Did I hallucinate the 70s?

[blamebrampton]

Warning: Humourless grumping follows.

Goodbye, feminism, we hardly knew you.

It's my own fault for reading about American politics while I'm still sick, but I am now sick and cranky and too weak to throw things in the directions they should be thrown.

A woman's right to own her own body and make choices about it is for all women. Not all women except the daughters of conservative politicians. All of them.

If you, as I do, disagree with Sarah Palin's position on abortion, then you can write to her, vote against anti-abortion politicians in your area, or donate money to women's health clinics. Don't weigh in on her daughter. It's obnoxious, whether it comes from the right or from the left. 

Women have enough difficulties asserting ownership over their own bodies as it is.

It's not as though there aren't genuine political issues that are worth being involved with and angry about in America at the moment. The delightful kestrelsparhawk  has been chronicling police reaction to protests against the Republican National Convention. Observers, journalists and lawyers sent into represent others have been detained, handcuffed and arrested in a manner that makes mock of the Land of the Free. Flick over and read, the entries aren't locked.

This is not the Republican Party of Lincoln, this is not the America of its Constitution. To be fair, I doubt it is the Republican Party of John McCain. But I sadly suspect that he is not the party. I would be far more cheerful about the state of international affairs if he was. While he may have issues with keeping his pants up, he seems underneath to be a committed political figure. I may prefer Obama, but all I ask from political leaders is diligence and good legislation. They can do what they like with their pants, and their daughters can, too.

Comments

[empress-jae.livejournal.com]

oh god, why would you do that to yourself?? don't read about american politiks. i'm american and I don't even want to read about american politiks. and yes, the misspelling was intentional...because our political system is basically a joke right now. and even thought i'm not voting for mccain, i'm still waiting for someone to jump out from behind a desk and yell,'Gotcha!' over this fuckery of a VP pick.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I know, I just turned down a job on a news mag, but I can't let go of the habit of wanting to know what's happening!

And there are many reasons to thing Palin is a bad pick (lack of experience, fundamentalist policies, no grasp whatsoever on the scope of national infrastructure), yet everyone has gone the anti-feminist route and I am SO CRANKY! And still sick! Wah!

You just deserve something better after the last eight years. Forget Reagan, Nixon is starting to look comparatively quite good.

[empress-jae.livejournal.com]

every item you listed is exactly why i think she's a horrible pick...it has nothing to do with her backwards views of women's rights or the dysfuntions of her family life which, as obama sternly put, should remain off limits to the media. but of course this one was gonna get out; 17 year old unwed pregnant daughter of presumptive VP candidate? can we say, thick, juicy, bloody rare T-bone steak thrown out to the wolves?

[norton-gale.livejournal.com]

I am wondering if I can stop myself from posting about politics, but I find it hard to resist!

I agree with you. The right to choose means not just the right to terminate a pregnancy, but the right to bear a child with Down's syndrome or the right to be a pregnant teenager. Having sex without birth control may be irresponsible, but it isn't evil, nor is it a badge of shame.

I sense that right now, we're seeing the fragmenting of both major political parties. Despite the cries for unity, there's still a huge schism in the Democrats between the Clinton supporters and the Obama supporters (and Obama didn't help by not choosing Hillary for VP). And within the Republican ranks, the religious fundamentalists are squaring off against the secular social conservatives and libertarians. What I'd love to see coming out of this is a parliamentary system where multiple parties are represented. It seems like a much more functional and representative government than what the US has at present.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Ooh! That WOULD be interesting, though you want to stop before you get to something ridiculous (hello Italy and Israel!).

It has always surprised me that you don't have a real third party. Even the Lib Dems have some influence, and in Australia the Greens have become quite an interesting group now that the Senate is so fragmented.

Still, could be worse, some years it's barely looked as though you have two parties ...

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

You know, I am starting to be in love with Australia again. Of the last several PMs here, two conducted long-running affairs while in office and we've had at least one mostly gay PM, yet the media ignore it and concentrate on voting records. I'm sorry for every mean thing I've ever thought about you fellow local journos!

[norton-gale.livejournal.com]

Italy's ridiculousness- do you mean Ilona Staller? Well, we came close to that with the California gubernatorial election in which Larry Flynt, Gary Coleman and porn star Mary Carey were all in the running: and Ahnold the Terminator won!

What annoys me is the social conservatism and pandering to religious fundamentalism of both parties. Both Obama and McCain oppose gay marriage; Obama on specifically religious grounds (he bases it on his Christian beliefs). We need a real choice: someone who's not afraid to make unpopular decisions if they're the right ones.

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

They can do what they like with their pants, and their daughters can, too.

OMG. yes. I cannot nod enough.

I've been trying to stay out because just reading the posts have been giving me a headache. But I do have to say that the hypocrisy does not lay with the politician whose daughter got pregnant, but with the people who are making an issue of it.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

More the multi-party coalitions needed to form government at times. But yes, the quality of some candidates can be dodgy, though porn stars often make quite good pollies in later years.

The day that you have an atheist president is the day I consider moving to the US.

[norton-gale.livejournal.com]

The day that you have an atheist president is the day I consider moving to the US.

That day will be a long time coming. I don't know why our politicians seem to have such persistent difficulties with the idea of separation of church and state.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Yes! I am going to turn into one of those mad old women who writes rude letters to journos who bang on about this stuff.

It's because journalists are too lazy to write on topics that are really important about politicians. What about her voting record? What about Alaskan state finances? Industrial relations? Legislative developments?

And as to bloggers and journalers who natter on similarly, GAH! Yes. With you on that.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Because they can see the separation of votes and money.

[norton-gale.livejournal.com]

Aha! Exactly. They're no fools when it comes to getting elected.

[uminohikari.livejournal.com]

Palin's positions just don't make sense to me. How can be you against abortion but for the death penalty?

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

See, that's the sort of excellent question the media ought to be asking her.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Its good to know they have an area of expertise. If only it were something useful to everyone else.

[beatnikspinster.livejournal.com]

It's my own fault for reading about American politics while I'm still sick
It's not wise to read about American politics unless you're drunk. ;)

[norton-gale.livejournal.com]

Typical conservative fundamentalists see abortion as the slaughter of innocents, whereas the death penalty is fitting punishment for evildoers. So they see it as internally logical.

Now don't ask me to explain why they think abstinence-only education will lead to fewer unwanted pregnancies... I haven't figured that one out. ;)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Heh! You could work on a news mag anywhere outside the US with that attitude ;-)

Good advice!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Why do they keep executing innocent people then?

And abstinence-only education makes No Sense!!

[norton-gale.livejournal.com]

Why do they keep executing innocent people then?

That's a question that urgently needs to be answered! Modern DNA analysis can help us a lot in that area. But I don't support the death penalty, so I can't give a satisfactory answer. Nor can I provide guidance regarding the bizarre disparities in sentencing guidelines, or why drug users are criminalized in this country.

I advocate the rights of teenagers to have responsible sex with adequate birth control/protection from STDs. What's the downside of teaching responsible behavior? Abstinence should be a choice, not a mandate.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I wish you were a politician.

[norton-gale.livejournal.com]

I would never be elected due to my inability to conform to major party platforms, and I don't have a politician's gregarious personality. I'll stick to whining about politics in my LJ. Or maybe start the Slasher Party...

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I would love to see America's third party called the Slasher party ;-)

And the gregarious thing is A BAD THING. Pollies should be dull and meticulous or attractive and obsessive (you;re the latter)

[beatnikspinster.livejournal.com]

I started to write a real response and realized there was too much to say. It was cynical too.

[essay deleted] see. did it again.