Harvey Weinstein [Photo/Xinhua]

It's a phenomenon that has, unexpectedly, swept across the U.S. during the past couple of months: Men in positions of power -- mostly, though not exclusively, in the entertainment and media industries -- suddenly finding themselves faced with accusations of sexual misconduct, harassment, or worse. 

The most high-profile case thus far has been that of Harvey Weinstein, the 65-year-old Oscar-winning movie producer who faces accusations of sexual harassment or assault -- including claims of rape -- from more than 50 women. And not only is Weinstein's case the most notorious, it also seems to have acted as the catalyst for the wave of accusations that have been subsequently made against many other famous men, including Charlie Rose, Louis C.K., Kevin Spacey and Al Franken.

This is touchy territory. It is, of course, undeniably good that women -- some of whom, in the cases listed above and also in others, kept silent about what happened to them for decades -- are feeling increasingly comfortable telling the public about the unfair behavior they've had to deal with throughout their careers. But it's important to keep in mind that each man's case is unique, and that while some of them have been accused not only of abusing their power but of breaking the law as well (the rape claims against Harvey Weinstein being an obvious example), others have been accused of less deplorable behavior. 

And that doesn't mean we should excuse any of the accused men's behavior; but one shouldn't lump into a single category actions that are illegal (again, rape) and actions that are bizarre or, to it put as many Americans would, "creepy" (for instance, the accusations against Louis C.K. would fall into this category). In short: Not all of the accused men are as bad as Harvey Weinstein.

Seeing as how we live in the Trump era, this wave of accusations naturally has a political dimension. Harvey Weinstein was a big donor to the Democrats and a friend of the Clintons, something which right-wing media has tried to spin in its favor. And the accusations faced by Al Franken, a Democratic Senator from Minnesota and a former writer for late night TV show "Saturday Night Live," have struck an even more direct blow to the party. 

On other hand, accusations recently brought against Republican Alabama senator Roy Moore (accusations which involve teenage girls and are, to say the least, sickening) have brought his upcoming race against Democratic candidate Doug Jones into the national spotlight. But perhaps most interesting of all has been the belated response by the Left to decades-old accusations against Bill Clinton -- indeed, it seems as if the former-President may be losing some of the immense prestige he's long enjoyed among Democrats and, in the process, harming Hillary Clinton's chances of a successful Presidential run in 2020.

And then there's the obvious question surrounding the accusations: Why now? Although the Weinstein case was a determining factor, I think there's more to it than just that: Powerful men have been accused of sexual misconduct in the past, but those accusations have never led to anything remotely similar to what we're witnessing now. In my opinion, Trump's ascension to the White House is also playing an outsized role. It's no secret that many on the Left (and even on the Right) believe that Trump is sexist. The "Access Hollywood" tape which was leaked shortly before last year's election was just one -- albeit arguably the most important -- of many incidents that could have led someone to believe this. 

So, with someone who more than half of the country may consider a misogynist leading the country, the atmosphere was ripe for a pushback against a very powerful man (Harvey Weinstein's net worth is estimated at more than $100 million) accused of mistreating women. When the Harvey Weinstein story broke, the nation's psyche -- or the Left's psyche at least -- found something that resonated perfectly with its disappointment in last year's election outcome. And that's proven to be a positive thing. Women appear to more comfortable speaking out against men who, before, could have ruined their career. The long-term ramifications of this will not be insignificant.

Kyle Burnaby is a journalist from Cheyenne, Wyoming. He now lives in Bangkok.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

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