• curbstickle@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    4 months ago

    That’s the debatable part. Given the absolutely massive power imbalance, can it be consensual?

    From my perspective, I think it’s important to take Ms. Lewinsky’s opinion and consider it to not be sexual assault, she’s had about 30 years of reflection on it and where she landed is consensual.

    But I can understand, given the power imbalance and how that has been used historically to force others into a sexual relationship, how it can be viewed as sexual assault.

    • ✺roguetrick✺@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      That’s a hard one to delineate though. Is any sexual contact with the President of the United States consensual? Can the President only get a reach around from Xi Jinping?

      • irreticent@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        Can the President only get a reach around from Xi Jinping?

        Oh my! I just had a disturbing mental image.

        • ✺roguetrick✺@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          Brother what do you think they do behind those closed doors at executive summits. It sure as hell ain’t anything regarding policy.

    • tinyVoltron@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      I would agree except for the fact that she actively pursued him. He didn’t just pick her out of a crowd. She made it a point to be near him. He should have known better than to go there but she initiated the whole thing.

      • Tryptaminev@lemm.ee
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        4 months ago

        Expert manipulators and sexual predators are very good at using power imbalances to make people think they want this and pursue it, when i fact they are manipulated into making advances.

        Now whether that was the case is debatable, but there is no blanket “she wanted it” check to hand out here.