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talk about turning defence into attack!


mint

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Anyone would think there is some type of election coming up in France. It's the same old, same old, presidential election and loads of scandal.

Expect to see Hollande in court next year under some form of corruption charge, It's France and French politics, it's what the do.

Shame they don't have this type of thing in the UK. Nearest they come to is somebody trying to snog Dianne Abbott (yuck) and the same MP getting pissed in a bar, complaining of a migraine and can't get off her bottom to be bothered to vote. Pretty lame compared to France.
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CT, what about the sex scandals, dating back to Profumo?

And that Tory MP whose name escapes me but who was found dead, tied to his bed post, with a stocking round his neck and an apple (or was it a rose?) in his mouth?

Then do you remember that business with John Major and Edwina Curry???    And David Mellor and the Chelsea strip?  The mind boggles.......

Still, if it all takes place in private and none of us is present, I don't really care what on earth consenting adults get up to! 

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Still, if it all takes place in private and none of us is present, I don't really care what on earth consenting adults get up to!

I have never understood this attitude. Given that, what people get up to in their private life has an effect on how they act in pubilc life, do you want someone with questionable morals in charge of the country? A quick tour of the urban dictionary will turn up some horrific things consenting adults get up to in private (strong stomach needed if you start reading).
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We can't stop what someone do in private and no, I don't like all the sleaze any more than you do.

It seems a bit much that Fillon should now say that the investigation into Penelopegate should be dropped.  I think that if these things had come out at the time of the primary, Juppé might have got the candidacy.

What do you think, lehaut?

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Mint - I don't even know who Profumo was, I had to look it up, it's over 55 years ago, long time before I was born. What I meant was there is always something going on every time there is a French presidential election then normally afterwards regarding the previous president. It appears to comes in four or five year cycles it seems.

Lehaut - I totally agree with you. If somebody lacks morals, sexual or otherwise in their private life it shows some sort of lack of morals in general which includes their public life. If you took the attitude that what they do in private, legally or not then we could end up with paedophiles in charge (some say one or two already are in high office but that's speculation/gossip). Remember that Italian chap a couple of years back saying he didn't know the naked 16 year old girl sitting on his lap was a prostitute. The real question is what is a chap like that doing at a party with 16 year old girls in general. Then there was DSK of course who many French women actually defended which I found doubly disturbing.

No doubt about it in my mind the French do like a good political scandal sexual or otherwise.
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The point about Fillon is that he advocates austerity, with a programme of cutting the numbers of civil servants and cuts to the health service, so his generosity to wards the members of his own family even if legal smacks of hypocrisy.

There is a direct comparison: money for his family but not for the families of others.

Scandals in someone's private life  (such as Mitterend's mistress and daughter) may not necessarily impact on the ability to direct a country's economic policy for example.

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My French teacher and non British classmates cannot understand this obsession that the English have with the sex lives of their politicians.

For me the issue is 'was it legal and between consenting adults', and did the person abuse their position of power.

If it's legal and the person concerned did not abuse their position of power then I think it is up to them what they do. To bring in Trump on this, if he carries on with other adult women, then I guess that's up to him and Melania. Grabbing women and using the services of prostitutes are illegal so not okay.
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Profumo, well, this was the Cold War and a real fear of nuclear war....... I think that that is well forgotten these days, I remember well, being shown a film about what to do if that button ever got pressed.... probably a load of old rubbish really, but at least the authorities did 'something'.

And it was thought that that was a sting, Profumo being with a prostitute linked to a russian spy.

In the UK using prostitutes 'services' is not illegal. Lots of things associated are, but not the act itself in private. Me, I'd legalise this, get the tax paid etc.

Frankly Major was so non descript that I really thought a bit more of him for being a dirty dog, especially with the fiesty Edwina! Wouldn't have been the same if it had been with Anne Widdecombe.[Www]

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[quote user="idun"]Frankly Major was so non descript that I really thought a bit more of him for being a dirty dog, especially with the fiesty Edwina! Wouldn't have been the same if it had been with Anne Widdecombe.[Www]



[/quote]

 

Yes he really went up in my estimation, well I didnt even have any estimation for him before I learned, I think she was quite decent to keep it quiet for so long but a really decent person would heae kept the secret to their grave, mind you its not for her decency that I always admired and fantasised about Edwina!

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