This is the excuse PUAs use to justify their manipulation techniques - "they started it first!"
But I agree with Bruta's definition and position. Manipulation is an effective way of achieving one's goals. It is natural that women use their charm to to do so.
What is sad, though, is that men are so easily motivated (manipulated) by the slightest sexual hints. There is clearly a widespread belief that sex is scarce and hard to get.
It's not that men do favors for a manipulative woman because they like her. It's because they are ready to do favors for any woman that is favorable to them. And that is a very weak position for any negotiations.
And when they realize that they are not getting what they hoped for, all this resentment and bashing of manipulative women starts.
Well, if such men wouldn't accept flirt as a currency it will be much harder for women to get something from them. That is exactly what PUAs do. They turn the scarcity belief around and become a scarce resource themselves.
Unfortunately that gives the women to call such men manipulative.
And this can really go on forever, unless we abandon the scarcity thinking altogether and would enter the relationships with the intention to give first and get later.