General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Monica Lewinsky gooooooooooooooafuggingway! [View all]Shemp Howard
(889 posts)A vulnerable person is any person who is (in any way) under the control of another. That in and of itself is not a bad thing. For example, my boss can give me a raise. Or my boss can fire me. Yes, I'm vulnerable in this particular situation. And it's normal. Nothing to get upset about.
The problem is when a vulnerability is exploited for venal reasons. As in, suppose I'm a week away from a pay review, and my boss says to me "Shemp, I'm collecting for my favorite charity. Can I put you down for $1000?" My vulnerability is being exploited. Gender has nothing to do with it.
As for Lewinsky, she was in a vulnerable position, even if she was the one who initiated the affair, as seems probable. And that was NOT because she was a woman. It was because Clinton had great power, and she did not.
There are rules against generals fraternizing with privates. And there are rules against prison guards fraternizing with inmates. Those rules make sense, regardless of who initiated the affair.