I am going to have to narrowly focus my post Politics and Perversion away from generalizations about politicians in general and focus more on Anthony Weiner specifically. I have been chewing over the scandal more as new developments occur. The matter cannot be defined as broadly as previously thought.
For instance, I was unaware Weiner has never held a job outside of politics. He was a legislative aide for a while before successfully winning a New York City council seat. Such a career, particularly, but not exclusively for progressives, warps one’s mind into believing he is part of the ruling class elite. The ruling class elite, who believe they have sacrificed much in order to serve the public good, are entitled to perks because of said sacrifices. Considering the often sociopath trait’s a career politician develops in order to remain in a place where he can continue to promote the general welfare, crminal acts are not out of the question.
The big question is whether Weiner is clinging to his job because he has no other employable skills to fall back on, or if he feels he really has not done anything wrong because he is part of the political culture that says getting caught is far worse than indulging in the first place.
The former possibility is a likely one. Weiner is 47 years old with nothing but a bachelors degree and twenty-five years experience of taking credit for work done by overburdened staff. He obviously cannot rely on his wife at this point. No matter how sociopath he is, I doubt he is stupid enough to force her to support him while he sits at home all day and…well, surf the internet, I suppose. We know he has a penchant for it. Lobbying is probably out of the question. So is journalism, unless keith Olbermann takes pity on him.
Do not discount the possibility, either. The latter question of whether Weiner thinks he did anything wrong has become prominent in my mind not so much because of anything he has said, but things said by other progressives. Chris Matthews claimed Weiner is the victim of culturally backward Christian conservatives. Alec Baldwin, an actor, but wannabe politico, claims the problem is that people do not understand the modern man. In other words, what I said above--the elites have sacrificed, for you. Therefore, they can get away with spoils.
Whichever the case for Weiner, neither speaks well of him. Either he is willing to cling to his job because he has nothing else to do, thereby diminishing his ability to represent his constituents because of lost clout, or he believes his service in the cause of progressivism excuses immoral indulgences. In that case, he genuinely believes the prudes ought to get off his back. He helped give you healthcare your great-grandchildren will be paying for, after all. What is a little dirty talk to a 17 year old girl in light of such a gift?
