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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2012 14:18:57 GMT
Given all the recent media coverage of General Patraeus et al. I'm curious as to other folks take on this "new" scandal here in the US involving high military officials and their private relationships with other consenting adults.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2012 14:30:38 GMT
I confess that I have only glanced at the articles here, because the minute I saw "General so-and-so has a mistress" all I could think was "who cares?" Of course, France takes tolerance of this sort of thing to the extreme, but it often appears that the U.S. takes it to the other extreme.
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Post by mossie on Nov 14, 2012 14:51:45 GMT
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Post by htmb on Nov 14, 2012 15:09:41 GMT
Part of the issue is that it is against U.S. military law to have an extra-marital affair. The other part is the concern that there was a breach of military confidentiality.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2012 15:31:55 GMT
Wouldn't it be time to update the military law then? Pillow talk about confidential matters is illegal everywhere, even among married couples.
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Post by htmb on Nov 14, 2012 17:09:38 GMT
Wouldn't it be time to update the military law then? Pillow talk about confidential matters is illegal everywhere, even among married couples. That's true, but I do believe the investigation of the alleged extra-marital affair is what led to the investigation of the second issue. I have not been following news report all that closely, but my first thought when hearing of the affair was also "why should we care about an affair." I hadn't realized it was against military law to cheat on your spouse. |
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Post by bjd on Nov 14, 2012 17:40:17 GMT
I read an interesting op-ed today that Americans are generally disgusted with politicians so have elevated military officers to an elite caste. Hence the shock and unending coverage of what is basically a non-stroy about adultery. Odd that adultery should be illegal in military law.
It also leads to questions about how much private individuals can be spied on, their e-mails read, etc.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 14, 2012 18:45:18 GMT
I didn't know that about military law prohibiting adultery. Wow. That makes it not only a shabby thing to do, but unpatriotic besides.  I think that the "logic" about extra-marital affairs for military personnel is the same as the "logic" prohibiting homosexuality, i.e., these were both such disgraces that a person could be blackmailed because of them. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2012 18:52:27 GMT
It would be nice if people could be blackmailed instead for having expressed racism, xenophobia, sexism, homophobia or whatever.
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Post by mossie on Nov 14, 2012 20:21:07 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2012 20:32:05 GMT
And I'm sure they have always scrupulously respected that regulation!
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world. In France it seems to be a badge of honour to have a mistress. Moi, jealous, 
