While there is no end of soul searching going on over here over DSK, the voice that is consistently missing from the discussion is a female one. A few brave women have managed to make themselves heard, but I find it appalling that most of the panel discussions are exclusively male, and that there isn’t more talk about the Dark Side of male-female relations in France. Because it is doubtful that this scandal would have ever broken had it happened in France. I ask you: would a black, immigrant cleaning lady press charges against a powerful man in France? And if she did, would anyone have believed her?

Rape isn’t just about sex — it’s about power. What does it say about a society when a powerful man thinks that he has every right to force a woman to satisfy his needs? And here’s another question that needs some answers: why is it so difficult for some men to see the line between seduction and harassment? We are not talking Clinton here, or even Mitterand. We are talking violence. Why was a man as intelligent and “good” as DSK incapable of seeing the difference?

Sigh. I think I’ll go read about Carla’s baby.

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