When contrasting America´s various attitudes toward sex, one should look at the circumstances. In the ´Adult Film´ industry, it´s assumed - and mostly true that the participants have chosen this life of their own accord. In the case of Petraeus, we have to recognize the position he holds in leadership and the possibility that he could well be compromised because of his actions. As for the man at Lockheed-Martin, there is the fact that his actions can lead to all kinds of civil claims against that company, which could cost them substantially.
In all cases, and apparently ignored by Mr. Reed, is the damage done to families and the innocents who WILL suffer because of the thoughtlessness of the principals involved – all for their own self-gratification. There are good reasons for Biblical morals and the most important is the harm and hurt the immoral cause the innocent humans around them (and often themselves as well).

I seem to have escaped sex, and I wasn´t even trying.

Actually, If listening and watching Liberals has revealed nothing else, this article says much more about Walter Russell Mead than it does about America.

The press always like to stick their nose in other people´s crotches. They think making a small story big makes them a hero reporter. To me they are garbage personified.

Look how long they kept Sandra Fluke in the news. It should have been over in the first hour. Not with the garbage press.

Yes what the General did was wrong but we didn´t need it on TV for days and days. He messed up, he resigned, apparently his wife is staying with him, her husband appears to be staying with her so End of Story. Now SHUT UP.

I don´t think much of this article and find it rather frivolous.

...as a society we are trying to think through the tangled and perhaps ultimately mysterious relationship between power and sexuality.

No we´re not. Henry Kissinger said it best: "Power is the best aphrodisiac." Many women are drawn to powerful men and will do things with and for them they wouldn´t ordinarily do with the average Joe.

But we´re talking about people who are secularists, where anything goes and one does what one pleases, secure in the erroneous knowledge that they are accountable only to themselves, and that so long as it´s "consenting adults", "no one gets hurt." Right. Nice try.

Our culture reflects the entertainment industry, where sexual values change more rapidly and are then "cool" and passed on to the young. Politics is fertile ground, too. Bill Clinton made oral sex "cool" because he was a powerful man. But trust me, he didn´t invent it nor did he make it more prevalent than it already is. He just "popularized" it, if you will.

Sex has always been the driving force in humanity and it is responsible for much of the cultural rot in America. Not because sex is wrong, but because sexual encounters of all flavors is now simply the new version of shaking hands. It´s lost its mystique for the most part. The term "one night stand" no longer conjures up a clandestine meeting in a cheap motel or expensive hotel. Now, most dates are "one night stands" if the date is moderately acceptable.

We´re not Puritans, we simply mourn the death of sexual encounters as expressions of love and committment.

Sad to say but the liberal media only attacks Conservatives, Christians, and Republicans! They gave Clinton a pass and even lied to re-elect him. Lewinsky is coming out with a book revealing what they refused to report (just like JFK).

Clinton was used by this administration to prove they could attain what he once did, bringing America together. I doubt very much Obama even considers doing so. He is a far out socialist who wants to change this country.

This appears to be the pattern for the libs/progressives.

What Patraeaus did was wrong (sinful even), yet if he "got along" with the Democratic agenda, he would be honored for his actions and they would have covered him, US never knowing what happened until the historians "stumbled" upon the facts (like JFK), which surely the liberal media is not inclined to check out, unless it is against someone not of their mindset or against this current administration.

The Obama platform denied God, empowered abortion rights as well as gay marriage. They are all contrary to God´s Word. Assuming we believe Obama is a Christian, he went contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, his Lord/Savior.

If we do not hold Obama accountable for his actions/inactions, be assured that God will do so. He is not a respecter of persons as man is. Also, He knows the heart, exactly what makes each one tick.

Obama is treading on water and without the hand of Jesus, he will sink, totally exposed for US to see/know. He is not above the law. God has the last word! Amen

Blaming the Puritans, again; shame, shame. The Puritans actually celebrated married love and sex. I´ll go so far as to say that they probably had fewer "hang-ups" than the current sex-obsessed culture.

Long live the Puritans.

America knew nothing about this and had nothing to do with it.

There´s alternative headline to this piece that fits just as well, if not better: ´´America´s Addled Permisiveness.´´

Absurd. Personally, I care less about whether it´s a sin than whether it´s potentially a national security threat. And this most definitely was and is a potential security threat.

As for the Puritans, I don´t recall seeing the stats on their out-of-wedlock births, addictions, and criminal activities, but I suspect they were significantly less than current non-Puritan sections of our society. Mr. Mead may wish to re-check those stats to reconsider exactly who is "addled."

What a silly man this author is. I find it interesting that Mr. Mead doesn´t have anything to say about the immorality of watching porno movies or of making them at all. Also, David Patraeus´ resignation wasn´t forced by the American people, it was announced to us. Had we known about his adulterous affair we probably would have been concerned that he might behave that way again and compromise himself. I think we would pretty much all agree that were he not in such a highly sensitive position it would be a matter between him and his wife.