Damaging consequences of the conduct of M. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, noted by Alfred de Grazia following the man’s arrest, together with a comment on his punishment should he be found guilty as charged.

May 26, 2011
Strauss-Kahn was a strong candidate for election to the French Presidency, with great financial and elite support. He has humiliated his native country, France, and deprives it now of one of the prize power-centers of the world, the headship of the International Monetary Fund. This office wields more power than do the Presidencies of most of the world’s nation-states.
His arrest practically ruins the Socialist Party of France that was ready to support him as candidate for the Presidency of France. The case is worsened because the Party’s leaders appear to have been aware of and yet covered up his wrong-doings. His wife’s large fortune was used to support him in politics, which made him thus all the more uncontrollable.
It is noteworthy that his offenses have brought exultation to the poor countries of the world , who have been stingily treated and demeaned by the IMF under his direction. His removal, too, opens up a struggle between the poor and rich countries, challenging the latter’s control of top management.
We are led to think that he has left indelible psychological scars from his aggressions, violence, harassments, invidious discriminations, and other offenses detailed in the preliminary judicial charges against him and by reliable witnesses describing his behavior over the years.
He has insulted and confounded many members of the Jewish community. Vulnerable are many youth of Israel who have been brainwashed by hyper-Zionists and far-fetched Orthodox rabbis into reciting a shaky history, into chauvinism and into tribal loyalty. The damage will be all the more if he receives support from prominent “tribal” members.
The facts, as they become known, are scurrilous. They occasion rampant anti-semitism to come to light dressed as virtuous indignation. They will help the anti-Semitic party of Madame Marine Le Pen in France, and may propel her to the Presidency.
He has revived the historical wounds of African-Americans by assaulting a black woman and, although few dare mention it, probably lost some support for Israel among white Biblical fundamentalist racists who hate any inter-racial intimacy but have been strong supporters of Israel.
He has alienated Muslims of the world and opened a road for anti-Western, Judeophobic feelings. His latest victim, a devout Muslim woman, was not his first Muslim victim: French Muslim families on one occasion threatened Socialist party leaders with knives and hatchets for his reportedly indecent conduct with respect to one of their daughters.
So it happens that Strauss-Kahn has directly hurt Israeli capabilities around the world, for, while Managing Director of the IMF, and therefore one of the world’s most important officials, he was a loyal and devoted supporter of Israel. An interviewer quotes Strauss-Kahn as declaring: “My first thought when I wake up in the morning is ‘How can I help Israel today?’” He also recommended: “.. that every Jew of the Diaspora, and hence of France, ought, wherever he can, lend his support to Israel. That is why, among other reasons, it is important for Jews to take on political responsibilities. In sum, and in my functions and every day of my life, I try to transport my modest stone toward the construction of Israel.”
Strauss-Kahn resembles the distinguished American poet, Ezra Pound, who was anti-semitic, who supported Italian Fascism against America in World War II, and finally even Nazi Germany. Afterwards, instead of being tried and condemned for treason, he was placed in St.Elizabeth’s mental hospital and, from there, after some time, released to return to his beloved Rapallo where he died, unrepentant. Because of his great power and violent nature, Strauss-Kahn may deserve a sterner fate. Judge and jury will decide. Historians may criticize.
Now arises the fearful question: Does a person’s madness in private life carry over to his public life; if, as it appears, Strauss-Khan is a madman in his personal conduct in the private sphere, is he likely to be a madman in his public sphere, as a policy leader? Are his attitude and behavior with respect to Israel, or France, that of a mad or sane policy chief? Ultimately we ask, is Strauss-Kahn’s Israel, that he is obsessed with boosting, our good Israel or our bad Israel?
Although the American and Western European media do not indicate it, there is a growing feeling among liberals, pacifists, and the all-important intelligentsia that the state of Israel is becoming more fascist than democratic — therefore, from our viewpoint, more bad than good. Whereupon we must conclude that Strauss-Kahn’s exhortation to Jews should be followed only if they would be doing good for Israel, Palestine, the USA and humanity, and for the Jews as a whole community, not fascist Jews. In which case, his self-inflicted predicament would be even more damaging to the cause he purported to defend. It is precisely to downgrade the influence of people like Strauss-Khan that a few observers and activists have begun to urge that Israelis and Palestinians should be united in a new 51st State of the United States of America, to be called “Canaan.”

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