"He Only Lifted Her Skirt"

Monday morning, Socialist Jack Lang (left), former minister under François Mitterrand, made the following comment about DSK's arrest:

"Not to free a man, when no one has been killed, not to free someone who has paid a large fine, is something that is practically never done."

Another Socialist, Jean-François Kahn, founder of the left-wing publication Marianne, made light of the whole incident:

Here is a rough idea of what he said:

J.-F. Kahn: I am certain, anyway practically certain, that there was no violent attempt to commit rape, I do not believe that. I know this man, and I don't think so. That there was an imprudent action we can't… (hearty laughter), I don't know how to say it, he lifted her skirt ...

A.-G. Slama: He called it an error of judgment (cackles).

J.-F. Kahn: He lifted the skirt of a servant, that's what I mean, it's not right, but, there, it's my impression.

Below, the video:



Again I turn to Yann Baly, for his reaction to these two examples of left-wing nonchalance when confronted with the sexual misdeeds of one of their own. First, he reacts to Jack Lang:

This tendency to put sexual deviations in general, and rape in particular, into a favorable perspective is not at all surprising for someone who, in 1977 when he was dean at the University of Nancy II where he also taught Dominique Strauss-Kahn, signed a petition supporting three persons being judged for acts of pedophilia. Le Monde, on January 26, 1977, published the petition:

"We consider that there is a manifest disproportion between the label of 'crime' that justifies such severity, and the nature of the facts cited; furthermore, between the obsolete character of the law and the daily reality of a society that tends to recognize in children and adolescents the existence of a sex life (if a 13-year-old girl has the right to take the pill, what is it for?), three years in jail for caresses and kisses, that is enough!"

No doubt the deputy from Pas-de-Calais perceives that the American laws on sex crimes are also "obsolete."

There is, in any case, consistency in Jack Lang, that everyone must realize, ever since his years in Nancy. No one can say "I didn't know..."

The other reaction, just as disgusting, comes from Jean-François Kahn, editor of Marianne, who affirmed on television that the act committed by DSK was "lifting the skirts of a servant!" ("troussage de domestique")

The ties that bind Mr. Kahn to Mr. Strauss-Kahn, the former's wife having been a witness at the marriage of the latter to Anne Sinclair, are not enough to explain this crazed and scandalous defense. There is a caste mentality, of people cut off from reality, united by money, luxury and power, that cannot tolerate that one of their own is in trouble.

Equally scandalous is the absence of any reaction from other politicians and journalists to these ignominious remarks.

How different was the witch hunt organized against Bernard Debré, deputy from Paris, who had the courage to say what he thought and what the entire world of politics and media knew about DSK!

Note: the French text does not say "witch hunt" but "curée", which translates as "quarry", i.e., food for bloodhounds.

The caste of rich bobos cannot stand its totalitarian consensualism to be questioned. Honor to Professor Debré!

Note: I was curious about the word "consensualism". We don't use it often in English. It appears to be a synonym of "consensus". Here is the online definition:

Consensus decision-making is a group decision making process that seeks not only the agreement of most participants but also the resolution or mitigation of minority objections. Consensus is defined by Merriam-Webster as, first – general agreement and, second – group solidarity of belief or sentiment. It has its origin in a Latin word meaning literally feel together. It is used to describe both general agreement and the process of getting to such agreement. Consensus decision-making is thus concerned primarily with that process.

French readers may enjoy a text by a blogger called Le Grand Barnum, in which he discusses the various rights and privileges, according to one's sex, in older societies such as Rome, and compares the current Socialist oligarchs to ancient Romans for whom taking advantage of a slave was a not a rape, but ogling the consul's old lady in the shower almost was. The post ends with these thoughts:

(…) But Jean-François Kahn is not a Roman. He is just a French oligarch, an untouchable member of the media system, sure of his place, of his right to say anything, and of the superior finesse of every cliché he utters. And comfortably macho, without even realizing it.

There are no more consuls, no more slaves. Just men and women, powerful and sure of their rights, cackling at every little salacious comment and at the "dominated women whose skirts are lifted". In short, no big deal. It would be a terrible shame if things changed!