> marriage is a covenant

That's a very narrow view that's a function of one's religion, culture, and values.

When I was in school, (US) my very Catholic French teacher explained that his uncle, in France, had a mistress. His uncle's wife knew and was okay with it. What my teacher was explaining is that the culture around marriage varies considerably through the world, and you can't take for granted that what we were taught (monogamy) is the standard that others live to, or even expect from you.

▲

landl0rd 2 days ago | parent [-]

Yes, I can. The normalcy of a thing doesn't make it right. But this isn't really about whether absolute cultural relativism is appropriate or not. It's about a man who broke his word. Huang wed an American woman in America, not a French woman in France. Nothing about this situation indicates Huang's wife was remotely aware of nor alright with his philandery.

▲

gwbas1c a day ago | parent | next [-]

After looking up Huang:

He is an immigrant, he holds dual citizenship in Taiwan, and regularly travels there.

I didn't go so far as to find out if he married in the US or elsewhere, or if his wedding was Christian.

What I do now is that in some cultures in that part of the world, it is acceptable for a man to visit a prostitute during a business trip. It's not something I condone.

I should also point out that in the US, there's no standard wedding vows! I don't think you know what vows Huang made with his wife; nor do I think you know what their expectations were in their relationship.

▲

gwbas1c 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> Huang wed an American woman in America

Please don't make the mistake of assuming that American culture is homogeneous: It's not.

▲

landl0rd 2 days ago | parent [-]

There's no major American subculture in which stepping out on your wife is "a good thing" or even "an okay thing". A vast majority of Americans poll consistently against adultery and it's often the most universally condemned action in surveys. Here's one example: https://news.gallup.com/poll/692801/adultery-cloning-seen-im...

	▲	gwbas1c a day ago \| parent [-]
		> There's no major American subculture in which stepping out on your wife is "a good thing" or even "an okay thing". No, there isn't. There is a significant part of American culture that separates personal life from professional life. IE, an affair is treated as a private matter to be handled by the married (or committed) couple. (IE, this is why many people in this thread focus on Huang's job performance over the affair.) And I agree with the latter: The affair is a matter between Huang and his wife; it's a signal of his trustworthiness and honesty, and raises concerns about national security. But beyond that, it's not my place, or your place, to judge.

▲

cunnymcface 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Wait till you hear about what wives get up to at “board game night” in San Jose.

▲

landl0rd 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

My mother had gotten "two wrongs don't make a right" through my head by about age four. It's still true. I don't know nor care what they're doing in San Jose.

	▲	cunnymcface 2 days ago \| parent [-]
		Seems like what they’re doing in North America kind of undercuts your assumptions. Perhaps it’s you that is out of touch? Both partners in this case know and/or participate, you don’t want drama at your games night after all. There is no wrong here, it turns out that many partners like seeing their partner have a great time.

▲

2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

[deleted]