Thursday, January 28, 2010

brilliance. sheer brilliance.


another guest blog from hans, and it's amaaaaaazing!!

enjoy!


"I’m sure many of you read the editorial “Women’s Studies is still with us”, published in Tuesday’s edition of the National Post as part of their contribution to the Canadian media’s “Bash Women’s Studies Month”. At first I was a bit puzzled and upset, but then I realized it actually made a whole lot of sense. The problem was that it had been badly edited and there were just a few words here and there that needed to be fixed. I understand that in these days of fiscal realities and cutbacks, they probably don't have a whole lot of editors left. So in order to help them out and provide an enhanced reading experience, I made the necessary corrections. I think all told it was only about 40 typos that had to be fixed, and now the article makes sense. So please enjoy; it does make an important point.

Unedited: Women's Studies is still with us

Correction: The National Post is still with us

National Post Published: Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Unedited (original):

If the reports are to be believed, Women's Studies programs are disappearing at many Canadian universities. Forgive us for being skeptical. We would wave good-bye without shedding a tear, but we are pretty sure these angry, divisive and dubious programs are simply being renamed to make them appear less controversial.

The radical feminism behind these courses has done untold damage to families, our court systems, labour laws, constitutional freedoms and even the ordinary relations between men and women.

Women's Studies courses have taught that all women--or nearlyall-- are victims and nearly all men are victimizers. Their professors have argued, with some success, that rights should be granted not to individuals alone, but to whole classes of people, too. This has led to employment equity -- hiring quotas based on one's gender or race rather than on an objective assessment of individual talents.

Correction:

If the reports are to be believed, the National Post is no longer being read by anybody with any sense and is about to go bankrupt. Forgive us for being skeptical. We would wave good-bye without shedding a tear, but we are pretty sure their angry, divisive and dubious views are simply being remarketed to make them appear less controversial.

The radical blend of neoliberal conservatism behind this paper has done untold damage to families, our court systems, labour laws, constitutional freedoms and even the relations between men and women.

The National Post has preached that all rich white men – or nearly all – are victims and nearly all women, immigrants, non-white and non-rich people are victimizers. Their editors and reporters have argued, with some success, that rights should be granted neither to individuals alone, nor to whole classes of people, unless they’re rich white and male. This has led to inequality – hiring people based on one’s gender or race rather than on an objective assessment of individual talents.

Unedited (original):

Executives, judges and university students must now sit through mandatory diversity training. Divorcing men find they lose their homes and access to their children, and must pay much of their income to their former spouses (then pay tax on the income they no longer have) largely because Women's Studies activists convinced politicians that family law was too forgiving of men. So now a man entering court against a woman finds the deck stacked against him, thanks mostly to the radical feminist jurisprudence that found it roots and nurture in Women's Studies.

The equality protection before and under the law, granted to all Canadians regardless of race, sex, creed or origin, has been eroded because feminist legal scholars convinced the Supreme Court to permit preferential treatment for "traditionally disadvantaged groups," chief among whom, they contend, are women.

Correction:

Executives, judges and university students are now free to be bigots at will. Divorcing women find they lose their homes and access to their children, and wind up homeless because their income is clawed back from social support payments, largely because National Post activists convinced politicians that family law was getting to be too equal. So now a woman entering court against a man finds the deck stacked against her – like it was for most of recorded history – thanks mostly to the radical conservative jurisprudence that found its roots and nurture in the National Post.

The equality protection before and under the law, granted to all Canadians regardless of race, sex, creed or origin, has been eroded because National Post editorialists convinced the Supreme Court to ignore the need to deal equitably with traditionally disadvantaged groups, chief among those who need to be exploited, they contend, are women.

Unedited (original):

Over the years, Women's Studies scholars have argued all heterosexual sex is oppression because its "penetrative nature" amounts to "occupation." They have insisted that no male author had any business writing novels from women's perspectives; although, interestingly, they have not often argued the converse -- that female writers must avoid telling men's stories.

They have pushed for universal daycare and mandatory government-run kindergarten, advocated higher taxes to pay for vast new social entitlements and even put forward the notion that the only differences between males and females are "relatively insignificant, external features." All other differences are said to be the result of patriarchal brainwashing. So the only way to ensure gender equality is to turn over all education to the state, where professionals can ensure only unbiased instruction.

In sum, there would be little of rational worth left even if Women's Studies were to disappear. Yet despite all the hand-wringing by the programs' supporters, are the worst elements of Women's programs really disappearing or just being renamed? Are the professors different? Has the basic philosophy behind the program changed? Has the curriculum been altered?

In most cases the answer is no. Little has changed but the nomenclature.

While we'd like to cheer and say "Good riddance," we're certain such celebration would be premature.

Correction:

Over the years, the National Post has argued that everything except heterosexual sex is disgusting because it’s not heterosexual sex. They have insisted that no female author had any business writing books, although, interestingly, they have not often argued the converse – that male writers must avoid explaining women’s lives.

They have pushed to abolish any hope for universal daycare and mandatory government-run kindergarten, advocated lower taxes so that the rich can get richer, and even put forward the notion that the only differences between males and females are, well, whatever they think will best contribute to the oppression of women.

In sum, there would be little of rational worth left even if the National Post were to disappear. Yet despite all the hand-wringing by the paper’s supporters, are the worst elements of the National Post really going to disappear, or just reappear elsewhere? Are the editors and reporters different? Has the basic philosophy behind the paper disappeared? Has its political agenda been altered?

In most cases the answer is no. Little has changed but the fact its supporters don’t really bother to hide their bigotry any more.

While we’d like to cheer and say ‘Good riddance,’ we’re certain such celebration would be premature. "

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