And, at last, and far too late we finally get an inside look on our former PM's life in politics.
And, at last, and far too late we finally get an inside look on our former PM's life in politics. And I feel so deeply ashamed to be an Australian and to be male.
This is, though, a shame of association. I did nothing wrong. In fact I tried (in my small, limited way) to support our (then) PM. But I will always feel that I should have done more.
The real guilty parties, the reporters and editors and politicians, I have no doubt are proud of what they have said and done. And that makes my shame all the deeper.
http://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2013/august/1375315200/chloe-hooper/road-julia-gillard?ip_login_no_cache=92fa99a0a1b1f790ca7d1c2919634eef
This is, though, a shame of association. I did nothing wrong. In fact I tried (in my small, limited way) to support our (then) PM. But I will always feel that I should have done more.
The real guilty parties, the reporters and editors and politicians, I have no doubt are proud of what they have said and done. And that makes my shame all the deeper.
http://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2013/august/1375315200/chloe-hooper/road-julia-gillard?ip_login_no_cache=92fa99a0a1b1f790ca7d1c2919634eef
The lady chose a job that entailed a high level of media scrutiny and spin in a country with a history of slowly declining sexism. I don't feel sorry for her. That's just the way politics go and if you choose to engage in them at that level then you must be prepared for the negativity.
ReplyDeleteDamian Hoskin aka blame the victim. So a woman who chooses to become a mechanic deserves no sympathy or support if she gets fired after her workmates say nothing about her getting heckled by the workshop across the road, the same one that takes out full page ads saying 'You don't want your car serviced over there! What does a woman know about fixing cars?' Never mind that during that time she landed the company a lucrative contract with an F1 team by being so good at her job? That woman deserves no sympathy?
ReplyDeleteThis is the same thing.
Yes politics is rough and tumble. But not the way Ms Gillard was treated - that was sexist assassination.
She understood the environment she was entering and got paid to enter it. Do you feel sorry for pro boxers that get knocked out? I am not saying the environment was correct or anybody's actions can be condoned. I understand your point but don't feel sorry for the player... when it's the game that's out of whack. Sexism was always to be expected (as much as it sucks). This is #straya.
ReplyDeleteOh and comparing politics to a mechanics workshop? They are nowhere in the same league.
I don't feel sorry for a professional boxer who gets KOed. I do feel sorry for the boxer who - despite having won the last 10 bouts - gets booed off as a loser and the gets fired - because they were female. Sexism should not be expected, excused or justified. Even in Australia. We are not a third-world state like Texas - yet.
ReplyDeleteAs a father of two girls I totally agree..sexism has no place in this world. However, politics is a dirty game and yes Australia is a sexist country. Therefore, sadly it should have been expected with contingencies in place. It would have been naive to have expected anything less than what she encountered. Again I stress yes sexism shouldn't have been a factor but in the real world it is. We are a long way off shaking ozzie bloke attitudes.
ReplyDeleteFrom an objective viewpoint and without sexism involved, was Julia really winning ten rounds? I think not, but that is a whole different debate.
Just because it's expected, does not mean it's fucking acceptable or right. And the only way we can make it less acceptable and less expected, is by speaking up and objecting when this sort of thing happens. Not shrugging and saying 'well what did she expect?' Because by accepting the status quo you are accepting a world that will be less fair on your daughters, and tacitly telling them that you agree with that.
ReplyDeleteElaine Walker you have incorrectly mis-quoted me. At no point did I say sexism was acceptable nor right. As for me accepting it as the status quo...sorry those are your words not mine. I acknowledged that sexism existed and that it would be an ongoing issue for some time to come.
ReplyDeleteI did say politics is a dirty game and contingencies should have been put in place. Julia Gillard got sacked because she was about to lose an election not because she was a women.
she was also willing to use sexism as a weapon against her opponents and it made part of the battleground, she was no shrinking violet and did not shirk the fight.
ReplyDeleteFairly or not She was judged wanting by her peers and the population in general.
To then blame your failings on being a victim of sexism is disingenuous at best. Part of the problem maybe but not all of it.
She is like Tony Abbot polarising you either like them or you don't. carrying so much baggage people won't change their minds even if what they say makes sense.
Smooth talkers like rudd and turnbull seem better but if closely studied are more radical than either of the above.