🚀 go-pugleaf

Steak? <root@sizone.pci.on.ca> wrote:
>Lulu of the lotus-eaters (quilty@twain.ucs.umass.edu) wrote:
>
>: Oppression anywhere is oppression, no matter how popularly it's embraced 
>: -- and whether or not I'm a 'citizen' of that oppressive state.
>
>WRONG. There are cultural differences. My point stems from extended
>discussions with a friend and a relatively small minded person we deal with
>day to day. She's got such a Westernized view of everything, that in her
>p.o.v. she thinks thats its extreme oppression that in some Middle Eastern
>countries women have to wear veils. You might agree.

Some unkind souls might say it's oppression when women not wearing veils
get shot at bus stops, or stoned by angry mobs.  But hey?  Who are we to
judge on such heinous offences as women walking the streets with their 
faces uncovered?  


>In fact, the women there might NOT think its oppression. And then you'll
>invoke the "beauty-myth" argument that various feminists use, that anyone
>who doesnt agree with them must be brain-washed. Mebbe this isnt true
>perhaps? 

You might want to check the news these days : Islamic fundamentalists are
murdering women every week.  If they really want to cover themselves, 
then these men wouldn't be finding any to injure, mutilate, or kill.

Don't the everyday rebellions speak loudly of what the women themselves 
see as oppression? 


[....discussion of P**l Te*le, K*rl* H*m*lk*, and S*rd*r Arg*c deleted....] >
>: : Do you know what happened the last time a Canadian government pissed off 
>: : the Canadian people?  That's right -- we smashed them out of existence,
>: : down from a vast majority of some hundreds of seats to TWO SEATS. That's
>: : right, TWO.  They're not even an official party anymore.  When was the 
>: : last time something like this happened in America?  Not recently?  I'm
>: : not surprised.
>
>: Congratulations.  This was really quite wonderful.  It was especially 
>: wonderful since it was such an awful Party to start with.
>
>Wow. What a well thought out point. They've been around as a party for a long
>long time... as long as our modern political system. They dont just disappear
>cause they're an awful party. I am sure that the american parties have been
>pretty awful at times, but they dont just "disappear" suddenly.

Officially they have as a matter of fact.  Brian Mulroney's Tories passed
a law in the last legislature declaring any political grouping sitting in
less than 12 seats in the House of Commons was not an officially recognized
political party, and as such would not be entitled to free letter delivery,
caucus rooms, matching funds, and other sundry privileges.  This was aimed
squarely at the Bloc Quebecois at the time, so the action was not based on 
disinterested idealism, but rather a shabby attempt at shutting up the BQ.

Now, I happen to disagree with Lucien Bouchard et al about the future of 
the country, but this sort of manoeuvre smells just as bad as the rest of
the Tory record.  Enough Canadians agreed with me that come election night,
we were clustered about our televisions, chuckling madly when we realized
that by its own rules, the Conservatives were not a legitimate party.


Francois.