[Marxism] Choosing an immoral life style

[Brian Shannon <Brian_Shannon@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

This should lay to rest the idea that one can choose sexual
orientation. McGreevey tried very hard to become an straight capitalist
politician. He married twice, had children with both wives. But he was
gay and despite his best attempts, it didn't take..

But in one area he made a successful choice. He chose the immoral life
style of capitalist politician. Here he found plenty of teachers,
practiced in the art of seduction, protected by a corrupt political
system, and encouraged by legions of cynical commentators who tell us
"that's the way it is."
_________

New York Times Editorial 8/13/04
The Governor's Secret

Sooner or later, it was bound to happen: a major elected official's
calling a press conference to tell constituents that he or she is gay.
Yesterday, New Jersey's governor, James McGreevey, described his coming
to grips with his sexual orientation with uncommon grace and dignity,
offering an extraordinary glimpse into the private torment that can
accompany a public life lived in the closet. "My truth is that I am a
gay American,'' he said. If that had been the beginning and the end of
the story, we would be celebrating Mr. McGreevey's candor, not
assessing his resignation. But the story - like Mr. McGreevey's
statement - was incomplete.

The governor's announcement was reportedly driven by the threat of a
sexual harassment lawsuit by a former aide, Golan Cipel. Mr. McGreevey,
who has two children from his two marriages and whose wife stood next
to him during his press conference, acknowledged that he had committed
adultery with another man. He did not say that the man in question had
worked for his administration.

Gay or straight, that kind of relationship raises troubling questions,
apart from the issue of whether it was consensual. Mr. Cipel was
originally appointed as the governor's homeland security adviser, a job
for which he had no discernable qualifications. If Mr. McGreevey put
someone in that critical post because of a personal relationship, that
would be an outrage, regardless of his sexual orientation.
. . .

Mr. McGreevey's governorship has, in a way, been similar to his
dramatic performance yesterday. His goals were noble, and some of his
accomplishments laudable - like the millionaire's tax he pushed through
as a partial solution to the problem of the state's huge deficit, and
his efforts to protect critically important watershed areas. But the
story has always been marred by ethical questions swirling around his
office.

The cast of characters is long, and the details unsavory. They include
a trash hauler and fund-raiser charged in a scheme to extort money from
a farmer, and another fund-raiser who is accused of using a prostitute
to try to silence a witness in a federal investigation. The governor,
tape-recorded without his knowledge in a private meeting, was linked to
one scandal when he uttered the word "Machiavelli," which prosecutors
claimed was a code word. He has maintained that the use of the word was
a coincidence.

In the murky politics surrounding him, being gay may be the least
complicated issue Mr. McGreevey could address - and that may explain
why he did not delve into the other troubles in his speech.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/13/opinion/13fri1.html

from Brian Shannon


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