Chris Gelken has nearly 20 years experience as a photographer, writer, news editor and broadcaster.

For the past 11 years Chris has been based in Asia where he now works for Hong Kong's leading AM radio news station, Metro Plus.

Chris also contributes freelance material on a wide variety of topics to newspapers, magazines and radio networks internationally.

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September 18, 1998 -- HONG KONG -- So what happened around the newsdesk this week?

Oh, right, there was that Lewinsky thing. Watching the news on television one would believe that nothing else had happened in the World this week. A few other things went on, of course, but almost no one noticed. Historical and potentially far reaching events in Russia, Albania, Malaysia, Singapore, Iran-Afghanistan. Events that may have more of an impact on the American public than a Presidential blow-job.

But let's get it out of the way right at the start and pay a little attention to that Lewinsky thing. A lot has happened since what one Congressman described as the most expensive edition of Hustler hit the internet. And what a crock of shinola it was. I don't want to reignite the debate, but really, Starr should be indicted for wasting public funds. I hate to draw such comparisons, but the U.S. taxpayer paid jillions of dollars to discover why POTUS always had such a contented smile on his face when he sucked on his cigar. We Brits, on the other hand, paid nada to learn that our Crown Prince had ambitions other than becoming King of England. He wanted to be a tampax. Between the two, I think the POTUS demonstrated a little more imagination -- and, dare I say it -- good taste.

But what a firestorm the report touched off. Hundreds of Congressmen, Senators and Governors are now checking their diaries and preparing their defense. I would like to see some zealous independent investigator face each and every one -- on video -- and ask just one question: "Have you ever had an inappropriate relationship with anyone other than your wife or husband?" Okay, two questions: "Would you tell us about your sex games?" The results of this political poll will, of course, be made public. If we get the same sort of honesty from those elected officials that they are demanding of the POTUS, it should be a really entertaining (and perhaps educational) piece of work! And, as those same officials are saying, in the public interest.

The White House has now been accused of digging up and dishing out the dirt on GOP'ers. Wow, now that is an original idea. The word 'cigar' appeared more times in the Starr Report than the word 'Whitewater'. I haven't read the whole thing, I have better things to do, but I'm not sure that Whitewater was actually mentioned -- even as a passing reference as to why the whole investigation started.

Face it, if your neighbour complained that you didn't clean up your yard often enough -- but lived in a pig-sty themselves -- don't you think you would be inclined to point that fact out? Is anyone surprised that we are suddenly hearing all sorts of allegations and accusations being made? I think not. And it is set to get far worse.

Therefore it came as no surprise that it was decided to release the video-tapes of Clinton's testimony and more 'sexually explicit' material to the public. Doubtless we can expect far more damaging 'leaks' about the sexual activities of politicians within the next couple of days and weeks. The great unwashed public outside the U.S. are laughing at the sex circus - but decision makers and those who look at the bigger picture are also hugely worried about what this is doing to the ability of the U.S. to maintain its role as a World leader.

For crying out loud, I have said it before and I will say it again: Why should the average American care ten-cents if the POTUS has a problem keeping it in his pants -- as long as he balances the budget and doesn't initiate situations where young American soldiers are filmed at Andrews Airforce Base wearing rubber body bags?

Nail the sucker for something worth being nailed for. Prince Charles survived the tampax affair and POTUS will get over the cigar reference. What did both 'explosive' exclusive stories achieve? They made the British Royal Family and the Presidency of the U.S.A. the laughing stock of the World. For a while, until the next good saucy sex story came along.

The accusation and counter-allegation of sexual misconduct is spinning out of control. I confess to a minor theft -- I heard the expression "sexual armageddon" about half-an-hour ago on the BBC -- but that is what you people are heading for. Give it a break -- we good folks in the rest of the World pay cable fees for CNN and the BBC -- we want to see something else on the bloody news.

But that ain't gonna happen for a while now, it it?

And there were a few other things that should have captured our attention, but dammit, I've filled my word quota for today and it is time to move on.

Chris Gelken