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Censorship of love a la Putin

Iqbal Latif - 4/20/2008

Men are boys and they never really ever grow up when it comes to passion. The message from Putin is clear: Don't mess with my woman; she is no orphan like Lewinsky. Putin and Sarkozy are two gainfully employed powerful men. One gets curious as to find out what they are looking for in a relationship. We know what their partners, Ms. Carla and Ms. Alina look at -- it is the 'power' that emanates and radiates from these two very potent guys. Recently, Sarkozy married a well-known Parisian (Italian heiress) socialite, Carla. I was keen to know why powerful men fall for 'amazing beauties' and socialites and came to the conclusion that a powerful man needs no legitimacy for acknowledgment; it may perhaps be the other way around, as Carla Sarkozy had previously stated, "I need a man with nuclear power."

Putin’s Alina is one of the most beautiful women in Russia. She is Russians' new Cleopatra. Putin's ''alleged heartthrob and darling, Alina, is an ex-Olympian gymnast and now a law maker in Dumas. If rumours from the grapevine are true and she ends up on Putin's arm, she might be a law-giver soon. Eccentricities of global leadership are so intense that one cannot overlook them. Putin was visiting Sardinia, calling on his old friend and ally Berlusconi. What they apparently discussed was the merits of Russian and Italian beauties. Russian women are "the most talented and beautiful" in the world, he said. "If anyone can compete, it may be only Italian women," Putin added, in a nod to his Italian hosts. Putin said the media had linked him to a host of women including Kabayeva and Russian television journalist Yekaterina Andreyeva. "In other such publications other successful, beautiful young women and girls have been mentioned. I don't think it will be a surprise if I say that I like them all -- because they are all Russian women," Putin said with a smile.

The paper that reported the story of Alina was finally shut yesterday. This is censorship of love. Igor Dudinsky, deputy editor-in-chief, told Reuters: "We stand by our story -- we had information and we reported it." On Friday, at first it defended its story and said "the editorial staff did not intend to apologize," despite pressure from people linked to the owner of the paper.

Putin was adamant. "There is not one word of truth in what you have said," he told the journalist who asked the question. "I have always reacted negatively to those who with their snotty noses and erotic fantasies prowl into others' lives," the former KGB spy said. The Moscow tabloid, Moskovsky Korrespondent, reported this month that Putin, 55, had divorced his wife, Lyudmila, two months ago and intended to marry Alina Kabayeva, 24, a former champion rhythmic gymnast who is now a Russian lawmaker. Putin, who is known for his tough-guy image, scolded the press for intruding on his private life. Putin termed the news item a figment of imagination and described the media as promoting ‘snotty noses and erotic fantasies.'

But after Putin spoke, publisher National Media Company said it had suspended the publication until it had found "a new concept" for the title. Editor-in-chief Grigory Nekhoroshev had resigned, Interfax news agency reported. Artyom Artyomov, head of the National Media Company, was quoted by Interfax as saying the move had nothing to do with the reported romance. "There is no question of any political background behind the decision to suspend the newspaper's publication," he said.

What an attack on free media it would be considered if 'Drudge report site' was shut down after they broke the Lewinsky scandal, or "Monicagate." That is the difference between an established democracy, USA, and a fledgling democracy like Russia. Powerful men can achieve similar results with either force or by 'Gaming the system,' also called "rules lawyering", it is related to following the letter but not the spirit of the law. Putin, in a show of raw power, just ordered the tabloid shut. However, in established democracies, intelligent Presidents like Clinton can get away with words that can be tampered with the usage, the intent, and the grammar.

For example, under oath, Clinton denied having had "a sexual affair," "sexual relations," or "a sexual relationship" with Lewinsky, and on 26 January 1998 claimed "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky" in a nationally televised White House news conference. The line later became famous for its technical truthfulness but deceptive nature, based on one's definition of "sexual relations." "There is not a sexual relationship, an improper sexual relationship or any other kind of improper relationship" which he defended as truthful in the 17 August 1998 hearing because of the use of the present tense, famously arguing "it depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is" (i.e., he was not, at the time he made that statement, still having a sexual relationship with Lewinsky). Clinton, upon learning that Starr had obtained from Lewinsky a blue dress with Clinton's semen stain, as well as testimony from Lewinsky that the President had inserted a cigar-tube into her vagina, Clinton admitted that he lied to the American people and that he had had "inappropriate intimate contact" with Lewinsky. Later, Clinton denied having committed perjury because, according to Clinton, the legal definition of oral sex was mutually exclusive of "sex" per se. Clinton obeyed the letter of the law but not the spirit, he played with the literal interpretation of the words (the "letter") of the law, but not the intent.1

Power definitely defines a relationship between sexes; a weaker personality is not enviable. Women seek a power relationship, and Carla Sarkozy is no different. But one thing that distinguishes her from many a woman is her frankness on lust and love for passion. Sarkozy may have been that 'nuclear man,' but beyond that there is an underlying craze for being loved by several strong men. Bruni is no run-of-the-mill kind of woman. Carla Sarkozy, nee Bruni, has worked for renowned fashion houses, such as Christian Dior, Paco Rabanne, Sonia Rykiel, Christian Lacroix, Karl Lagerfeld, John Galliano, Yves Saint-Laurent, Chanel, Versace, and others. Bruni was among the 20 highest-paid fashion models, earning $7.5 million a year in 1990 when Mr.Sarkozy was Neuilly mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine, one of the wealthiest communes of France from 1983 to 2002.

"I'm monogamous from time to time, but I prefer polygamy and polyandry (one woman having more than one husband) ”

Polyandry out of necessity or lust needs to be differentiated. It is believed to be more likely in societies with scarce resources, like in nomadic Tibetans in Nepal and parts of China, in which two or more brothers share the same wife with her having equal sexual access to them as it is believed to limit human population growth and enhance child survival. However, Carla polyandry is probably more ‘lust,’ an intense desire or passion for self-gratification and excitement and it is rigorously sexual lust. The ‘prized heads’ she has sought include Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, Donald Trump - none were short of resources. One can safely assume that polyandry amongst the elite is very tolerable. It has been claimed that Carla Bruni was involved with Louis Bertignac, Mick Jagger (Jagger's wife acknowledged his affair with Bruni as one of the reasons for their separation), Léos Carax, Charles Berling, Arno Klarsfeld, Vincent Perez and former French Prime Minister Laurent Fabius. I have a high regard for her, for her frankness and ingenuousness. Many a woman possibly will have these clandestine desires but are incapable of articulating them candidly.

Older males with class are a rare commodity. Putin, Sarkozy, Helmut Kohl dating a younger companion, are all men of great minds and prowl. They attract beautiful woman like a magnet. Someone told me that it is so even in the animal kingdom. Look at the lion. The male is highly distinctive and is easily recognized by its mane. The head of the male lion is one of the most widely recognized animal symbols in human culture. The lioness has been recognized, however, as the pinnacle of hunting prowess from the earliest of human writings. They definitely are able to hunt, these senseless narcissists. I remember having dinner with Anthony Quinn (lion with a mane) and his wife Kathy Benvin in Plaza Athenee in Paris. He was all set in white and looked like he did during his ‘Zorba the Greek’ days. I always thought that any girl would fall for this larger-than-life character even in his twilight.

As far as Putin and Sarkozy are concerned, I still cannot explain, other than intense sexual impulse, how much of intellectual gratification forms a part of their recent amorous escapades with Alina and Carla. I wish both connect mentally well to their partners, otherwise 'sex and lust' alone is too boring to keep things going. Beware Monsieur le Président de la République,Carla is on record in saying she is easily "bored with monogamy," and "Love lasts a long time, but burning desire - two to three weeks."