I'll make the tasteless joke:
So the IMF engaging in rape makes national news now? It's not like they make a fuss when it rapes third world countries.
The whole thing just feels... weird. So, the guy that's gonna run for French president just decided to rape the maid? Wouldn't put it past him, but still. Is it for common for presidential candidates to pull that kind of career-ending moves in the middle of campaign session?
You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.Hmm, seems as if the BRIC countries might have a shot at getting the top job now. Traditionally, the World Bank President is American and the managing director of the IMF is European, but with the Euro crisis, some countries might be loathe to let them control the piggy bank. What are the odds on Gordon Brown getting nominated? Is there an obvious BRIC candidate?
I would say the odds on Gordon Brown are very long, given that he would have to get the backing of the current UK Government. Why would David Cameron put Brown, his old enemy, in a powerful international position which he (Brown) might actually be reasonably good at, given that one of his few successes as PM was co-ordinating the international response to the banking crisis?
I do have to say that the appearance of his having tried to leave the country is somewhat suspicious, though if that was a flight he was already scheduled on that'd be different.
An hour to report an assault isn't that long a time, really, and it sounds like the maid told her management a lot quicker. People are generally somewhat in shock from such a thing, after all.
edited 16th May '11 12:36:56 PM by Morven
A brighter future for a darker age.
Well, that remains to be seen. Apparently, he went to lunch with his daughter (she's living in NYC), and still forgot his cellphone somewhere. So, I think it could be nice if they got some witnesses from the restaurant, 'cause unless he's a real Complete Monster, I cannot imagine someone eating and chatting with his daughter just after raping a maid, without it showing on his face or overall behaviour. And, also, where is the cellphone of the IMF's head? He apparently didn't forget it in the hotel, according to the NYPD. He even called the hotel to know if they found it, so this is particularly weird:
-If something really happened in the room (set-up or rape), why would he call and tell them where he was, especially _before_ being safe and sound over the Atlantic in a french company passenger plane?
-If he didn't have any reason to worry about calling them, then, WHAT THE F***?!
I know Ace Attorney isn't a good law course, but there is a glaring problem in this situation, people. Do we have any evidence to shove under the judge's nose, or can we press the witness, here?
- hope the prosecutor isn't a Von Karma
edited 16th May '11 1:27:47 PM by RufusShinra
As the size of an explosion increases, the number of social situations it is incapable of solving approaches zero.Geez, I hope to never be raped by a powerful man because on top of the rape, I'll have to deal with the femme fatale/honeypot/conspiracy slinging from an international audience.
Famous or not, people are going to make out that you are to blame either way.
edited 16th May '11 1:43:23 PM by joeyjojo
hashtagsarestupid
Yep, that's something we can agree on. The UMP (right-wing) is just made of hate-mongering sheeps, the PS is a bunch of hypocrites more useless than not, the FN is... the FN, the far-left is still stuck in the 19th century class struggle with a bit of May 68, and the centrists are a laughing stock.
And DSK seemed to be the most level-headed of them all.
Yeah, yeah, I know. That sucks, no maid needed (one had to do it).
The only bright point is... well, is there one? Oh, yes, the food is good. That's pretty much it.
As the size of an explosion increases, the number of social situations it is incapable of solving approaches zero.Well, conspiracy theories of course are everywhere now. It was the French right, now it were DSK's opponents within the socialists, no it was some US interest because of how the IMF has played and is playing an important role in propping up faltering Euro states (and DSK was a big proponent of that, and some interests might want a weak Euro).
Meh. Certainly the guy did have many political enemies in all his roles. But of course, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken. Unrelated ME1 FanficGordon Brown was a horrible PM, but one of the best Chancellors of the Exchequors in living memory. He would be superb in the role. As said though, Cameron won't let him get it.
Even if the guy is innocent here, his career is ruined. This has major implications for Greece considering he was involved with their debt restructuring too.
My name is Addy. Please call me that instead of my username.^^ http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/16/business/global/16drachma.html
. . . These struggles have again made Greece an urgent matter for the 17-nation euro zone, whose finance ministers are to meet on Monday to discuss Greece and the debt crisis that has defied Europe’s yearlong efforts to contain it. On the table will be whether Greece, which is now projected to miss its deficit target by as much as two percentage points of G.D.P. this year, will be granted another round of loans totaling as much as 60 billion euros, and what further budget cuts would be required in return.
But there is serious debate about whether this kind of prescription — subjecting Greece to more cuts and sacrifice in order to justify a second installment of funds from a reluctant Europe — is the right one.
This form of remedy violates two basic economic principles, according to Yanis Varoufakis, an economics professor and blogger at the University of Athens. “You do not lend money at high interest rates to the insolvent and you do not introduce austerity into a recession,” he said. “It’s pretty simple: the debt is going up and G.D.P. is going down. Have we not learned the lesson of 1929?”
The arrest on Saturday of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the head of the I.M.F., on charges related to sexual assault could create new uncertainty about a push for more severe austerity. Mr. Strauss-Kahn generally favored a less onerous approach, and if he is forced to resign it is possible that tougher conditions preferred by Germany will be imposed.
Doesn't look so good for Greece.
That's Feo . . . He's a disgusting, mysoginistic, paedophilic asshat who moonlights as a shitty writer—Something Awful
Annnnnnd the word in excess you're talking about is "French" :-P
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Anyway, as long as the girl isn't forced to do anything, a lot of people don't give it a damn about it in France (it's private life, we never expected our politicians to be morally perfect and they never pretended it either, which is refreshingly honest for people whose job is, like in every country in the world, to lie to the public). I mean, one of our presidents had a daughter with another woman than his wife, and there wasn't so much fuss. Of course, if there really was an assault, it's another story.
edited 16th May '11 10:47:35 PM by RufusShinra
As the size of an explosion increases, the number of social situations it is incapable of solving approaches zero.Even if assualt isn't involved, surely a history like this guy's is a little questionable? He seems to be rather misogynistic, even if he didn't physically assault anyone.
There's a line between philandering, and making life difficult for any woman who wants to work anywhere near you.
Be not afraid...
Don't know the whole story, but one thing is pretty clear: his history with women is what made that devastating the whole scandal here. Even if this is a set-up (too soon to be sure), his career is terminated, as he'll never be in the race for the presidential elections since he's lost all his reputation abroad. And one of the reasons for that is he was known for more than a few affairs and, whatever the trial results will be, he'll be forever branded as a rapist.
IMO, the really stupid thing on his part was to have affairs while in the U.S. Everyone saw what it can lead to (we were astonished here to see that Clinton almost got impeached for the Lewinski thing, while Bush Jr. got away with lying and bombing a country). So, now, he's got a history of affairs, for which I believe more than a few americans never forgive or forget (of course, if he tried to rape a maid in France, he would be demolished the same way, don't worry about that, this is one thing we do not tolerate either). And that'll be his doom.
To quote one of the leading journalists in the french political web: “In the U.S. if you’re found to have a mistress, you’re out,” Mr. Haski said. “If Strauss-Kahn has a mistress, I don’t care. If he has done something more serious that would affect his capacity as a public figure, that’s where the line should be drawn. We haven’t done our job properly on Strauss-Kahn. But what I fear is that this scandal could lead us into bedroom politics, which I would hate.”
edited 16th May '11 11:22:15 PM by RufusShinra
As the size of an explosion increases, the number of social situations it is incapable of solving approaches zero.

If you can afford the connections needed to become head of the IMF, if you can afford to go to and host the right parties, you can briefly part with $1M.
If I were Aubry's flack I'd point out how prudish and sexually regimented Americans are and claim it was a misunderstanding. And downplay the details, since I daresay even in France it's not cool to greet the hotel staff with your wang hanging out.
The child is father to the man —Oedipus