Posted on 03/27/2011 6:03:20 AM PDT by bronxville
Women advocates, both liberal and conservative, are frustrated by the media’s fascination with the narrative that for the first time in American history, women, not men, were supposedly key in pushing for the use of military force against a foreign government.
Reports highlight that the three-woman diplomatic team of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice and the Office of Multilateral and Human Rights Director Samantha Power pushed the male-dominated administration to take military action against Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi.
Many women are not impressed, believing that it is somewhat sexist and condescending to be surprised that a woman could make a traditionally male decision.
According to The Nation’s Katha Pollitt, the very fact that people are pointing out that it is odd for women to push for military action is sexist in and of itself.
“[T]he fact that three women argued for it skillfully and won their point is not very interesting. So why stress it, except that it mobilizes a raft of misogynist tropes about castrating females, the dangers of petticoat government and the folly of expecting anything good to come out of gender equality?” she asked.
Amy Siskind, president and co-founder of The New Agenda, echoed Pollitt, shaking her head at the idea that this is even a topic of conversation. She contends that it is noteworthy largely because the administration has not put many women in positions of power.
“I find it troubling that in this day and age we are even having a discussion about this,” Siskind told TheDC. “Women should be part of many more decisions and our organization has been very disappointed in the gender representation of this administration. It has really been a step backward for women.”
Despite a distaste for the coverage, Yana Walton, spokesperson for The Women’s Media Center, noted a silver lining, that with more women in visible positions of international power, old stereotypes are falling by the wayside.
“As more and more women hold international leadership positions, it’s clear that gender stereotypes just aren’t holding up,” Walton wrote in an email. “Women do bring up new perspectives on issues and alternate solutions to such crises, but this isn’t about men vs. women. It’s about the ability of diverse leadership to solve a human rights crisis.”
Carrie Lukas, vice president for policy and economics at the conservative Independent Women’s Forum, stressed that the focus should be on the mission and less on the cultural phenomena of women in power. Like Walton, she added that it does help to dispel the long held stereotype that women would always seek the less aggressive path.
“I always think it has been a silly, the idea that women don’t recognize that sometimes military action is necessary. Women are going to judge things on the merits just like men,” Lukas said.
The concern for many of these women is that as the Libyan conflict progresses, the gender of the decision makers will somehow shape the debate.
“When media covers this story as a gender battle, the larger story of a democratic struggle is lost, and it’s simply unproductive. Holding to a sexist framework isn’t helping Libya’s democracy, and it’s certainly not helping ours,” Walton wrote.
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/03/25/feminists-dislike-media-narrative-about-women-pushing-america-into-libyan-war/#ixzz1HnumDVC3
- U.S Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addresses reporters during a press conference held at the US embassy in Paris Saturday March 19, 2011, following a crisis summit with world leaders at the Elysee palace. - World leaders met in a summit that could be the final step before immediate international military action against Moammar Gadhafi's forces in Libya.(AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere)
yah....ya know what’s really going to piss these people off??
When the Libyan operation finally goes to hell in a handbasket, Premier Hussein has insulated himself so well, I think he’s setting the stage to blame the whole thing on the Hildebeest, throw her under the bus and wash his hands of the whole affair.
I give it 80% odds that Hillary is going to take the fall over Libya.
“I always think it has been a silly, the idea that women don’t recognize that sometimes military action is necessary. Women are going to judge things on the merits just like men,” Lukas said.
Carrie Bump! (She’s the daughter of a Freeper!)
I’d like to see women of all stripes rise up and kick the @sses of those idiots in Washington who have screwed us beyond the next three generations!! Grrrr!
“Many women are not impressed, believing that it is somewhat sexist and condescending to be surprised that a woman could make a traditionally male decision.”
Maybe so but the former narrative from Women’s Groups was that if women ran the world we would all have peace and rainbows and little fluffy bunnies. Not so easy being boss now is it?
Mel
“I give it 80% odds that Hillary is going to take the fall over Libya.”
‘She Who Shall Not Be Named’ has the goods on Hussein. She’ll be his downfall. I’ll give you 99% on that. :)
I’d pay good money to attend a caged death match between the two, LOL! :)
There, fixed it.
When does this minority grouping end? They never go away!
It’s like MADD - they started out with a great mission - decades later they remain a nonprofit and are raking in the millions for all sorts of leftie causes...People are making great salaries (Soros donations) simply for writing a few articles and staying on the left side of the political equation. They hide behind name-brands.
Wow! She is almost as pretty as Hillary. Along that line, Hillary’s jaw line, or should I say jowls, in that picture looks airbrushed to me.
Nothing suits them, except abortion.
They don't like that 3 women are taking the rap for this mess we are in, but they cannot deny the fact.
Obama isn't a leader, he is someone’s puppet. He isn't smart enough to see that his constant vacations and partying, and Golfing are undermining his ability to keep the American people confident in his Presidency.
Samantha Power: The Voice Behind Obama’s Libya Action
Friday 25 March 2011
by: Margaret Talev
http://www.truth-out.org/samantha-power-the-voice-behind-obamas-libya-action68773
After the publication of “A Problem From Hell,” Power said in a wide-ranging 2002 discussion with Boston interviewer Robert Birnbaum that she believes “there is a moral obligation to do something about gross human rights violations” even if they don’t meet the definition of genocide.
The prevailing political theory in the United States, Power said, is that “you don’t get any extra credit for doing the right thing,” that U.S. casualties for the sake of humanitarianism cost politicians power and support. “It’s up to us on the outside” to change that calculus, she said.
“My prescription,” she said at the time, “would be that the level of American and international engagement would ratchet up commensurate with the abuse on the ground.”
She said her research on the legacy of genocide in the 20th century had yielded lessons for future administrations. Among them: “Doing deals with devils means setting the stage for policies that are going to bite you later” and “you can’t have reliable partners in a war on terrorism if they are torturing and killing their own people.”
Her normal appearance is a bit more masculine. The pic does not show how she normally appears.
HEADLINE: Women and Minorities Hardest Hit
“Her normal appearance is a bit more masculine. “
Sometimes even butch lesbians get girley.
What new perspectives? Such as war, war and more war? LOL! I remember growing up in the '70s and '80s and the feminists were arguing for more elected women because they would never take the nation to war.
Yes, there is no transparency in this administration, but the patterns can be discerned by their actions. From that the motives are clear.
Destruction of the U.S. as it has been. Actions always in the interest of our enemies and the enemies of all Free Men.
They are Despots.
I guess, if the old lace boots fit... Why don’t they ask their twin Bill icons, (Billy Maher and Billy Clinton)? Perhaps they can put a little ice on their old T—t’s.
It sure is hard to just sit and see all this play out. November 6, 2012 seems far away. . .
Hell-hath-no-fury alert.
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