEBACLE
There is a great deal of soul-searching going on in the French journalism profession. Such “peccadilos” were rarely reported in the past and many a French journalist is asking themselves “have we sinned from ommission?”.
The French were particularly taken aback by DSK’s Perp Walk. They find it undignified and a smear. France and America have different perceptions as regards Human Dignity. If someone is “Innorcent Until Proven Guilty”, what is an innocent person doing in handcuffs?
“It’s just preventive policework”, I hear. If you’ve got a recognized drug-dealer with mulitple convictions, one can understand the preventive nature of such a measure. But, the head of the IMF? Give the guy a break ...
OTOH
There are vestiges of the Polanski Affair in the background. At least here in France, perhaps not seen stateside.
Roman Polanski is still under indictment for a sexual assault that was made (the indictment) in 1977. Last year, Polanski was visiting Switzerland, which has an Extradition Agreement with the US. The US asked that Polanski be extradited. It took about three months (of intense negotiation) but Polanski was allowed to return home to France.
France does not have an Extradition Agreement with the US. So, one can understand the female judge’s concern that DSK was on a flight to France, where, in fact, he was flying to a Sunday supper date with Angela Merkel (Germany’s Chancellor). She was concerned he was and still could flee American justice, which is a valid concern - electronic leg bracelet or not.
This is the nub of the issue. For as much as DSK is very well known as a key political figure in France; unfortunately he fell afoul of American law in New York. And the French have a thing or two to learn about America’s acusatorial approach to law enforcement.
In France, it would be the identity of the accused who would be protected, not that of the accuser. In the US, it is the opposite.
Diff’rent strokes for diff’rent folks.
Only an ultimate jury decision or, more likely, a juicy-check will decide the outcome. I am going with the juicy-check gambit. French attitudes towards what is happening is decidely different depending upon whether the attitude is expressed by a male or a female.
DSK is a male French-macho. He’s had this coming a long, long time. In fact, one can only be surprised by the length of time it took and his ability to challenge chance so often and get away with it.
It is now time to pay the Piper.
Report thisBy omop, May 18, 2011 at 1:10 pm Link to this comment
Even though there are intimations that Jews in general flaunt
themselves as Jews, rich and therefore have the chutzpah to “rule” this
dude’s past life is front page news in Europe.
And there’s no mention of his religious affiliations. Could be he suffers
from the curse of “women drive me crazy”.
Check out link and judge for urselfs!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1388208/Dominique-Strauss-
Report thisKahn-said-I-sleep-I-wanted-interview.html#ixzz1MixjXllS
By LT, May 18, 2011 at 11:22 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
“This guy was trying to change the IMF. He’d laid out plans for a change away from all the austerity
programs that were always forced on anyone who needed
their money.”
Samson
While that may be true, the money lenders are irredeemable. This has been true for centuries.
Report thisWhatever reforms he may have proposed, it still would put bankstas at the top of the food chain.
This could possible be just another revelation of the depths of their greed and depravity.
By Leefeller, May 18, 2011 at 8:44 am Link to this comment
I guess jewstice will be served, especially if the judge turns out to be Jewish?
This is a sad state of affairs, looking at the Jewish people as the only opportunists in the world, now I suppose I should suspect Hamilton may have been Jewish?
Sinbad, I understand your point about the media using tag words especially Muslim in the news, for I had the same discomfort with the Media when hearing of commuted a crimes and the MSM said the perpetrator was an ex marine. You are right I have never seen them say or use the tag word Jewish, except if someone bombs a synagogue. There does seem a strong media bias against Muslims, but this has happened since 911, with some merit.
My opinion is the MSN is biased in many directions, and they do seem to be painting the Muslims in a negative light, but I do not find the calling on the ethnicity or religion in any case makes it right. How far does one go with this?
The the three cops who arrested this IMF guy on the plane were possibly of some ethnic or religious group, should we suspect something is not right if they were all Muslims they would have cut off the Jewish guys head or if they were all Jewish they would not have made it out of the coffee shop?
The fact 911 was preformed by Muslims from Saudi Arabia, makes them an ethnic and religious group, this means according to your point of view, I can justify stereotyping for the balance of it?
Since the Norwegians gave Obama the peace prize, that must mean all Norwegians are naive or even stupid. My point is not all people in any group are the same. (except for Republicans)!
Sadly I feel things will not change, for it seems many if not most humans are indoctrinated to believe in something which means they are not open to accept or capable of objectivity.
Maybe it would be more acceptable to use the ethnic or religious connections in peoples names if the crimes or actions were connected to same?
Report thisI am seeing weakness in my points, but for now I will stick with them.
By Inherit The Wind, May 18, 2011 at 8:19 am Link to this comment
“Jew Lawyer”? AS, you disappoint me. I thought you were better than that.
You also don’t understand Law at all. This is not a civil case, it’s a criminal case. As such, the victim’s “lawyer” is either the City or the State of New York—the prosecutor. Any lawyer she has representing her “rights” would not be involved in any brokered deal.
I do find it very odd that a Socialist, poised to take over from a hard Right Wing President, had this happen at this moment.
He’s apparently a Jew, but only from his name, and he’s alleged to have attacked a West African Muslim lady worker who was wearing a headscarf.
So…a French Socialist Jew, on the brink of pulling France back from the near-fascism of Sarkozy, has it all crash around his ears for sexually assaulting, of all things, a blatantly Muslim woman.
He’s either totally bat-shit crazy out of his fuckin’ mind, with an ego 10x the size of Bill Clinton’s,....and he deserves everything bad that happens to him.
Or it’s a setup to increase hatred among Muslims against Jews, prevent a Jew from becoming President of France, or keep the Right in power…or all 3.
Notice that if a Muslim woman is raped by a non-Muslim, this enrages hundreds of thousands across the Muslim world. But when non-Muslims are raped AS A GOVERNMENT POLICY by Muslims in Darfur, very few voices are raised. Even when Muslim troops are raping MUSLIM women, all you hear from the “defenders of Muslim women” is….chirping crickets.
Report thisBy Arabian Sinbad, May 18, 2011 at 7:24 am Link to this comment
By tedmurphy41, May 18 at 6:42 am Link to this comment
“I just wonder, in my own cynical way, what would happen should he be found not guilty of the charge.
Report thisAfter all, from the highest in the land to the lowest, everyone should be classed as innocent until proven guilty; isn’t this the procedure under the current American legal system.”
====================================================
To partially answer your question, let me bring to your attention that the lawyer to Strauss-Kahn is a prominent Jew lawyer. And the other irony is that the state-appointed lawyer representing the victim is also another Jew, though not as prominent. What is likely to happen is that those two lawyers will sit together and settle the issue in favor of the criminal and against the poor little immigrant involved.
By abikecommuter, May 18, 2011 at 7:05 am Link to this comment
A Yawn moment, characteristic of the 21st century, when every in-power-figure out of
Report thisthe past, now represents various criminal elements within the government, waiting for a
unfortunate trigger to radiate forth in all the regulatory grime of Fukushima.
By tedmurphy41, May 18, 2011 at 6:42 am Link to this comment
I just wonder, in my own cynical way, what would happen should he be found not guilty of the charge.
Report thisAfter all, from the highest in the land to the lowest, everyone should be classed as innocent until proven guilty; isn’t this the procedure under the current American legal system.
By Emily Strauss, May 18, 2011 at 5:45 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Try to think positively about this. Perhaps Strauss-Kahn’s wife will finally pay for the medical treatment he so badly needs: an orchiectomy followed by neuticle implants (so the other IMF bad boys won’t make fun of him).
Report thisBy Arabian Sinbad, May 17, 2011 at 8:31 pm Link to this comment
Compare this to another case which has been in the news lately; the case of a Muslim Imam from Florida who is accused of sending few thousand dollars to the Taliban. The news reporters reporting this case will never mention this case without prefixing the word “Muslim” before his name. I heard the word “Muslim” mentioned over a hundred times in the last three days, and every time it was like someone is stabbing me in the heart! Yet no reporter would dare to prefix the word “Jew” to people like Strauss-Kahn or Bernie Madeoff, just to mention two examples from many that have been in the news in the last few years and caused great financial ruin to many people!
Report thisBy Arabian Sinbad, May 17, 2011 at 8:28 pm Link to this comment
Leefeller says, “Maybe I missed it, but where does it say he was Jewish, and if he is, what difference does it make?”
Yes, it makes a difference for the purpose of comparison and contrasting how a tiny minority are always overrepresented in the circles of political and financial power. It also makes a difference for the purpose of constructing ratios of high level white- collar crimes among Jews in power. And yes, it makes a difference for the purpose of showing the split vision and double standards that America practices in regard to the privileges that the Jews, their organizations and by extension terrorist, colonialist Israel receive to the detrimental of the rights and fair shares of other religious or ethnic minorities receive!
Report thisBy Leefeller, May 17, 2011 at 4:56 pm Link to this comment
Maybe I missed it, but where does it say he was Jewish, and if he is, what difference does it make? He is also a French man and a sexist pig, the pig may be a given because he is French, but even so, not guilty before proven otherwise!
Jumping on the attacking Jewish band wagon seems most disgusting to me and seemingly very Nazi!
If this crime was really commuted by him, it should not matter what his ethnicity, political standing, or where he is from except for the exclusion of being French or Italian. In France the 3000 dollar suites always provide extra services and yous guys may not know this, ... there is a very popular fetish for women wearing maid outfits, ...especially for French maids.
I have it from one of my unreliable sources, he was not completely naked at the time, but was actually wearing an adult diaper which clearly indicates to me, he is really a closet Republican and not a socialist.
Report thisBy berniem, May 17, 2011 at 4:38 pm Link to this comment
So this pig forcefully screws one poor working class woman and goes to jail. Bush/Cheney (and now Obama)did it to us and a goodly portion of the Arab world and all we can do is “look ahead and not back”? Hmmm…FREE BRADLEY MANNING!!!
Report thisBy TDoff, May 17, 2011 at 3:04 pm Link to this comment
Why all the hullaballoo about a horny socialist Jew seeking sex?
After all, if horny socialist Jews didn’t screw, there would be no more socialist Jews.
er…..that might be a good thing.
Report thisBy exploitedtimes, May 17, 2011 at 11:18 am Link to this comment
‘Like anyone, he is presumed innocent until court proceedings prove otherwise.’
In what fantasyland is this statement true? Anyone, except, oh, say, Bradley Manning and the thousands of uncharged and detained ‘terror suspects’ who fall between the jurisdiction of criminal law and those of POW’s, since they are neither. Remember, a ‘terror suspect’ needn’t break the law - he need only be suspected to disappear in the real world where ‘anyone’ lives, particularly the US.
I would suggest further that the author ask some of his black brothers if they are presumed innocent during the millions of drug searches they endure - for being black.
Other than that, thanks for the article.
Report thisBy Arabian Sinbad, May 17, 2011 at 7:43 am Link to this comment
What kind of socialist is this dude to be staying in a $3000 per night hotel? Labels don’t mean anything anymore! They only serve as misleading cliches for political and economic expediency.
I would understand that a filthy-wealthy Arab sheik from the oil rich Gulf States would pay that money and more for a one night stay in a hotel, but a socialist Jew from France who heads the IMF, supposedly an international institution that’s supposed to help poor countries with funds for development, is indeed beyond my comprehension.
Indeed absolute power corrupts absolutely!
Report thisBy bogi666, May 17, 2011 at 5:09 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Seems similar to the Elliot Spitzer predicament. You can tell when it’s a USG involved sting, sex is involved.
Report thisBy SoTexGuy, May 17, 2011 at 4:33 am Link to this comment
It’s become de rigueur to look for some hidden motive or agenda behind the arrest or embarrassment of most any powerful figure in government or politics.. And I think there’s some substance to it all..
The interesting thing here is that in an odd mirroring of Al Capone (who was incarcerated for mail fraud and tax evasion, escaping conviction for his public crimes of murder, extortion and more) .. this Frenchman, according to some a banking racketeer of the worst type, has had to be humbled and shackled for sexual assault!
If the powers that be are after Strauss-Kahn and they do get him, it looks like the apparatus wherein a guy like him can move about and operate and do his crimes (banking or otherwise) will survive unscathed.. Again, just as Capone’s environment of organized crime hardly suffered at his conviction and jailing.
What a coincidence!
Report thisBy TDoff, May 17, 2011 at 2:32 am Link to this comment
At least Dominique wasn’t splurging on a $40K/night Playboy suite in Las Vegas. Although he’d have been smarter to do so. The ‘maids’ in Vegas, knowing he could afford $40K/night, would have been raping him, and he wouldn’t now be living free in jail. Although ‘living free’ is a euphemism, I’m sure the time he spends in jail will end up costing him a bundle, probably a helluva lot more than $40K/night, when he adds up the legal fees, lost wages, and tipping the trustees for forced sex.
Report thisBTW, if we can lock up ‘The World’s Most Powerful Banker’, who is/was also a candidate for president of France, why can’t we/don’t we toss (relatively) petty miscreants like Blankfein, Geithner, Dixon, and what’s-his-name, the arrogant dunce who was fired from running Harvard, and is now back there in a janitorial position, plus the head of B of A (assuming B of A has a head), and all the other effed-up-‘experts’ who wrought our current economic disaster, into a gulag for life?
There is space available at our leased-from-Cuba beach resort that’s been garnering all the publicity. And we could send some more ‘guard’ dogs trained to go for the testicles to be their gulag cell-mates.
Really, wouldn’t it give you satisfaction, knowing that all is well, or at least getting better in the world, to see a photo of Blankfein standing, shivering, naked on a tall stool, shrouded in a black sheet, with electrical cables wending under the sheet, presumably attached to his genitalia?
After all, according to past administration GOPer NeoCon legal experts, an occasional 240 volts to the d**k isn’t really torture, is it?
By Samson, May 17, 2011 at 12:20 am Link to this comment
This guy was trying to change the IMF. He’d laid out
plans for a change away from all the austerity
programs that were always forced on anyone who needed
their money.
Its interesting to see the pro-wall street corporate
Democrats are cheering and laughing at his downfall.
The IMF is a US appointment, while the World Bank
goes to Europe. Obama, the great Democrat has put a
guy from JP Morgan/Chase in as the head of the IMF.
This is wall street winning again. And the sounds of
Democrats laughing at the outcome.
Find a website with Mike Whitney’s article on the
Report thissame topic. Much better than listening to Democrats
and Wall Street laughing at another victory for them
against the rest of us.