You would like to think that the former Governor of the largest of the fifty American states is a man of careful thought, with great self-control and an ability to foresee the consequences of his actions. After all, the decisions that he makes in any given day not affect his own credibility, but also the well-being of upwards of thirty million people. The fundamentals of self control for a grown, married man, one would think, is being able to keep your genitalia in your own underwear. And for Heaven’s sake, if you can’t manage that, at least put a condom on. Apparently Governor Arnold Schwarzenneger is incapable of both.
The revelations of Arny’s extra marital affair with the family maid, and the love child produced from it, became public about a month ago in a story from the Los Angeles Times. The response from most was “What was he thinking?” Not only did he fail to practise safe sex in an extra-marital affair with a maid while on the quest to become governor of California, he also cheated on Maria Schriver – a member of the Kennedy family, one of the most powerful political families in the USA. Talk about pissing off the wrong crowd. The answer, of course, is that Arnold was not thinking at all. His selfish acts were void of any trace of morality, responsibility or common sense. The saddest aspect of the whole debacle is that his actions are not isolated. It turns out that the men in charge of nations or states of millions of people often have no more ethics then a mob boss or wife-beating hick.
We need look no further then New York Congressman Anthony Weiner. His recent near-nudie pics found on the internet stink of trashy Hollywood celebs, along the lines of Kim Kardashian or Paris Hilton. It is pathetic that a man of such influence has lowered himself to the antics of the very people our society so often frowns upon. The laughs and jibes surrounding the irony of his last name in newspaper headlines throughout the world (“Weiner Forced to Pull Out” is my personal favourite) are entertaining. They are a well-deserved punishment for a man who apparently can’t keep his Weiner where it belongs. Anthony Weiner has indeed pulled out, resigning as of a couple of weeks ago from his political duties.
Regrettably, America is not the only country suffering from this endemic. We need only look across the pond to Italy to see what is perhaps the most interesting case of a pervert in politics. Where do I begin with Silvio Berlusconi, Prime Minister of a nation of over 60 million people? Not only has he managed to engage in multiple high-profile scandals, including being caught hosting a party with 20 half-naked escorts and paying for sex with an underage girl, he has managed to do it while retaining relative popularity amongst the Italian population. This may be a reflection of different societal values, but Berlusconi is yet another blatant case of a man of power engaging in affairs more commonly associated with a mobster. If you disagree, I quote Berlusconi, “I have no dream…but I do like pilu [a dialect term for a bit of tail].” Nuff’ said.
The list is endless. Other prominent cases include John F. Kennedy’s alleged extramarital involvement with Marilyn Monroe, Republican Larry Craig’s infamous airport incident, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer’s prostitution scandal, Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky and John Edwards. This hardly rounds out the list. There are no real conclusions to draw from the foolishness of so many who once yielded so much power. They, like all of us, are human and prone to mistakes. As much as we love the one-liners and the punchlines, it is a sad and unique reflection of our society that the people in charge are so often not in charge of even their own pants’ zippers.