Getting away with it

Not a good year for the Govenator. Arnold step down as Governor of California with terrible ratings. And now he may lose his marriage because he decided to fool around with the help. Let me get this straight. The baby of the housekeeper was born about the same week as the baby of his wife. So at the same time he was impregnating his wife he was... well you get the picture. He clearly can not say that he was having an affair due to lack of sex by his wife. This guy had it all. A great career, beautiful wife and kids, money, fame. He still may have had some political career but that is gone now. His marriage appears to be toast which is going to effect his relationship with his kids. He will still have money but he may now be famous for things he does not want to be famous for. All for a little role in the hay. Why would he risk so much for what is really so little?
Then there is the case of Dominique Strauss-Kahn. You remember him. The IMF leader who is about 70 years old but has sexual urges so powerful that he had to go ahead and rape his maid. Wow. What a great decision that was. This guy was going to challenge for the presidency of France before he decided that rape was a better political move than say hiring a prostitute. Not that I am condoning prostitution but why did he not just do that? The French would have forgiven him for that. Instead he has lost his political career and maybe his freedom because he could not "control" his sexual impulses. As old as he is even a five year sentence may be a life sentence. So from a non-moral but practical standpoint what do you think is smarter - rape a maid or hire a prostitute?
Ever wonder why some men do dumb things. And men seem to do it a lot in the sexual realm. Anybody remember John Edwards threatening his presidential candidacy so that he could have an out of wedlock kid. All while his wife is fighting cancer. I do not want to just focus on men as I have seen women do dumb things and throw away great opportunities as well. Usually they do this trying to save a dumb guy that they "love" but they are being dumb nonetheless. But why people can be so short sighted is something that is worth thinking about. These cases of men trading in their families and careers for a sexual encounter is one of the best ways to show this tendency.
I have a theory about this. I think that Arnold, Dominique and John did their stuff because they thought they would get away with it. They were powerful men who thought that their power would shield them from the consequences of their actions. Those actions show what can happen when people think that there are no consequences for their actions. Murders kill because they think they can get away with it. Thiefs steal because they think they can get away with it. When you see the worst of human behavior you are seeing those who think they can get away with what they are doing.
Sociologist talk about social control in society. That is aspects of our society that compel us to behave. When there is no social control there is the potential of human horror and we see that all the time. Ever wonder what you would do if you could get away with it. What would you take? Who would you oppress? How would you punish those you hate? You may not want to think about that. Those can be an uncomfortable thoughts to have. But if we can truly engage in self-introspection then when we truly are in situations where we think we can get away with evil we may decide to restrain ourselves and live by our true principles. Just saying.

Sincerely,

Trouble-Maker