The recent revelation that former California governor Arnold Schwarzanegger had a love child 10 years ago, coupled with the arrest of IMF head and French politician Dominique Strauss-Kahn on sexual assault charges in New York shine spotlights on a strange thing about humans. Sexual drive--completely necessary for reproduction--governs some of the people who would govern the rest of us.
As a 2007 article in Forbes.com noted: "You make partner. You get tenure. You conquer the known world. You achieve greatness in your lifetime. But in the great scheme of things, how much does any of that really matter? After you die, they come to empty your desk. They take down your plaques from the wall. The grand statues you had built for yourself crumble in the desert winds. One way to overcome your own mortality is to produce a dynasty."
The Mongol conquerer Genghis Khan may be the champion: "a thriving flock of descendants can sustain themselves, generation after generation, passing down your name ... or at least your DNA... An estimated 16 million men today, plus an uncounted number of women, are his direct descendants." The story goes on to discuss genetic sampling which shows the Great Khan's genes as far afield as Ireland and the Irish-descended around the world.
Now, it's highly unlikely that either Schwarzanegger or Strauss-Kahn had dynasties in mind when they were doing their dallying (and it must be noted that the latter should be considered innocent of the current charges until proved guilty, although he's been long known as a womanizer.) Both of them have legitimate offspring too. But it's clear that beneath the surface in a lot of men lurks a slave to libido who is ready to conquer nearly any women who happen to be around.
So much for civilization and the recognition of the rights of women.
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