Because dead Iraqis don't look like they can do fun things with my boner. Plus, I think an affair is something small enough and simple enough for people to understand. But mostly the boner thing.
I don't particularly care where Petraeus put his dick, but people who have security clearances are usually required to agree to disclose certain types of relationships (because honey traps are such popular ways of getting intel). I've known people, for example, who've had relatively minor security clearances who were required to disclose to their superiors any time they had sex with any foreign nationals. Like, this is a thing that people are asked to do by their bosses.
Spies, according to popular lore, are required to fill out paperwork if they start new relationships because the culture is very distrusting of anyone suddenly getting close to you. If Petraeus didn't do all the right security clearance things, people will get into a fit. *shrug*
I'm convinced that this whole thing is covering up some other worse thing. This is kind of because I'm slightly inclined in the conspiracy direction and kind of because someone who worked in US intelligence once told me adultery is how they always get you when they want to get you for something they can't expose.
Real statement uttered by real college student Monday: "There is nothing wrong with 100% surveillance if you follow the law."
Or as another friend of mine put it in a post that, ironically, was almost right next to yours on my friends page:
As an Obama pick, the left seems to want to defend him on the grounds that an extramarital affair is a personal matter. Which it totally is, unless you are *hiding* it, in which case, it is a potential wedge for blackmail with the guy holding the keys to the spook vault.
So I think that's a big part of it: secret affair = potential for blackmail.
But also, the American public just has a bizarre fascination with the sex lives of famous people...
If that happened then they would just raise those babies to be heartwarming and inspiring poster children for the power of prayer, trained from the age of seven to testify about their struggle, secretly hoping to get their own TV special.
Cause americans dont give a shit about violence. Especially if theyre non- white foreigners.Seriously. Im not even joking.
You can kill a shit-ton of brown people, nobody here cares, but anyone has any kind of non-sanctioned by society sex, theyre all like "oh my god, what about the children?!?"
I know my tone is usually snarky/sarcastic, but im not even joking now. Thats what it is.
Alternate theory: Us back seat policy wonks like lurid gossip too, but we cannot admit it. We will never admit to knowing who Snookie is. But this allows us to be both high and low brow at the same time - like the Daily Show. Although, the Wonkette blog is another cake-and-eat-it-too enterprise. ... Okay, and Huff Post as well. But the story is one of the better excuses to cover gossip as news and still be considered serious issues people.
Plus, for those of us who are not fans of the surge or glorifying generals, there is a definite element of schadenfreude. Oh, how the mighty have fallen! Granted, we would prefer that it was over something substantial, but this is better than nothing. We will take what we can get. Please be patient with us. We just reelected a secret Muslim communist black guy. We are making baby steps.
Although, in a way, it is relevant. After all, she basically wrote a hagiography about him and this scandal cast some harsh light on that kind of journalism. It basically illustrates how the U.S. press is basically embedded with the establishment both figuratively and literally.
There are lots of good reasons for media to cover the Petraeus affair: - risk of blackmailing CIA director, who avoided admitting this indiscretion for a while - bad judgement of Petraeus (why not use secure communications? why have an affair?) - bad judgement of Gen. Allen (why email Kelley so much? why vouch for her sister in custody case?) - military access granted to Paula Broadwell, a "journalist" who needed a ghostwriter - military access granted to Jill Kelley, a volunteer with lots of debt, a bogus charity, and other bad judgement - unprofessional FBI investigator (shirtless with Kelley, and leaking info to congresspeople) - exposing the excesses of Tampa's social life - pointing out the ridiculousness of expecting monogamy from military personnel stationed far from their spouses
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Spies, according to popular lore, are required to fill out paperwork if they start new relationships because the culture is very distrusting of anyone suddenly getting close to you. If Petraeus didn't do all the right security clearance things, people will get into a fit. *shrug*
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Nation Horrified to Learn About War in Afghanistan While Reading Up on Petraeus Sex Scandal
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Real statement uttered by real college student Monday: "There is nothing wrong with 100% surveillance if you follow the law."
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Plus - it's only brown people that die and that doesn't count.
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Hmm. I was thinking about that today - what if they developed a test for gayness genetically then they can abort gay babies and then conundrum!
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So I think that's a big part of it: secret affair = potential for blackmail.
But also, the American public just has a bizarre fascination with the sex lives of famous people...
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You can kill a shit-ton of brown people, nobody here cares, but anyone has any kind of non-sanctioned by society sex, theyre all like "oh my god, what about the children?!?"
I know my tone is usually snarky/sarcastic, but im not even joking now. Thats what it is.
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Alternate theory: Us back seat policy wonks like lurid gossip too, but we cannot admit it. We will never admit to knowing who Snookie is. But this allows us to be both high and low brow at the same time - like the Daily Show. Although, the Wonkette blog is another cake-and-eat-it-too enterprise. ... Okay, and Huff Post as well. But the story is one of the better excuses to cover gossip as news and still be considered serious issues people.
Plus, for those of us who are not fans of the surge or glorifying generals, there is a definite element of schadenfreude. Oh, how the mighty have fallen! Granted, we would prefer that it was over something substantial, but this is better than nothing. We will take what we can get. Please be patient with us. We just reelected a secret Muslim communist black guy. We are making baby steps.
Although, in a way, it is relevant. After all, she basically wrote a hagiography about him and this scandal cast some harsh light on that kind of journalism. It basically illustrates how the U.S. press is basically embedded with the establishment both figuratively and literally.
But also, yeah, what everybody else said.
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- risk of blackmailing CIA director, who avoided admitting this indiscretion for a while
- bad judgement of Petraeus (why not use secure communications? why have an affair?)
- bad judgement of Gen. Allen (why email Kelley so much? why vouch for her sister in custody case?)
- military access granted to Paula Broadwell, a "journalist" who needed a ghostwriter
- military access granted to Jill Kelley, a volunteer with lots of debt, a bogus charity, and other bad judgement
- unprofessional FBI investigator (shirtless with Kelley, and leaking info to congresspeople)
- exposing the excesses of Tampa's social life
- pointing out the ridiculousness of expecting monogamy from military personnel stationed far from their spouses
Also, it's a great soap opera.