My blog has moved!

You should be automatically redirected immediately. If not, visit
http://maryhoneyballmep.wordpress.com
and update your bookmarks.

Wednesday 3 September 2008

SARAH PALIN

The appalling Nadine Dorries is back writing her blog and, as she puts it, "raring to go" after a good break. Her first subject - Sarah Palin.

Dorries as ever makes sweeping, untrue assertions, not so much about Palin herself as those other groups she hates. And Dorries hates with that kind of vitriolic passion reserved for people who can never conceive of being wrong. "She's [Palin] anti-abortion, loves being married and a mother. All things the sisterhood on the left hate." Or 'The sisterhood on the left may be political, mobilised and vociferous, but they are a minority. And oh how they loathe a sister on the right."

As a matter of fact, assuming I am one of those "political, mobilised and vociferous" members of the leftie sisterhood, I don't "hate" Sarah Palin. Though I profoundly disagree with many of her views, I also believe we need more women elected representatives. Sarah Palin is one of those women breaking through the "sticky layer of men" as we should more accurately call the glass ceiling. I would, incidentally, say the same about Dorries, though her achievement in climbing the greasy pole is not in the same league as Palin's.

I happen to think the media in the United States and increasingly in the UK is going over the top on Palin. Barack Obama was absolutely right to say candidates' families are off limits in political campaigning. Palin should be judged on her political abilities and views.

Although I want more women in positions of power, I cannot support much of what Palin stands for. I am in favour of a women's right to chose. I am a humanist actively attacking the oppressive attitude of much organised religion towards women.

But what I and many, many women want is more of us up there making the decisions. I am a member of an all party group of women MEPs and women European Commissioners (yes there are a very few) headed up by British Liberal Democrat MEP Diana Wallis and the Socialist European Commissioner from Sweden, Margot Wallstrom. Although there are some representatives from the centre-right group in the European Parliament, the European People's Party, which includes Nadine Dorries's Conservatives, the vast majority of this group are from the centre-left of the political spectrum. That, I am afraid, says it all.

3 comments:

Martin Meenagh said...

You forgot to point out that Palin was born and raised a Catholic, Mary, but then she went off somewhere else. Is her heritage yet another damning point, or is her leaving a pleasure for you?

Perhaps you could write another book about it in all your spare time! You could call it 'women who shouldn't be in power, and put Palin and Mirren on the front. You aren't anywhere near power, obviously, so get your team of assistants to write your name on the side.

Good luck with the re-appointment from the party list to your talking shop next year. Hope the Pope calls back

Merseymike said...

Catholic, pentecostal - who cares? Both damaging and harmful religious delusions.

And both contribute to the oppression of those who dare to question their 'teachings'

Thankfully, the vast majority of British people want nothing to do with the church. I would imagine that over half its adherents in the UK are migrants. I suppose its a problem when the number of paedophiles wishing to become 'priests' has declined so greatly.

Martin Meenagh said...

Aw, how very seventeenth century of you Mike. Enjoy the bonfires when this hollowed out horror of a society throws you on them because it can't live off the bankers anymore and the oil won't provide for the multitude of rights that require slave labour in the third world, cheap diverting products and a class of employees organising the state down people's throats rather than doing proper jobs and sustaining communities.