About
The Brazilian viewpoint in the US. This blog is a channel for Brazilians living in the US who want to share their opinions about living in this country. Americans with a Brazilian experience are welcome too!
About me: Sociologist with a MBA, living in the Washington D.C. suburbs, married, adult children.
Democrat, Atheist (which does not mean I don’t have morals-I do, a lot).
-For less interference of religion in governance
-For legalization and taxation of marijuana (although not an user and never been-think it’s a bad habit)
-For gay marriage-same rights to all couples
-For Universal Healthcare in the US for those who can’t pay for private care
Interested in relationships, politics, current events and health issues.
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About
The Brazilian viewpoint in the US. This blog is a channel for Brazilians living in the US who want to share their opinions about living in this country. Americans with a Brazilian experience are welcome too!
About me: Sociologist with a MBA, living in the Washington D.C. suburbs, married, adult children.
Democrat, Atheist (which does not mean I don’t have morals-I do, a lot).
-For less interference of religion in governance
-For legalization and taxation of marijuana (although not an user and never been-think it’s a bad habit)
-For gay marriage-same rights to all couples
-For Universal Healthcare in the US for those who can’t pay for private care
Interested in relationships, politics, current events and health issues.
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Initially I was just as excited about Hillary’s run for President. I voted for President Clinton twice and for Hillary twice and even campaigned for her senatorial campaigns in New York.
As I watched the race, I realized that Hillary is knowledgeable on the issues but there were some serious character flaws. Flaws that weren’t visible during her senatorial campaigns since running for a senatorial race is a different world from the Presidency world.
Here is what I saw as I watch Senator Clinton.
She says that she is running as a woman, and never once gave a speech on gender because white angry men would not be pleased by this.
So patriarchy, or sexual discrimination, or the structural hierarchy of masculinity is never mentioned in her campaign. She never once mentions the unacceptable misogyny of this country, or the sexual hierarchy of the labor force or any of the inequities that define women’s lives today. What completely surprised me was her pandering to women, especially poorer women, while doing nothing to help us.
I then did some research and realized that she has never spoken on behalf of women or as a candidate with a woman’s agenda, let alone as a feminist when she was in the White House. Her one speech addressing the exploitation of women was delivered in Beijing, China, as though it is ONLY women outside, but not inside the U.S. who face untold discrimination.
Now she runs for president and has become a gun-toting, war mongering woman who asks for your vote if you are an angry white Reagan Democrat. Maybe she thinks manly gender is the answer for breaking glass ceilings for women. I would argue that she is not breaking gender boundaries but rather has embraced and extended masculine/misogyny for females. She remains female in body and hence parades as a decoy for feminist claims.
Hillary has simply clothed herself in men’s tactics and strategies. She can nuke with the best of them. Hillary not only authorized the war in Iraq but she repeatedly continued to do so for several more years—up until the time she began running for president. She allowed, along with Bill Clinton, the egregious trade blockade against Iraq as hundreds of thousands of children starved to death after the `91 war. She more recently has supported Israel’s terror
bombing of Lebanon and has newly endorsed “the total obliteration” of Iran.
Hillary’s embrace of a masculinist machismo embraces the very misogyny that most women would like to see dismantled.
Instead of challenging the gender divide Hillary simply slides over to the other side of it. Instead of offering a new vision of what it might mean to have a female President she offers us old versions of war mongering. All of these things that Hillary continues to do protect the structural privilege of patriarchy.
Being female is not enough to allow one to claim their gender as a political tactic. Such claims must be rooted in a commitment to end gender discrimination and their class formulations; not pit races and classes against each other in the hopes of being the first woman president.
Hillary has a female body but she first needs to claim that body and demand rights for it — reproductive, day care, health, education, etc. She looks like a woman but is not a feminist nor does she speak for or on behalf of most women. Hillary has her own agenda and she’s just using women as a stepping stone.
We, women, are so excited about her being a woman that we have put on rose colored glasses and have not taken the time to really listen and hear what she is saying with her actions. Actions speak louder than words.
Hi Paulette:
Thanks for your perception. Even though she might not be a true feminist (a true feminist would have kicked her cheating husband out the very first time) I still think that as a potential president, not withstanding her gender, she would be very very competent. She is experienced after all. I also do not believe she is gun toting and that she really cares for religion. But as a candidate in this country, she realizes she could not fight with the masses. Look what happened to John Kerry. Hillary had to go easy on the white middle class guys, so as not to scare them.
I do not agree with her stance in the war 6 years ago; she was wrong just like millions of Americans.
I for one was against this irresponsible war from day one…
Anyhow, I am speaking from a matter of who I think is the most experienced, competent and emotionally prepared for such a demanding job.
Peace and Love,
Grace
Hi, I just have a quick question. Is there any specific reason you felt the need to put the word “moral” in front of “atheist”?
Yes Sisphus. Although I call myself an atheist, I added the word moral because for some people, who have not stopped to think about this whole religion lie, people who don’t believe in god are usually immoral, amoral, liars, cheaters, dysfunctional, perverted, dishonest and all the bad things under the earth. So I am trying to make it loud and clear: morals are not exclusive to religion!
Thanks!
http://africanpress.wordpress.com/2009/07/05/warning-to-all-men-and-women-beware-of-perfume-scam-that-leads-you-to-sleep-instantly-while-you-get-robbed/
Hello Very good website.Just wondering if you know of any good marriage introduction agencies in Brasil.I am very interested in the Belo Horizonte area. Muito Obrigado. Don Bommer
Don, I do not, but you can probably google them. Also, there are many online dating websites there where you can contact prospective partners.
Hi,
Just wanted to say thank-you for your well written article. Several months ago I moved in with my gaucha girlfriend and I am going out of my mind trying to understand her. Your article has helped me understand that some of the things I am doing is really offending her. But, do you know anything in Portuguese I could give her to help her understand me? Maybe you could write a quick article like that for your readers.
thanks- Mark
Mark, if an article or email can help her understand American men and help your relationship I will try to send you something. Cheers!
Muito obrigado! Um artigo para as brasileiras entender nos americanos seria otimo!
Could you write something on American women dating Brazilian men? I’ve seen alot vice versa but nothing on the American woman and Brazilian man relationship.