Historical Perspective

alec ramsdell a_ramsdell at hotmail.com
Sat Sep 12 13:01:36 PDT 1998



>
>Do you guys know of another case whereby the ostensible
>"executive" or popular leader of a coutnry has been forced out of
>office over the details of a sexual relationship between consenting
>adults. When did this happen? What were some of the historical
>details?
>Or is this sort of thing a uniquely American pastime.?
> --mike

How about Claggart, in *Billy Budd*? A ship's no country, but it still needs government. Obviously in the strict sense Billy and Claggart are not consenting adults in a sexual relationship. This has the virtue of textualizing, making a "case", of something surrounded by a lot of noise right now.

Sure, it's, uh, "fiction". But the dynamics of power and desire, through the president/intern "master/slave" relationship--a uniquely Western thing, right?

-Alec

______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com



More information about the lbo-talk mailing list