Hillary Clinton and Misogyny, Redux

I don't want to harp about Hillary Clinton, but really, the treatment she is getting from all corners for her work as Secretary of State in general and her interest in global human rights for women is unpleasant at best and totally misogynistic (as I've written before) at worst.

The following quote is from a larger piece in a Washington Postarticle about Clinton's trip to Africa and making women's rights everywhere a priority.

 "It's great she's mentioning the issue," said Brett Schaefer, an Africa scholar at the Heritage Foundation. "As to whether her bringing it up will substantially improve the situation or treatment of women in Africa, frankly I doubt it."

The interesting-and scary-thing about Schaefer is that the Heritage Foundation's mission, as described on its own website is "[T]o formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense."

In other words, another way of saying they are dedicated to upholding patriarchal traditions including institutionalized and systematic sexism, racism and homophobia among others anti-people ideals. "Africa scholar" is a quite relative distinction.

The first item turning up in a search for feminism on the Heritage Foundation's Website is an old article entitled "Why Feminism No Longer Sells" accusing feminists of hating men and trying to destroy marriage.

To believe Hillary Clinton, or any person for that matter, caring seriously about women's rights- human rights-around the world is in any way trivial or man-hating or even a waste of time is really cynical--and anti-woman I hasten to add.

The U.S. is the only country in the Western Hemisphere and the only industrialized democracy that has not ratified CEDAW - Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. In light of this, how can anyone in the U.S., conservative or liberal or anywhere along the political or social spectrum, dare infer that caring about women around the globe, talking publicly ("mentioning the issue") and taking related action as a high-level diplomat is a waste of time?

Read more from Stephanie here!