Sex, Politics & News??

Original posting Aug 11, 2008

Yesterday I read a very well written article by Chris Hedges regarding the latest sex "scandal" (geeezzz) that in my opinion is just one of millions that go on and makes for what today is called "news". Here is part of it for your reading enjoyment....

"I do not trust or believe most politicians. I have covered too many. The question is not how we can get good people to govern. The question is how we can limit the damage of mostly mediocre, callow men and women, who comprise the majority of those who yearn for power, from doing the most harm. This comes through the rigorous checks and balances of a functioning democracy, not self-appointed political saviors. But we always prefer saviors, those who make us believe they have attained moral and heroic summits that elude us.

There is something sad and pathetically human about Edwards’ affair and his cowardly attempt to lie about it. I never liked Edwards. He is all flash and sparkle with his boyish $400 haircuts and oily sincerity. He preached a faux populism, one at odds with his record in the Senate, to sell himself to voters. But, even as I do not condone what he did, I feel sorry for him. He is being crucified by journalists and politicians, and a public, who often behave no better.

We demand that our politicians play superhuman roles. They cannot exhibit the weaknesses and temptations we carry within ourselves. They must appear to be perfect parents, wives or husbands. We insist that they behave like the idealized couples we watch on television or in the movies. Campaign appearances, with the dutiful spouse as prop, are scripted mini-dramas. We live in a society so saturated in lies that we can no longer distinguish between a married couple in a sit com and on the campaign trail. Bill and Hillary continue to act out their sham roles of committed husband and wife. And, despite all the evidence to the contrary, people continue to believe in the Clintons’ charade.

Political leaders no longer need to be competent, sincere or honest. They only need to appear to have these qualities. The most essential skill in political theater, which has no room for knowledge or debate or trust, is artifice. Those who are most able to entertain, that is, to deceive, succeed. Those who cannot play these roles, like Ralph Nader, are pushed to the sidelines.

There are worse things done by politicians than illicit sexual adventures. Ask an Iraqi. Ask an Afghan. Ask a detainee at Guantanamo. Ask an unemployed steelworker in Ohio. But in an age of images and entertainment, in an age of instant emotional gratification, we do not want honesty or even reality but the reassurance of old clichés, stereotypes and mythic narratives. We want leaders who are willing to pretend they live in a make-believe world of happy couples and perfect relationships. We want to feel that they like us and we want to like them. This gives us what television gives us, a simplistic narrative around which to frame our lives. This narrative defies the messiness and disorder of the real world. If politicians adhere to this ridiculous narrative of personal happiness and fidelity, designed to reassure us that the world is ordered and neat and constant, they can commit egregious war crimes and strip us of our power. If they do not we will find better actors."
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Last week on the Oprah show one of the day's topics was on sex. A couple was on who talked about their open marriage. It was quite refreshing to hear...finally...people who are mature enough to say they love and respect their partner enough to let them engage in sexual experiences outside their union if that is what they wish to do. Obviously this requires complete honesty and open lines of communication.

Some statistics were cited on the show... In a poll taken 7% of women and 14% of men responded that they engage in an open marriage. 20% of people polled believed people can be happy in an open marriage. Dr. Gail Saltz, a psychiatrist, responded saying "Monogamy is not hard-wired. Monogamy is a choice." AMEN to that!

You know, in my opinion, I think there is nothing worse than sharing a partnership w/ someone who may be with me physically but is divorced from me mentally and dead to me emotionally. It is like being in a prison.

I hope that people will begin to question what the "news" should be and what should we expect from our elected leaders? News to me is what policies are being made that have a direct or in-direct impact in my life. What I expect from my leaders (first and foremost) is that their words should coincide with their voting actions. Secondly, my elected officials should be held accountable for illegal actions. And lastly, that our elected officials work on behalf of the majority of the people in their district, state, nation...not the minority.

Let's leave sex and each person's moral beliefs where they belong...with the individual.

More power to people who wish to really embrace what LOVE means...not in a mutually exclusive way...but rather in mutually INCLUSIVE way!!

In the immortal words of my all-time favorite movie figure Maude from "Harold & Maude"as Maude was leaving Harold with departing last words.......

"Go and love some more"

xoxoxxo

Emma