Legal Commentary

A Problem With Women At The Nation

By Big Tent Democrat

Via Echidne, The Nation's Robert Dreyfus has a problem with women. The Nation's Katha Pollit responds:

In a post entitled “Obama’s Women Advisers Pushed War Against Libya [1]" (originally titled “Obama’s Women” tout court) he’s shocked-shocked-shocked that UN Ambassador Susan Rice, human-rights adviser Samantha Power and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were keen on intervening militarily in Libya. The piece is dotted with arch and sexist language—the advisers are a “troika,” a “trio” who “rode roughshod over the realists in the administration” (all men) and “pushed Obama to war.” Now it’s up to the henpecked President to “reign (sic) in his warrior women.” Interestingly, the same trope—ballbreaking women ganging up on a weak president—is all over the rightwing blogosphere. [. . . C]an you imagine a piece in The Nation titled “Black President Opts for Bombs” or “Qaddafi, a Man, Threatens to Massacre Rebels, Most of Whom Are Also Men”?

Misogyny—it’s the last acceptable prejudice of the left.

Indeed.

Speaking for me only

Full post as published by TalkLeft on March 22, 2011 (boomark / email).