Donald Trump's Droit De Seigneur

[LongTomH]

Common Dreams:

n medieval Europe, droit du seigneur referred to a legal right which allowed feudal lords to have sexual relations with subordinate women. This tradition, however, had older origins. The Greek historian Herodotus (484-425 BC) claims a similar custom existed among the Adyrmachidae in ancient Lybia, “They are also the only tribe with whom the custom obtains of bringing all women about to become brides before the king, that he may choose such as are agreeable to him.”

In 1762, Voltaire wrote a five-act comedy Le droit du seigneur, which was only performed after his death. In his novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889), Mark Twain cites the practice in several parts including having King Arthur himself rule in favor of confiscating a young woman’s property because she denied her local lord his “right”.

Nowadays, with his inexhaustible panache, Donald Trump seems to be reviving that old custom. In the last few weeks, several women have come forward with serious allegations of unwanted attention from the unflappable Republican candidate. As he graphically said in 2005, when claiming that stars like himself could do anything they wanted with women, “Grab them by the p****. You can do anything.”

The author, Dr. César Chelala, sees Trump as a classic case of Narcissistic Personality Disorder:

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the standard classification of mental disorders used by professionals in the U.S. and in many other countries, includes the following symptoms of this disorder, which usually is not accompanied by commensurate accomplishments: Grandiosity; fantasies of power and personal attractiveness; self-perception of being unique; needing constant admiration from others; sense of entitlement; exploitation of others for personal gain; intensely envious of others and pompous and arrogant demeanor.

Anybody who has been watching Mr. Trump since the start of his campaign cannot fail to notice the striking resemblance of his behavior with the above-mentioned characteristics. If he is not the poster boy for narcissism, then nobody else is. He feels that he has droits (rights), but he is not seigneur.

http://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/10/15/donald-trumps-droit-du-seigneur

[niyad]

1. very interesting comparison

[longship]

2. "If you want to dance, little Count, I will play the tune."

Mozart, by way of Pierre Beaumarchais, by way of Lorenzo da Ponte. From the first act of Le Nozze di Figaro, The Marriage of Figaro.

Specifically addresses Droit de Seigneur. "Little Count" Signor Contino!! Might as well have sang little hands.

That Mozart managed to get this opera performed in Vienna at a time when the Austrian emperor was the brother of the queen of France, Marie Antoinette, is astounding. Of course, nobody knew what would eventually happen in a few years in France, nevertheless there were glimmerings.

If you want to dance, my little count,
If you want to dance, my little count,
I'll play the little guitar for you,
I'll play the little guitar for you, yes,
I'll play for you, yes,
I'll play for you.

If you want to come to my school
I'll teach you the capriole,
If you want to come to my school
I'll teach you the capriole, yes,
Teach you, yes,
Teach you.

I'll know, I'll know, I'll know, I'll know, I'll know,
but slowly, slowly, slowly, slowly, slowly, slowly, slowly;
Sooner every dark secret
by dissembling I shall uncover.

Artfully fencing, artfully working,
stinging here, joking there,
all of your schemes I'll turn inside out.
all of your schemes I'll turn inside out.