Weiner is a modern human being (by Alec Baldwin)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alec-b...680,b=facebook


"Weiner is a modern human being"

article by Alec Baldwin

My friend Morgan Rank owned an art gallery in East Hampton several years ago. He moved to Italy, living in the quiet countryside there for nearly a decade. We had lost touch and then, at an art event in New York, someone approached me and said, "Morgan is back." I got a phone number and called him.

Morgan really lived off the grid. No internet. Little telephone usage. When we spoke awhile back, he commented on the digital age he found, in full force, upon his return. "Theses kids with these devices in their hands every minute of the day," he said. "They will never get to know each other the way we did. They will never stare at each other over a candle, jammed into a bottle of Mateus, on a red checkered table cloth in some restaurant."

Which brings me to Anthony Weiner.

The Internet, as I understand it, is best for sharing information, ideas and even feelings. We send our thoughts and feelings, our very spirit, over the airwaves, with astounding velocity. At times, as human beings, we want to attach the body to the feelings, as well. Photos of ourselves and loved ones. Pets. The view out our window. The image of a child's purity.

Photos used to sell something. Houses, apartments, cars, headshots, horses, music downloads, cookware.

Photos to find love. To find sex.

My thought on Weiner is that he is a very busy man. Like most, although not all, politicians, he probably spends a great deal of time going to meetings, raising campaign funds and seizing upon every opportunity to remind people of how great he is as a public servant and a human being. It's exhausting. He exists under a constant pressure cooker of self-analysis and public appraisal. Like other politicians, he needs something to take the edge off. For some people, regardless of occupation, that could mean booze, drugs, gambling, food or shopping. For high functioning men like Weiner and other officials who have lived through such scandals, who are constantly on the go, that leaves one tried and true source of a reliable high. The affirmation that comes when someone lets you know they want to sleep with you. Or even cyber-sleep with you.

This is sex for many people now. No time for Mateus and cheap spaghetti. No time for slowly moving toward one another with a combination of hope and caution, lust and integrity. One can push a button and get something beyond porn. Porn is essentially two dimensional. One sees and hears. Internet sexting can be perceived as three dimensional by adding the component of "feel", regardless of how cheap and unearned those feelings are. That person on the screen is doing whatever they're doing... just for you.

Weiner is so busy, he forgot the important rule that everyone you interact with on this plane becomes a co-conspirator. You rely on them to remain confidential.

Weiner is the modern, high functioning man. The fact that he is married is just one, albeit a huge, factor. I know many people who divorce over such issues of online betrayal. Appointment sex with your spouse doesn't always arrive when you need it most. A modern cell phone, loaded with contacts of willing fellow players, has a table with a red checkered table cloth ready for you at virtually any time.

We tell ourselves that these devices help us communicate more effectively. What they actually do is allow us to bypass the person lying right next to us, across the room from us or at an airport heading home to us, in order to meet our immediate, even inconvenient, needs. To bypass their moods, their current view of us and their own desires, or lack thereof.

Weiner is a modern human being. So he ensnared himself in things that modern humans do. When I first heard about his problems, I snickered and made jokes, too. Now, I'm sad for him, his family, his district and his colleagues.

Let he who is without sin.....

That is a very good article. I tried in my own way on several posts on eccie to convey something similar. I think they (congress / media / public) are making way to much out of this. You can bet your bottom, that all the folks carrying on about his sexting are guilty of something similar.

I agree completely, and i know several relationships where it is ok to have cybersex or fun like this on the side, so why the big fuzz? I don`t really get it. His wife sticks with him anyway. ANd its consistent with his political line. He is not conservative

You can bet your bottom, that all the folks carrying on about his sexting are guilty of something similar. Originally Posted by Guilty Pleasures

You are missing the point. He campaigned saying he was so much better than every other man and woman in the room.

You are missing the point. He campaigned saying he was so much better than every other man and woman in the room. Originally Posted by I B Hankering

He actually said he was better than everyone else? Sounds like every politician in office..lol

What politician doesn't put on the persona and attitude that they are above the norm, and that the people should vote for them because they are "good as gold"? They all do this, to get elected. They do it for votes. The thing is, in reality none of them are what they say they are. They are as flawed and human as all their voters in the public.

Well you can't have it both ways -- they are either 1) "better"/"smarter" and thus able to make rules for the rest of us or 2) just an ordinary schmuck that shouldn't be entrusted with that kind of power. I vote for #2.

So here come the excuses "He's just an ordinary man"; "He didn't claim to be perfect"; "He's just a good Democrat" hohoho

If he'd been a Republican, ya'll would like to hang him from the nearest tree. And that's the fact of the matter and the hypocrisy.

So here come the excuses "He's just an ordinary man"; "He didn't claim to be perfect"; "He's just a good Democrat" hohoho

If he'd been a Republican, ya'll would like to hang him from the nearest tree. And that's the fact of the matter and the hypocrisy. Originally Posted by John Bull

I could care less if it is a Democrat or Republican.. I would take the same view points as I do now. I would point out the hypocrisy and ask the same questions as I do now. I will still try to understand the reasons why. I think the article / blog Alec Baldwin did was hitting on some key points.

I could care less if it is a Democrat or Republican.. I would take the same view points as I do now. I would point out the hypocrisy and ask the same questions as I do now. I will still try to understand the reasons why. I think the article / blog Alec Baldwin did was hitting on some key points. Originally Posted by Guilty Pleasures

Taking you at your word, you seem to have the right attitude about it. As to Alec Baldwin... I have little good to say about him and do wish he'd go back to Canada and quit meddling in US politics. He did say he was going back if GW was elected...and then reelected.

I saw the article and thought it was good. Personally, I've never liked Weiner. He has consistently put his personal agenda above that of the party. And he continues to do so by not falling on his sword. Once this hit the news, he should have resigned and it would have only taken up one or two news cycles and it would have been done. Now he keeps stepping on his own dick and taking the attention off the Republicans Medicare stand, which is tremendously unpopular and was generating a good bit of media attention. He's just a schmuck for hanging on.

As for John's comment, I'm not at all hard on Republicans who get involved in sex scandals unless they are a hypocrite. If they bleat about "family values" and fuck around, they're fair game. If they vote to deny equal rights to gays, and then solicit sex from men in restrooms, fuck 'em -- they're a target. But just thinking with the little head isn't a crime in my book.

But putting your personal ambition above the ideological agenda of your party is an unforgivable capital offense, especially if you're a small fish. And that's what Weiner is now guilty of.

I think the troubling part about the situation is the lies. Congressman Weiner went in front of the nation and said he was hacked. Until his lies were exposed then he had no option but to come forward.
Now when he supports legislation and claims it is the best thing for the American people, how do we know he is not lying his ass off?

But putting your personal ambition above the ideological agenda of your party is an unforgivable capital offense, especially if you're a small fish. And that's what Weiner is now guilty of. Originally Posted by TexTushHog

Then I guess you were for Clinton resigning?

You are missing the point. He campaigned saying he was so much better than every other man and woman in the room. Originally Posted by I B Hankering

No he did not.

Jez.

Do I think what he did was more stupid than say Vitter ? Yes. WAs it aganist the law like Vitter? No.



This thing will be done when the next big story hits.

Do any of you know wtf is going on with the nuke in Japan? Didn't think so.

This too will pass. It is but a blip in the political cycle.

You are missing the point. He campaigned saying he was so much better than every other man and woman in the room. Originally Posted by I B Hankering

well his cock is HUGE so maybe that is true :-))

I think the troubling part about the situation is the lies. Congressman Weiner went in front of the nation and said he was hacked. Until his lies were exposed then he had no option but to come forward.
Now when he supports legislation and claims it is the best thing for the American people, how do we know he is not lying his ass off? Originally Posted by borderboy

true, but i mean this is a little lie of convenience. Who got hurt by this? no one? Its not like he raped anyone. Besides politicians lie and all people do. Its part of the job description, i `d say. I don`t support lies and i try to be honest a 100% but i know a lot of liars andit seems to work pretty well for some time

As to him reseigning because of that. I wouldn`t do it, and i don`t think its justified. Reseigning because of this is typical sex negative. Clinton did not reseign either and he did cheat and lie as well. ANd his wife did surely not know. Or maybe she did - the clintons are a case of their own. maybe it was all played out and then they did the PANDEMONIUM game of heteronormativity to please the general public as opposed to say , i don`t care who my husband screws :-)

You are missing the point. He campaigned saying he was so much better than every other man and woman in the room. Originally Posted by I B Hankering

Oh, horse pucky! You're missing the point AGAIN (heh heh heh). What he DIDN'T do is campaign on how moral of a person he is and how everyone should emulate him or at least let him lead them to Valhalla.