Internet television personality Allen West was not at all pleased with the Pentagon's decision to lift the military's ban on women serving in combat, calling this part of "another misconceived liberal vision of fairness and equality." Of course, given that West was forced from the military after an interrogation in which he threatened to kill a police officer, then fired a 9mm next to his head to make the threat credible, maybe he's not the best judge on military qualifications.
This reaction, however, seems more bizarre.
I'm trying to think of a way someone might try to defend this argument, but I'm coming up empty. For Tucker Carlson, there's a reasonable parallel between voluntary military service and domestic abuse.
Jon Chait's reaction rings true: "This is a Lindsay Bluth level retort. ('You know, we're not the only ones destroying trees. What about beavers? You call yourself an environmentalist, why don't you go club a few beavers?') Serving in combat is a choice citizens make, accepting risk in order to serve their country."
I realize the right is skeptical about VAWA and unsure about the Obama administration's new military policies, but is the distinction really that hard for conservatives to understand?
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Why even dignify Tucker Carlson with a response?
Private Velasquez in Aliens 2 would handle Tucker just fine.
My heart goes all aflutter when a woman in uniform with some spine like Velasquez shows up to the party.
Anyone have other favorite women warrior heroes (fictional or real, like Grace O'Malley or Lozen?
Jessica Lynch didn't make that crap up- It was a fabrication by Bush Cheney's war machine and the right wing press. (For those wondering, she made headlines in 2003 when her convoy was ambushed and she was captured by Iraqis) Here's what she said about the myth makers: "That wasn't me. I'm not about to take credit for something I didn't do... I'm just a survivor."
John how about:
Anne Bonney & Mary Read
Cheng I Soa
Mulan
Granihale N' Malley (aka Grace O'Malley)
Hannah Snell
Those are just ones off the top of my head.
Maria, I mentioned O'Malley- It is stunning how the Irish patriarchy almost blotted her from their history, and we ironically have the British to thank for the shreds of information we do have.
Being married to a woman who can speed assemble an AK-47 in the dark, I rather go for the Momma-of the-child-you-would-be-a-fool-to-threaten in the movie, "Long Kiss Goodnight". My wife generally does not throw knives though unless she is really p-o'd.
Keeps me on my toes.
John
Grace is a favorite of mine too. You got to like a woman who could fight off a crew of Barbary pirates a day after giving birth while the rest of her crew huddled below decks.
What seems odd to me is guys who go limp around exemplary women. I mean, just in terms of evolutionary survival pressure, the male wants to select for momma bears who will protect her cubs with ferocity, right? But with all these resurgent gender themes in the past year, I have my doubts there is agreement on this any more than there was in the early 70's. The patriarchy just can't handle it, handing young boys the bull that any guy that falls for such valiant women is somehow looking for a strong mother figure or a dominatrix. They use such coercive themes to call into question the person's masculinity. Ironically, those who respond to such coercion are the true wimps.
I don't have anything against diminutive personalities, but such gals don't do anything for me physically, emotionally or intellectually. I fall for champions, and would be surprised if my sons do not do the same.
Red Sonja
Xena
Sara Pezini
Honey West
Modesty Blaise
Diana Prince
Emma Peel
Deborah Sampson
Loreta Janeta Velasquez
Emma Edmonds
Frances Clalin
Harriet Tubman (don't forget, she was a spy during the Civil War).
Lori Piestewa-- the first woman to die in the Iraq conflict
Tammy Duckworth
If these women can fight at a time when people said women couldn't/shouldn't do so, it's about time that you let them do it now. They still have to meet the fitness specs, as far as I'm aware, so the only thing holding them back is the attitudes of men who get intimidated by a fit, capable woman.
and...
Lyudmila Mykhailivna Pavlichenko
try wiki.
Yeah... Private Velasquez. Ripley wasn't bad either.
Carlson's an attention whore. You just made his day.
Tucker considers himself an intellectual heavy, but his deep, non sequitur arguments speak loudly to the intellectual idiocy being carried by his too few peers, for too long, and for too much of that time, a bit too powerful!
So, how does one maintain a power presence with a diminishing power base? Rig the elections when Democrats are out of town, so next time if the Democrats want to win at the polls, they'll need a super majority! (Hey Harry, why did you lay an egg today?)
Boy these Republicans are playing with fire!!! -Kevo
Speaking about playing with fire, those of you who are trying to make a distinction between voluntary and involuntary are totally missing the boat. The real reason that dicks like Carlson are so opposed is that they DO NOT want some woman to feel empowered. They're afraid that after one of them returns to civilian life and the dicks et al. try to push her around, they will end up being used as a screen door because of all the holes in them. If your whole self image depends on brutalizing a woman physically and/or psychologically, wouldn't you be afraid of a woman who has learned that she doesn't have to tolerate that stuff from a turkey like Carlson and furthermore, has learned how to deal with it?
Beavers[sic] indeed.
One issue is about choice and one is about power. Of COURSE, the Republicans don't understand the difference! That being said, women HAVE ALREADY been serving on the front lines...they just don't get combat pay and they can't move up in command. Of COURSE, Alan West doesn't want them recognized. The military would have seen what a torturing, posturing bully he was MUCH earlier if women had been able to 'judge' him.
Whitey Jones you are despicable! You curse the memory of the more than 150 women killed in combat in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. @!$%# you!
Man, the thought of women with guns just makes your penis retract so far up into you that you can taste urine, doesn't it Whitey?
Alan...,
He probably thinks Stormfront is too liberal. ;-/
Yes.
The thing is, they really don't get this whole "voluntary," "consent," etc. thing where lower orders like women are concerned. It's like the "rape" vs. "mutual consent" distinction -- it just doesn't register.
I'm becoming convinced that 'conservatives' are simply unable to evaluate things on their own merits. Instead, things are either equivalent or different depending on their feelings about them. So, Carlson is able to equate violence against women and women in combat because he is opposed both to VAWA and the Pentagon's new policy.
Anyone who has ever been in the military is well aware of how their system of military "justice" differs for enlisted versus officers.
Had West been an enlisted member and did what he did, he would have certainly been thrown out with a dishonorable discharge and possibly ended up in prison for a spell. Instead West was "allowed" to retire.
The guy is a disgrace to officers and to the military in general.
@whitey jones: The justice for the 1% is different than for the little man or woman. Yes.
The "reasonable parallel" is clear when you start from the assumption that women are property. You don't send your valuable incubators out to get killed; you keep them at home to keep an eye on them. And if they get out of line, well, you can do what you want with your own property.
That's putting it very bluntly, but you're right. You're absolutely right.
If we had a "Superficially Contradictory Liberal Policies That Really Aren't Contradictory at All if You Had a Brain: FOR DUMMIES", your explanation should be in there.
I'm a progressive, and Allen West is a joke, but some of you are in the dark. You think firing a gun next to someone's head is bad? Gimme a break. Welcome to war.
I've met very few women in my life who could serve in the infantry capably. For those few and types like them, fine, whatever makes you feel good.
If you think like that, I can think of several things about you that are not progressive.
What is the difference between West's action and waterboarding? In both cases, the victim is given incentive to believe their captors are trying to kill them, when they actually are not...
Torture is torture, whether by simulated drowning or simulated shooting...
Re the Tucker Carlson remark: Why is it that conservatives are over-protective of women who VOLUNTEER for combat and cavalierly cruel and hard-hearted when it comes to women who are being abused in domestic situations, in the workplace, in public (rape), and in the military?
I will NEVER get used to the conservative cognitive dissonance and hypocrisy and I will NEVER get used to the idea that there are so many of those unenlightened and dangerous dolts over a couple or 3 generations.
And this one: A life is precious before it's born. After that, not so much.
I have said it before and I stand by it
Tucker Carlson=Scurrilous Twerp
The right simply does not understand the notion of consent.
The Tucker Carlson tweet to which Chair replied:
Carlson's tweet is the sort of mindless crap you get from the gun kooks. Tell them how many homicides are committed using guns and they'll be sure to tell you about swimming pool deaths or car accidents. Nevermind that cars and swimming pools are made for purposes other than killing people and getting inside a car or jumping in a swimming pool is voluntary while getting shot is typically not what one usually volunteers for.
It's hard to believe this is the sort of bullshhit that is difficult to defeat in this country. But when the country is made up of at least half buffoons...
Guys, those of you who are trying to make a distinction between voluntary and involuntary are totally missing the boat. The real reason that dicks like Carlson are so opposed is that they DO NOT want some woman to feel empowered. They're afraid that after one of them returns to civilian life and the dicks et al. try to push her around, they will end up being used as a screen door because of all the holes in them. If your whole self image depends on brutalizing a woman physically and/or psychologically, wouldn't you be afraid of a woman who has learned that she doesn't have to tolerate that stuff from a turkey like Carlson and furthermore, has learned how to deal with it?
Women don't belong on the front lines.Don't why you'd want to.I'm glad I'm not serving in today's politically correct military.If we ever have a war, we're toast.Technology could win it for us unless the opponent has high tech weapons too.Mrs.Hillie says she wouldn't want to be in a foxhole with men shooting at her and raping her with any opportunity.
We don't have a "war on women" your waging a war on "ladies." Ladies with morals, class, and a brain are an endangered species.You gotta be an empty headed bimbo nowadays.One that thinks she's a humanatarian, activist, feminist, and in your face with it.If there happens to be a Republican president when you serve, well, the media will call you a barbaric,baby killing, Amazon. If its a dummycrat president, well the troops are on a "humanatarian mission."
So serve on with your bad selves, and good luck with the latrine!
No one belongs on the front lines. But, here we are.
Sometimes, I get an urge to stuff Tucker Carlson's bow-ties into his mouth until he can no longer speak anything anyone could comprehend, which is just like always.
On EPIX, I just watched the documentary "Chosin" a testament t the infantrymen who fought so bravely in freezing moutains of Korea. Once again, I am unable to understand how anyone could think there was an opportunity to be had by serving in combat in an infatry unit. Regardless of their right to b there, why would anyone press to assume that obligation. The ountains of Afghanisan offered the same opportunites for suffering as did Korea. There is a real mstery to how we entice people into serving in such circumstances. If assuming he obligation is completely volunary, I suppose women caqn choose to do it. God bless everyone who does.
"another misconceived liberal vision of fairness and equality."
Just like this one.
This tweet epitomizes the bankruptcy of Conservative 'thought'. It appears the only rationale for broadcasting it is to piss off an imagined liberal. How sad it must be to be so completely devoid of logic and existing in a reality constructed just from spite.
Since this particular string of posts is little more than name calling and criticizing, I thought I would add something a little different. I am all for women in the military in all capacities for which they are qualified. Gee - the same goes for men. I'm sure there are men in the military who are not qualified for all positions. The same will apply to women. I am also for women being required to sign up for the Selective Service. When that time comes, college enrollment might shoot up, which is a good thing. A woman with a degree will go further in the military whether she is drafted or signs up on her own - the same goes for men. I see this as an opportunity for our Nation to grow in inclusiveness. We don't need any more social divides than we already have.
Wow.