Justin Trudeau's visit to the White House yesterday had an almost dreamlike or fairy tale quality to it.Like a fairy tale it all seemed too perfect to be true.And it was a bromance.Read more »
Continue readingTag: Barack Obama
The Canadian Progressive: Remarks by President Obama and Prime Minister Trudeau during Canadian leader’s first official White House visit
US President Barack Obama welcomed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for his first official visit to the White House on Thursday. Here are the remarks issued by the two leaders during a joint press conference.
The post Remarks by President Obama …
Eh Types: The Promise of Prime Ministers and Presidents
When President Obama looks across the table at his guest of honour this evening, one wonders if his lamb may be complemented by a taste of envy. Both he and Prime Minister Trudeau will enjoy what will certainly be an exquisite meal. Like the campaigns …
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Justin Trudeau, the Americans, and the Con Bullies
David Parkins/Globe and MailAs Justin Trudeau prepares to leave for Washington, I think it's safe to say that the Globe is probably right, for once. It almost certainly will be a media circus.What with so many Americans curious about our cool new …
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Justin Trudeau and the Anti-Trump Factor
Next week Justin Trudeau will set off on a three-day visit to Washington, which will include a glittering state dinner at the White House. The first for a Canadian Prime Minister in almost twenty years.And while he will discuss plans with Obama for a…
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Year in review: from plunging oil to rising hope, the Top Ten news stories of 2015
PHOTOS: Cameras try to follow a nearly invisible Rachel Notley through the crowd at an Edmonton hotel on May 5, 2015, moments after she had been declared the winner of the Alberta election. No one could quite believe that the NDP had just won a majorit…
Continue readingLeDaro: OBAMA AND THE GRUOP
Happy bunch.
Continue readingLeDaro: U.S Federal Elections
Poor Obama feels ignored as all the media attention is on elections.
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: POTUS Kills Keystone XL
On Friday Barack Obama refused to issue a presidential permit allowing TCPL’s Keystone XL pipeline to cross the border between Canada and the United States. POTUS Obama rejected KXL because it wouldn’t meaningfully contribute to the economy, reduce gas prices or enhance America’s energy security. He described the urgent need
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Keystone XL is dead. New government means climate change back on the agenda.
Having enjoyed the last week in the sunny Berkeley, California, it felt odd to turn on the car radio to hear the local disc jockeys discussing the tarsands and the merits of a pipeline that would pump unrefined bitumen from Canada to Texas. Being one of… Continue Reading →
Continue readingAlberta Politics: It’s official: the Harper Government’s approach to petro-diplomacy was a spectacular flop
PHOTOS: The White House, home of the Most Powerful Person, etc. Below: Stephen Harper, one of the architects of Canada’s Bitumen bullying export policy, the fruits of which are now apparent; Barack Obama, President of the United States. The office of the President of the United States may not be
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Surprise, surprise
Brad Wall’s publicly-funded lobbying to sell Alberta oil in the U.S. (while ignoring the needs of the province which he actually leads) has proven to be as successful as it was well-thought-out. This should come as a shock to precisely nobody.
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: BREAKING: Barack Obama Rejects Keystone XL Pipeline
US President Barack Obama has announced the rejection of TransCanada’s proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. He stated that Keystone XL would not serve the United States’ “national interest”. The post BREAKING: Barack Obama Rejects Keystone XL Pipeline appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Russian boots on Syrian ground create new reality for Canadian leaders, whether they discuss it or not
PHOTOS: Russian President Vladimir Putin – creating new realities for Canadian leaders to talk about … or not. Below: The three Canadian debating amigos, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper and NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair. As the three principal contenders for the job of running the country
Continue readingPushed to the Left and Loving It: About Race, Misogyny, Music and Fathers. Where Do I Start?
Recently, during an Up the Debate leaders forum on women’s issues, Justin Trudeau was asked about what causes misogyny in young men. He answered “I don’t know where exactly to point my finger. I think there’s probably an awful lot of factors that come together to shape societal behaviour — whether
Continue readingPushed to the Left and Loving It: About Race, Misogyny, Music and Fathers. Where Do I Start?
Recently, during an Up the Debate leaders forum on women’s issues, Justin Trudeau was asked about what causes misogyny in young men. He answered
“I don’t know where exactly to point my finger. I think there’s probably an awful lot of factors that come together to shape societal behaviour — whether it’s certain types of music? There’s a lot of misogyny in, you know, certain types of music. There’s issues around pornography and its prevalence now and its accessibility, which is something I’m really wrapping my head around as a father of kids who are approaching their teen years. And there’s also just the shifting parental roles as well. There’s a lot of communities in which fathers are less present than they have been or they might be in the past, and there’s more need to have engaged positive role models.”
In the videotape, the original question concerning misogyny and young men, was edited out, and replaced with a question about the causes of violence against women.
Paula Simons, in her piece for the National Post, focused on racial stereotyping, using journalist Desmond Cole’s accusations that Trudeau was talking about black people, when he referenced music. Simons also claims that one “could equally well hear those words as a reference to domestic violence in the aboriginal community.”
It is risky to stir up racial hatred, when many communities are working so hard to fight violence against women. Both the Liberals and NDP have promised such help, and for all the narrow mindedness of the Harper government, they have delivered, though not nearly enough.
The Cree Women of Eeyou Istchee Association, is just one group fighting gender inequality and tackling the sensitive subject of male aggression. And they are doing it by involving men, so that the healing process can begin.
If we are not allowed to talk about this in an intelligent manner, how can we justify funding for something that we don’t want to believe exists? Community leaders are the best to gauge what they need, not race activists or journalists.
Desmond Cole took to Twitter, even setting up a separate thread to discuss Justin Trudeau. Why did we allow this man to hijack such an important issue? This was supposed to be about women and gender inequality, not him and his own causes. Racism is an important topic, but this was not about race. Our concerns have now been lost. I’m hoping this was not the intent, though I think it was more about partisanship.
Music and Rape Culture
In a piece The Lines Are Never Blurred, on the feminist site I am a Woman, I am Not a Man, But I am Equal to No One, the topic was rape culture and music.
One of the most dangerous results of a patriarchal society is the presence of a rape culture. This term refers to “practices which excuse, normalize, or even promote rape or sexual violence,” especially against women Rape culture includes both “institutional sexism” in the government and misogyny in pop culture
…Pop culture is another area where rape culture is clear and evident. Popular music, especially that written by men, often refers to women as “hoes,” “bitches,” and “sluts.” Performers such as Eminem, Flo Rida, and Robin Thicke rap and sing about how they would like to sleep with the females in their songs, yet they objectify and insult the objects of their lust. The song “Blurred Lines,” by Robin Thicke, is full of references to non-consensual sex and other characteristics of rape culture, and is a prime example of how popular the objectification of women and the trivialization of rape has become. The lyrics of “Blurred Lines,” as well as the lyrics of other songs by equally popular artists, encourage a misogynistic attitude by promoting messages straight from the mouths of rapists and those who make excuses for them.
Those are the words of a feminist, and for the record, Eminem and Robin Thicke, are both white. She does not see this as a race issue but blames it on “the male-dominated rap music industry”.
Of course it’s not just rap music, but many genres that objectify women. The Artiface, in a piece about pop culture and violence against women, singles out Maroon Five, and their song Animal.
In a 2010 piece for the Toronto Star, Antonia Zerbisias, discusses the influence of television, advertising and music, that promote a rape culture.
“There are rape jokes. Rape songs. Music videos that covey a sense of sexual entitlement to men while portraying women as insatiable, available.”
She is certainly not being racist, even if somehow we are supposed to conclude that she means black rappers.
We have to remember that Justin Trudeau is not just a politician, but is also a father. However, he did not get his talking points from Bigots R Us, but from the writings of feminists, who have been sounding the alarm for years. He may have also learned a lot from his wife Sophie Gregoire, who won recognition from the UN Women National Committee Canada, for her “volunteer and activist work on mental health, eating disorders as well as for women- and children-related issues.”
To suggest that Justin Trudeau is racist, or has minimized issues facing women, is ridiculous. Any media ignoring the intent of the debate, and making it all about unfounded racism, is as Zerbiasis suggests, just feeding into the culture. I hope she gives them hell.
And About That Fatherhood Thing
In Chicago, in February of 2013; President Obama gave a speech that raised a few eyebrows. In it he said: “there are entire neighborhoods where young people, they don’t see an example of somebody succeeding. And for a lot of young boys and young men, in particular, they don’t see an example of Fathers or grandfathers, uncles, who are in a position to support families and be held up and respected.”
Both liberals and conservatives alike, attacked what they saw as a patriarchal attitude. However, it launched a movement This Is Fatherhood ” that includes some very high profile, and dare I say African American, public figures. They are not saying that women can’t raise children on their own, only that fathers need to be more accountable, and that male role models need to step up and show by example, how women and girls should be treated.
The prime minister, is not our parent and their government not our keepers. We need individual communities, regardless of race or creed, to lobby for designated funds to promote gender equality, and speak out against rape culture and violence. Only they know what is needed and how best to deal with it.
That is not to say, that violence does not occur in homes across the country, which is why we need to address things like income equality, poverty, alcoholism, drug addiction, etc. If a woman is financially dependent on her mate, she may feel trapped and more willing to take abuse.
None of these things can be handled in one debate, especially when the concerns raised during that debate, have been lost. But at least it brings these things to the forefront during this election campaign. Or at least it would have, if it hadn’t been hi-jacked by someone with their own agenda, and a media preferring sensationalism to honest reporting.
And we wonder why they don’t take us seriously.
Continue readingPushed to the Left and Loving It: About Race, Misogyny, Music and Fathers. Where Do I Start?
Recently, during an Up the Debate leaders forum on women’s issues, Justin Trudeau was asked about what causes misogyny in young men. He answered “I don’t know where exactly to point my finger. I think there’s probably an awful lot of factors that come together to shape societal behaviour — whether
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Public health care: We have it, Americans still don’t, they wish they did – there’s a lesson in that
PHOTO: Sorry, no relevant photos tonight. Just this shot of a typical American public servant crossing the rotunda of the New Mexico State Capitol in Santa Fe, deep in thought. She is doubtless wishing the United States had Canada’s system of health care. SANTA FE, N.M. The economy, Harper Fatigue
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Rachel Notley to Alberta’s trade ‘envoy’ to Washington: Nice seeing you ’round! Here’s your hat!
PHOTOS: Departing Alberta trade ‘envoy’ to Washington, D.C., Rob Merrifield, back in the day when he was a federal cabinet minister. Below: Former Alberta premier Jim Prentice, who hired Mr. Merrifield a year ago, and Premier Rachel Notley, who let him go at the end of last week. It was
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