April 7, 2008/New York TIMES Possible Nazi Theme of Grand Prix Boss's Orgy Draws Calls to Quit By JOHN F. BURNS
LONDON — Few scandals in recent years have provoked as much anger and dismay across Europe as the saga of Max Mosley, the overseer of grand prix motor racing who made tabloid news last weekend in a front-page exposé and accompanying Web video showing him in a sadomasochistic orgy with five supposed prostitutes in a London sex "dungeon." But beyond the licentiousness of the episode, it was the suggestion of Nazi undertones in the role-playing during the session in a basement in London's fashionable Chelsea district that led to demands for Mr. Mosley's resignation as president of the Paris-based Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. Known as the F.I.A., it is the international governing body of motor sports, and has presided over the expansion of Formula One racing into one of the world's richest sports. Family history has added to the notoriety: Mr. Mosley, 67, is the younger son of Britain's 1930s fascist leader, Sir Oswald Mosley, and the society beauty Diana Mitford, whose secret wedding in Berlin in October 1936 was held at the home of the Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels and included Hitler as a guest of honor. The tabloid newspaper that broke the story of Mr. Mosley's Chelsea session, The News of the World, described it as "a depraved Nazi sadomasochistic orgy," and said Mr. Mosley had paid the equivalent of $5,000 in cash for the five-hour session. [It says a lot that Mr. Mosley was able to rise to a position of influence despite his father's infamy. It says a lot that he wasn't forced to change his name, while the sons of the Rosenbergs were forced to do so. BTW, that $5,000 seems cheap by Spitzer standards.] -- Jim Devine / "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante. _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
