Powerful women: Dump your scumbag men
One good thing about this presidential election season in the US is that it keeps challenging the limits of our imagination. Just when you think it has gotten as nasty as possible, it always surprises you with a new low until you realize that it is set on a bottomless downward spiral. But no matter how the plots are unfolding, the drama in the political arena doesn’t stray too far from sex, lies and videotape. And in the latest chapter Donald Trump provided a lot of each ingredient.
After his misogynic comments about women’s looks, weight and menstruation, the Republican presidential candidate was found to have bragged about sexually assaulting women in a conversation recorded on a bus in 2005 with Billy Bush, the then host of Access Hollywood of NBC and a nephew of former president George H. W. Bush.
In the video, which was released by the Washington Post on October 7, the real estate mogul talked about kissing a married woman without her agreement and of grabbing women by their private parts. Since then, a series of women have come forward to accuse Trump of forced advances on them. Trump denied each allegation and downplayed the conversation with Bush as “locker room talk.”
As shocking as it may sound to many people, the conversation doesn’t seem to have left a dent on Trump’s die- hard supporters. I’ve heard more than one female Trump fan say Trump’s lewd words are noth- ing compared to former president Bill Clinton’s sex scandals.
But even if you assume that Trump really has never attacked women in the way his accusers allege, I don’t agree that for a president or president- wannabe, the “locker room talk” is less harmful than actual physical sexual advances on women.
At least those who talk about women in a politically correct way and try hard to hide their misconduct can tell right from the wrong. But those who think talking in lewd and abusive language is a
right that should be proudly defended clearly have no idea. If he gets to be the leader of this country, it would undoubtedly trigger an increase in assaults on women – both verbal and physical. Trump has many other boys in his locker room. Former Congressman Anthony Weiner, who sent women online pictures of his erect penis in his underwear, including at least one who was underage, comedian Bill Cosby ( who faces multiple allegations of rape), former Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes ( who faces multiple allegations of sexual harassment), just to name a few – behave in the same way when they are caught abusing their power by taking advantage of women. First, they say, “I didn’t do anything,” as if that denial will make everything right. In this world, cyber cheating is not cheating, oral sex is not sex, and the harassment of subordinates is no worse than jaywalking. Then they persuade society to blame the women. When he touches you, it’s because you are too attractive or wear a tight skirt. When he has an extramarital relationship, it’s because his wife is getting older and is no longer as attractive as she once was. It is always women who are blamed for seducing, controlling, extrapolating and fabricating. No wonder Lani Desmonet “Desi” Lydic, correspondent of the Daily Show, exclaimed in a recent segment talking about Trump and Bill Clinton’s sexual misconduct: “Behind every bad man, there is a blamable woman.”
But are the women blamable? Yes they sure are. I am talking about the wives of these powerful men. Many of them are powerful women themselves, or at least enjoy successful careers. Yet when their husbands are caught redfaced, more often than not they choose to stand by their men in public, at least initially.
Some of these wives might be calculating. But women are made weak not because they always think with their brain but rather because they often tend to think with their hearts. Before every such scandal is exposed publicly, there must be thousands of clues his wife has detected. But she always turns her head away, tries to persuade herself that there must be some other explanation or believes he will one day feel guilty and stop doing it voluntarily. All in all they cherish the relationship and always try to maintain it to the end.
Unfortunately, some men tend to think with, not the brain, not the heart, but another part of their bodies, which decides that once a cheater always a cheater, once a liar always a liar, once a bully, always a bully. Huma Abedin, a close assistant of Hillary Clinton now knows this. She finally separated from husband Anthony Weiner recently after the exposure of his latest sexting scandal.
Successful women are often considered as leaders, so even when they become victims of their pervert husbands, they have responsibilities. They should set a good example for ordinary women and dump the powerful scumbags who don’t deserve any respect, let alone love. Show others how to exit a broken and hopeless marriage, and stand on your own feet and rise higher.
Until then, the shackles on women won’t be broken.