Spitzer

Lucy Mangan writes in Saturday’s Guardian about Eliot Spitzer, and takes the line that New York is a hard town – one moment you’re cleaning up corruption, the next you are Client 9, Wall Street is dancing with delight, and all your friends have deserted you. But ‘tough New York’ is a story from the 20s of the last century, perhaps from the 80s of the century before. Despite Mangan’s pseudo-lively prose, it’s a dud idea.

Compare commentator Antonio Caño, writing in El Pais last Thursday. He asks how it is that the Governor of New York state can lose his job for using the services of a prostitute, whilst nobody is trying to impeach a President who has caused the deaths of nearly 4000 US soldiers in Iraq.

It’s a case of American puritanism. Americans want heroes, and if you fail as a hero, down you go, Caño says. Look at all those heroes – John McCain, Vietnam hero – Obama, heroically overcoming poverty and prejudice – Hillary Clinton bravely overcoming the abuse of the American right – and so on. None of them is allowed to have weaknesses. But if they do screw up, woe betide (I am translating loosely).

In Europe we elect people we know are weak, and who will be corrupt, or fail. It’s no surprise when they do. Spitzer was effective (if not very nice), and had the voters’ support. But the peculiar moralism of America puts an end to him.

La Manga’s cliché about New York being a ‘hard town’ prevents such points as these getting into the debate. It’s a very American line of thinking – and one that has been unthinkingly followed right across the British press.

Come on Lucy – don’t be so American!