Just suppose that you are a man working for a company, and you are at an important business meeting, where you are discussing matters of grave importance with your peers at other corporations. You walk up behind a female who is your equivalent elsewhere, whom you've only met briefly before and had some phone conversations with, and suddenly you grab the back of her neck and her shoulders and give her an uninvited back rub. Of course if you are a half way intelligent male (I like to think I am) you know better than to even think about something like that in today's society. And if you did it, you would probably be fired from your job (and would deserve it).
Whether she chose to call it sexual harrassment or not, it is clearly over the line. Yet that is exactly what President Bush did at the G-8 summit to German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
A 5-second video and series of photographs recently posted on YouTube.com and various blogs show Bush surprising Merkel at the G-8 Summit by quickly rubbing the back of her neck and shoulders. The chancellor immediately hunches her shoulders, throws her arms up and grimaces, though she appears to smile as Bush walks away.
What else could she do? Her immediate reaction shows what she thought about it.
Of course, if Bill Clinton did this (and he never had the gall to initiate inappropriate physical contact a foreign leader in front of the world) it would be an impeachable offense. But the people who think Bush can do no wrong will probably laugh it off. And no, this isn't an impeachable offense but it definitely rises to the level of a national embarrassment. As am American, I would like to express my apologies to Chancellor Merkel and to the German people for having this kind of dope supposedly representing me on the International stage.
By the way: Look at the leer on the guy in the background. Is he a secret service member? He's obviously 'in' on it.
Cross-posted at Night Bird's Fountain.
If he did that to me at a meeting I'd sure as hell sue his pants off over it.
ReplyDeleteHe must have never gotten the message about what is right and what isn't. And that comes from his pampered lifestyle where he has been protected from everything (like protected from reality). He probably figures guys walk by and give women a poke in the ribs or a squeeze on the behind every day at work, and he thinks nothing of it.
The idea that our leader is a guy who either has no clue about sexual harrassment, or has a clue and figures that he can get away with it because he's the President is an awful thing to think about.
As usual Eli, in my opinion:
ReplyDeleteHe's a total embarrassment and a despicable human with, at best, a frat-boy mentality. He's spoiled and he lacks endorphins for deep emotion. The deaths that his regime have caused mean nothing to him. He can't feel in that regard. Yet a woman is really just a "piece of meat" to him. He does however, crave attention and approval. All said, his "construct" is BIZARRE to say the least. I can't stand the sight of him or the sound of his voice. Yet I have to watch and listen because my country's way of life is at stake.
This would be battery in any other workplace.
ReplyDeleteI honestly believe, based on biographical writings and observations we have all made of his news appearances, that this man is a psychopath who has no regard for others as real individuals.
People are just objects to him, which he can either manipulate as he pleases or reject outright, like broken toys.
We should not elect such people. We should isolate them and strip them of any power over others.
Gosh, and to think that Bill Clinton at least had the good sense to behave in public.
ReplyDeleteThat's how far this Presidency has sunk. Even on the issue of improper advances towards women, this President is looking up at the higher standards of Bill Clinton.