Comment on the new report on withdrawal from Iraq
The Massachusetts-based Commonwealth Institute has just issued an excellent report (PDF here) calling for a "responsible" withdrawal of US troops from Iraq that is "quick, careful, and generous." Also, I believe, total-- though I'm not seeing this spelled out in my quick reading of the Executive Summary.
It looks like an excellent initiative, and they already have two members of the US Congress signed up in support of it.
I'll look in more detail at the report's contents later. But I just want to make a personal comment here.
I have been working steadily and publicly for the past three years to sketch out and promote the idea of a US troop withdrawal from Iraq that is speedy, total, orderly, and generous. (Wording sound familiar here?) And I know that many of the people associated with this project read my work fairly regularly. Some of them I know personally. So I am really disappointed that none of them ever contacted me to ask me to work with them on this in any capacity, and they never even cited any of my numerous writings on the subject as far as I can see.
They have an advisory group of 14 people, listed on p.30 of the PDF document there. All of them (except one, see below) are male. Surprise, surprise. One of the four members of the "Organizing Committee" listed there is female. I don't know her.
Why is this yet another, so egregious instance of the ambitious professional male elevator at work? I have worked professionally on Middle East and strategic issues for 34 years. What does it take for a woman to get some acknowledgment and respect in this field? A sex-change operation?
Honestly, I don't think most of the "left" (which is what most of these people are) is any better on gender-inclusion issues than the right. It sometimes feels fairly depressing.
But I soldier on.
- Update Thurs. morning:
I'm informed that Nadje al-Ali of London's SOAS, who's listed as a advisory group member, is female. I'm sorry not to have known or noted that. So we have one out of 14.
One member of the advisory group told me he had simply answered a call from Chris Toensing to participate, and agreed to do so. But why did no-one on any of these groups (organizing or advisory) ever think of drawing on the considerable amount of thinking and writing I have done on precisely this "How to get out of Iraq" issue over the past years? I note that the Commonwealth Institute is headquartered in the Boston area, where certainly my writings on this topic in the CSM and Boston Review would have had wide circulation.
I still believe the "ambitious male professional elevator" I mentioned above is a real factor-- and the picture of who was in the two groups bears out this assessment.
Like many of my female friends, I have seen this elevator at work in many, many different contexts, and I might describe them here in some future posts. But so many men still aren't even aware it exists; aren't aware there's a gender-exclusion problem; and are mystified (or worse, defensive and upset) when people tell them there is.
Someone said, "The norm of human equality has become much more widely acknowledged. . . even if still not by any means respected."
H,
Gloria Steinem writes: "The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn".
Perhaps the best cure to ail exclusion is to recognize that the universe knows of your energy, committment, and compassion-possibly why you have been so fortunate to do what you love for the many years that you have-
www.eckarttolle.com
Happy PRIDE WEEK JWN!
Actually, the website URL is best located at:
You said "Speedy, total, generous."
They say "Quick, careful, generous."
How they lifted your words with no acknowledgment was, to say the least, neither careful nor generous.
Though it appears to have been quick.
1. Hey, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
2. Our best, truest rewards are intrinsic, not extrinsic.
3. You have earned those rewards.
4. We love you -- what more can you ask?
For what it is worth, Helena, I am not encouraged that they replaced your total with their "careful". That sounds kind of like "responsible", which is what we keep hearing from the likes of Senators Clinton and Obama, who are really proposing not withdrawal, but a reconfiguration of the occupation. Maybe this is unfair, since I have not read their proposal, but I am willing to bet that it will come down to the same sort of non-withdrawal plan in which the U.S. just HAS to keep some sort of forces in Iraq, if not "for the sake of the Iraqis 'cause we just can't abandon them, you know", then, as both Clinton and Obama have admitted, to look after American interests (as if America has a right to have ANY interests in Iraq!), and, as Clinton put it very explicitly, to continue the "military as well as the political mission" in Iraq.
These younger men. Have no respect for the groundbreaking work of older women. Worst of all, other women fall at their feet.
Hillary Clinton had the same problem.
Bb, much of what Hillary has said on this issue strikes a very deep chord for me.
What a travesty. But what a fine example you set by calling them on their plagiarism and their exclusion, without apologizing for calling attention to your ideas that were good enough to steal -- and their theft.
You won't be surprised to learn I thought the institute's exceutive summary was a load of codswallop! Won't go into it here, I put up a serve on Marc Lynch's site. But I'd reckon if you'd been involved it at least would have had some substance behind it.
But, you know, these guys .....at least I brought up a (now 35 year old) son, ,living in London, who absolutely reveres older women who have the knowledge! His partner is 10 years older than him and they have a very bright 20 month old boy who will be raised in the same way. Hope for the future
And, Helena, you DID support Obama. Even though his CV for that job amounts to a few years as a community oeganiser and a record of taking credit for other people's hard work and accomplishments beause he has no legislative achievement of his own. He doesn't even have a CV as a gun lawyer, like Abe L had.
Now he's back pedalling on all his committments. Surprise, surprise. Just another pollie for sale, lying and buying his way into the WH.
A boy on a woman's, Hillary's, errand and you didn't support her!
(My son did)
bb: "older woman" ? You surely jest.
shirin: I'm with you. "Careful" either means "with care," in which case it's an empty word (what should not be done with care?) or it means "with all deliberate speed," you know, like... Brown vs BoE.
BB, I am surprised to see you criticizing Helena for not supporting Hillary Clinton. I don't know what her reasons were, but I imagine she did not come to her decision to support Obama without giving it considerable thought.
I have my own carefully considered reasons for not supporting her, which include things that go back
more than a decade.
- Her record and all-to-often hawkish positions on foreign policy.
- Her record and positions on human rights, particularly as pertains to the Middle East, especially Iraq, Palestine, and in Summer, 2006, Lebanon.
- Her record and positions on military policy, including her declaration that she intended to significantly increase the size and budget of the military.
- Her record on Iraq, going back to her days in the White House.
- Her so-called "withdrawal" plan for Iraq, which is in fact merely a plan to reconfigure the occupation, making sure to continue the U.S. "military as well as political mission" there.
- Her shameless and calculated pandering to AIPAC and other "Jewish" (read Israel-oriented) interests, and her complete disregard for Arab and Muslim supporters. This is exemplified by something she did a few years ago during her Senatorial campaign when she responded to "expressions of concern" on the part of some of her "Jewish" constituents by making a P.R. event out of returning Muslim campaign donations, thus delivering a very public and completely unwarranted slap in the face to her Muslim supporters and American Muslims in general.
- Her bellicose statements toward, for example, Iran, including but not limited to the threat to "obliterate" Iran.
- Her explicit declarations that nukes are "on the table".
- Her use of a particular debate tactic that I find disrespectful, dishonest, and undignified (you might say unpresidential) - i.e. her habit of unleashing on her opponents an extremely ugly, derisive, and very lengthy cackle-like laugh. It is a way of dismissing what her opponent has said while avoiding addressing it in any kind of substantive way. That in particular does not make me feel confident about how she would conduct herself in, for example, certain foreign-relations situations.
Hillary Clinton has a lot of the qualities I would like to see in the president. So does Barack Obama. However, I found I could not support either one of them, and for many of the same reasons (Barack's earlier anti-invasion speech notwithstanding, since he has been in a position to DO something about it, his record, positions, and plans for Iraq have been virtually identical to Hillary's completely unacceptable ones, and even he has admitted he might have voted the same as she did to authorize the invasion).
If Christ Toensing is involved in this proposal, I would expect it to be for a total withdrawal, but he might surprise me. Nadje Al `Ali has said she supports a total withdrawal and is convinced, as I am, that there is no way things will ever get better until the U.S. is gone.
Bernard and other friends, I really don't mind being called an older woman. Actually, I'm kind of proud of my lengthy record and experience in the international-affairs field and believe that such experience, whoever holds it, should be recognized and appropriately valued.
Younger guys like most of the ones associated with this project may be starting to rack up a few professional achievements. And probably most of them have a lot more institutional support, mainstream "recognition", and income than I do, and are hungry for more of all these things. That's legitimate. What's not legitimate, imho, is to substantially rip off the thinking and writing that I've done on these issues while treating me as if simply, I don't exist.
Which, incidentally, is the way a lot of older women get treated in our male-dominated, youth-fixated society. So I hereby proclaim my membership in the company of older womanhood.
Hear hear, Helena!
And how interesting that being called what one is - i.e. older - is considered some sort of negative comment.
Sorry, make that:
So I hereby PROUDLY proclaim my membership in the company of older womanhood.
>> interesting that being called what one is - i.e. older - is considered some sort of negative comment.
shirin: if McCain uses this line in the fall, then we'll know that he reads JWN.
Ouch! Scary! If I get quoted by the McCain campaign it really WILL be time to move to Syria.
"This is exemplified by something she did a few years ago during her Senatorial campaign when she responded to 'expressions of concern' on the part of some of her 'Jewish' constituents by making a P.R. event out of returning Muslim campaign donations"
Shirin, we have found a point of agreement. I remember feeling that this was not only a great insult to Muslims and a denial of their rights as citizens, but an insult to Jews because of its implicit assumption that Jews were bigots. That was one of the key reasons I didn't vote for her that year.
I assume that you put scare quotes around the word "Jewish" because you don't believe that those "concerns" were representative of Jews as a group?
Bernard Chazelle
"bb: "older woman" ? You surely jest."
If I had said that my son revered "older men" who have the knowledge, you wouldn't have even noticed, Bernard. You, as a man, would would have taken that as the natural order of the universe.
Am sure you don't even realise how insulting you were suggesting Helena Cobban would be embarrassed by being characterised as an older woman - it's the stereotype you carry in your head isn't it?
I happen to disagree with Helena on many, if not most of her prescriptions. But her accomplishments, skills, talent and knowledge of her subject are simply inspiring - and should be automatically recognised by men, whatever their age.
Helena's work gets ripped off without even acknowledgement and she is treated as though she "doesn't exist". I can imagine they are privately joking that her pointing this out as sour grapes from the menopausal.
The fact is, if Helena had been a man they would have WANTED to involve her, not just acknowledge her. The reason they didn't is because they arrogantly assume they can pinch her work, represent it as their own to advance their own careers and get away with it.
Shirin
Understand the political reasons why Helena supported Obama. But in my strong view, she was wrong and I think she will come to regret it.
Professional women should be gagging that someone so patently comparatively unqualified for the job should have been swept to victory by leg thrilling adulation of men, women fainting and girls weeping at manipulative, evangelistic rhetoric, redolent of Billy Graham at his height.
What's worse, is that unlike Graham, "Mr Sweetie" can only do it with a teleprompter and after rehearsing countless times in front of a mirror.
Well, you got him Shirin. Enjoy him.
I didn't vote for him, bb, and I am feeling less not more inclined to vote for him in November. I will probably vote for a third party candidate who better represents me - again - rather than vote for a mainline candidate who does not represent me at all.
I also didn't vote for Hillary, and definitely would not have voted for her in November. I would love to see a strong, tough, intelligent, smart woman as President (hell, I would love to see a strong, tough, intelligent, smart ANYTHING as President), but not one who does not share my values.
With all due respect, bb, you're out of line.
My joking (for joking is what it was -- "you jest" being, shall we say, a hint) had to do with the unplesant fact that I am about the same age as Helena, and that anyone who calls me an "old man" will have to suffer the grumpiness that goes with the territory. Being the gentleman that I am, I therefore extended this indulgence to Helena.
Sorry that one was lost on you.
But if you're so creative as to see sexism in innocent banter, then I am sure you'll forgive me for detecting a whiff of racism in your calling Obama a "boy."
I am no big fan of your "boy" but I loathed Hillary. I was born in a country that likes to decapitate its kings, so I am not much into dynasties, as in....
Bush (VP), Bush (VP), Bush (P), Clinton (P), Clinton (P), Bush (P), Bush (P), Clinton (P), Clinton (P)....
I don't call that a democracy, but I'm funny that way.
Ah, you boomers, goin' at it. Bunch o' kids. Why, when I was your age . . .
Bernard
I didn't take Helena's reply to you as her thinking you were making a joke? But if I got it wrong, apologies. If not, I salute you for a good way of getting out of it!
As for referring to Obama as a "boy" on a women's errand being racist ... I am not an American, am Australian. "Boy" as a racial slur is not part of our culture or history. The common racial slur directed at our black indigenous population when I was growing up was "abo", later Asian immigrants were derided as "coons". We have never had an African immigration here until the last 10 or so years, never had slavery in the American sense so "boy" was never part of it, even subconsciously.
I can assure you though: when I said Obama was a "boy on a woman's errand" I WAS NOT JOKING!!!!!!!
Shirin:
Fair enough.
Azazel, I am happy to know that you were troubled by Hillary Clinton's terrible public insult to her Muslim supporters, and I agree that it casts Jews in a negative light as well. Certainly those who expressed the "concern" that prompted her little photo op are bigots, but certainly they are not representative of all Jews by any means.
What I found most odious about her action in this instance was not returning the donations per se, although that was bad enough. What I found truly disgusting was her calculation that she could win political points by turning it into a P.R. event. That was not merely adding insult to injury, it was adding additional injury, and then the double insult of public humiliation on top of that. Truly reprehensible conduct.
I put scare quotes around "Jewish" because I see these peoples' agenda as something other than a Jewish one, and I don't think they represent Jews at all, but rather a particular ideology that is bigoted, paranoid, and very narcissistic. Further, some of the groups of this type have a large "Christian Zionist" membership (a weird affiliation given that the Christian Zionist agenda includes the obliteration of the Jews, which seems to me like the ultimate in anti-Semitism), so they are not really Jewish groups at all.