The Feminist Internationale

2012-09-19-WP-Laura-Bush-Aung-San-Suu-Kyi

Laura Bush accepts Sewall-Belmont museum’s Alice Award
by quoting Aung San Suu Kyi
“The Reliable Source”
Washington Post, 2012-09-19

Laura Bush got a hero’s welcome at the Sewall-Belmont’s Alice Award gala Wednesday —
a very subtle, ladylike way of answering her detractors.

In June, the women’s rights museum announced that Bush would be
this year’s recipient of the prize named for suffragette Alice Paul.
Her selection drew fire from feminists who argued that
the former first lady hadn’t been a strong advocate for American women.
The predictable flap ensued, drawing indignant response from fans
citing her extensive global work, especially in Afghanistan.

...

“Just a couple of hours ago,
I had the wonderful pleasure of finally meeting Aung San Suu Kyi face-to-face,”
Bush told the crowd.
“I asked her what I should say to you today and she said for me to tell you . . .
it’s so important for all of us, as women,
to support each other.”

2013-11-01-WP-Kathleen-Parker-stop-demonizing-hillary-clinton

Stop demonizing Hillary Clinton
By Kathleen Parker
Washington Post Op-Ed, 2013-11-01

...

My point: Don’t attack a woman as a woman.
No allusions to awful female characters or anything to do with her appearance.
If you have to resort to commentary about someone’s personal attributes,
assuming they’re not wearing ridiculous head gear,
you are signaling that you have no arrows in your quiver.

This is especially relevant to female candidates for two reasons.
One, men beating up a woman summons a number of associations
that only make women recoil in revulsion.
Two, while you were hunkering in your duck blind,
women the world over were getting busy organizing and helping each other.
There’s a global movement afoot in which Hillary Clinton has played a crucial part.
If you attack her, all but the most rigidly ideological women will circle the wagons,
and you will lose.
On the bright side, you won’t have to worry anymore about birth control.
Your own, that is.

2013-11-15-WP-Henneberger-laura-bush-hillary-clinton-john-kerry-fear-us-will-forget-afghan-girls-after-troops-leave

Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry fear U.S. will forget Afghan girls after troops leave
By Melinda Henneberger
Washington Post Opinion, 2013-11-15

...

Bush, with great feeling, said she feared that
“once the troops leave, American eyes will move away” from Afghanistan.

To a shameful extent, they already have.

But “I’m so worried” they’ll think we’ve forgotten them again, Bush went on.
“I want the people of Afghanistan to know the people of America are with them.”

“I agree completely with Laura’s comments,” said Clinton.
“The number-one issue on the minds of Afghani women is
how can they continue their work if they don’t have security” after U.S. troops leave.

...

[The question I would ask Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush if I had the opportunity:
How many American men and boys are you willing to see die
to "maintain security" for Afghani women?]