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In a week where the phrase "legitimate rape" became part of the American political discourse, it's understandable that anyone who believes in women's liberation would be scavenging for some good news. Like a parched soul in the desert, many believe that a trickle of water, if not an oasis, has appeared. After eighty years of antediluvian sexism, the Augusta National Golf Club, site of the Masters, has finally decided to admit women into its ranks. All hail the trailblazers: President George W. Bush's national security adviser and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina billionaire banking executive Darla Moore.

As Christine Brennan of USA Today wrote, "Today, one of the last bastions of male supremacy is no more. Today, Augusta National has made a crucial statement to every girl and woman who has thought about picking up a golf club. The message is simple: You are welcome."

Her joy is certainly understandable. This is a club where as recently as 2002, after a series of protests, then-club President Hootie Johnson said that Augusta National would never admit a woman, not even "at the point of a bayonet." The woman who led those protests, Martha Burk, received dozens of death threats. Today she was on ESPN radio saying simply that "the women's movements, the U.S. women's groups and individual women who have been pushing for change for 50 years, yeah, we won."

PGA tour President Tim Finchem, who was frightened to raise a whisper of criticism against Augusta National, today tried to get some of the glow, saying, "At a time when women represent one of the fastest growing segments in both playing and following the game of golf, this sends a positive and inclusive message for our sport."

And yet, please forgive me if I don't join the chorus of cheers. Rice and Moore are not twenty-first-century Jackie Robinsons, and their acceptance into this bastion of exclusion has nothing to do with women's liberation and is utterly disconnected from the reality of daily life for millions of American women.

Condi Rice as a symbol of female power? Only if by power, we mean the power to put thousands of Iraqi women in graves all in the name of a war based on lies that she actively promoted.

Then there are the birth defects suffered by the children of women in Iraq. In 2009, the Guardian reported that doctors in Fallujah were were "dealing with up to 15 times as many chronic deformities in infants, compared to a year ago, and a spike in early life cancers that may be linked to toxic materials left over from the fighting."

A hospital spokesman, Nadim al-Hadidi, told the Inter Press Service, "In 2004 the Americans tested all kinds of chemicals and explosive devices on us: thermobaric weapons, white phosphorous, depleted uranium.... we have all been laboratory mice for them."

There were also, under Rice's watch, 19,000 reported sexual assaults of women combat troops in the the US Armed Forces every single year. As the Guardian reported, "A female solider in Iraq is more likely to be attacked by a fellow soldier than killed by military fire."

In an eerie echo of the Representative Akin controversy, these women, if impregnated during their assault, could not get an abortion on a US military base. Rice, who claims to be pro-choice, never raised a voice on behalf of these women.

In a sane world, Rice would be awaiting trial at the Hague. Instead, she gets to play golf at a club that, incidentally, didn't allow African-Americans until 1990.

As for Darla Moore, she is a banking billionaire who lives on a South Carolina plantation that's been in her family for seven generations. She is a longtime friend of the Bush family as well as of the aforementioned Hootie Johnson. Ten years ago, when asked about becoming the club's first female member, she said, "I'm as progressive as they come. But some things ought not to be messed with."

I'm sure it's tempting to look at today as an advance for women in sports. But it's very difficult to think that today's national celebration of a multi-billionaire and a war criminal has anything to do with women's liberation. If anything, this should only be a story because it's so unbelievable that the membership of the Augusta National Golf Club still opposed the presence of women in 2012. The only way this club could be any kind of symbol of progress and justice is if the people of Augusta, Georgia, a whopping 32 percent of whom live below the US poverty line, took to the eighteenth green and occupied the Masters. Let's see whose side Condi Rice and Darla Moore would be on then.

Named one of UTNE Reader's "50 Visionaries Who Are Changing Our World," Dave Zirin is the sports editor for The Nation magazine. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

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[bushwacked] :mouth: [/bushwacked]

 

 

It was at least somewaht related to SECs post; was it not?

 

Why do you love Anti-Libertarian Republicans who think Big Brother controlling women's reproductive system after rape is a necessity, but promoting a a healthy lunch program in public schools is a violation of Freedumb?

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It was at least somewaht related to SECs post; was it not?

 

Why do you love Anti-Libertarian Republicans who think Big Brother controlling women's reproductive system after rape is a necessity, but promoting a a healthy lunch program in public schools is a violation of Freedumb?

 

You misunderstood my post. I was simply using your typical response to vapid comments from those that get overly introspective on a topic and falsely attempt to read the minds of others... never realizing that they come off as baseless and far from where the mainstream opinion lies.

 

Personally, I AM what you could classify as a libertarian republican (if forced to)... I am more liberal in my social beliefs but more fiscally and individually conservative in other matters. And I am sick and tired of watching republicans get teased like a cat with a the shiny object that is topics such as abortion, ghey marriage, and the like.. They just can't help themselves... it's pathetic. They fall into that trap every SINGLE time!!

 

It amazes me that they just can NOT control the urge!! It also amazes me that the liberals and media roll this crap out every election cycle because they know if they debate what are the most important issues facing they general population currently (see any poll) they know they will get destroyed (the economy, national debt, joblessness, taxation, etc). Yet all they have to do is inject some question about controlling an individuals social freedoms and the right wing nuts of the republican party just can't help themselves.

 

As for prompting healthy lunch programs, go for it!... I'm all for it! But, when you take away freedom of choice, meaning... whether I decide I want to go along with the program or you making it mandatory, then I got a problem.

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It was at least somewaht related to SECs post; was it not?

 

Yes, thank you for that valuable social commentary about Augusta National letting in Condeleza Rice.

 

 

Congrats Augusta for being 50 years late to realize that you look like far less bigots if you just exclude by class like the rest of the country clubs in the world.

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But is she a good golfer?

 

 

She apparently enjoys it enough to pay whatever the exorbitant fees are to belong to Augusta.

 

 

I'm more or less of the opinion that the headline should be "wealthy, influential people (who happen to have vaginas) join previously male club."

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Congrats Augusta for being 50 years late to realize that you look like far less bigots if you just exclude by class like the rest of the country clubs in the world.

 

 

Hey, that is UTTERLY wrong.

 

 

They're only about 35-40 yrs too late.

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You misunderstood my post. I was simply using your typical response to vapid comments from those that get overly introspective on a topic and falsely attempt to read the minds of others... never realizing that they come off as baseless and far from where the mainstream opinion lies.

 

 

You, my friend, are smart. However, in blaming the media for rolling crap out, I'd refer to the "you didn't build that," taken out of context quote the media had a hey day with for 1-2 weeks before you start blaming them for focusing efforts on one particular party.

 

As far as liberals being destroyed on "the economy, national debt, joblessness, taxation, etc" you might be right. But we certainly don't have a liberal in the executive branch. Brass tax, Obama has been a Republicrat on many levels, like Clinton, Bush 1, and Regan before him. The big pendulum swing has been with the tea party crowd in the Republican party. And for the first time in my recollection, the Republican party can't bring home a consistent message on what to fight for, because they are divided by the extremists and the senior level Senate guys who can't control the radicals.

 

While McCain and Romney have been the most recent nominees, their policitcal ambitions are being sabotaged by the Palin-Bachman-Santorum-Obama is a black Sociallist Mooslum get yer freedumb here anger crowd. It's actually humourous, except this particular divide is hurting our country from passing productive legislation and facing tough decisions at a level never experienced before.

 

While Obama is vulnerable on his economic record, people generally approve of his pro-Republican tax record, including his Socilaist radical idea of cutting spending and raising taxes, for the first time in 8+ years, on the most wealthy as one step in solving the deficit problem.

 

Whether the Obama haters want to admit it or not, many mainstream Americans realize the hand that was dealt four years ago and give him props for steering is out of a near depression onto a prolonged economic recovery. It shouldn't be understated how much Obama's favorability ratings outscore Romney's.

 

The thought of Romney being president, doesn't make my blood boil by any means. However, if he has a strategy, he'd best better communicate one soon. At this point he comes across as a poor man's John Kerry while the radicals in his party keep making headlines.

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At this point he comes across as a poor man's John Kerry while the radicals in his party keep making headlines.

 

 

 

I don't think ANYONE should be using the words "poor man" in conjunction with Romney OR Kerry's name.

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Yes, thank you for that valuable social commentary about Augusta National letting in Condeleza Rice.

 

 

Meh, we all realize you are the Mama Cass for the kids who stuggle to post sensible info, but it was nothing more than quirky humor for those that have that sense.

Edited by bushwacked
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I don't think ANYONE should be using the words "poor man" in conjunction with Romney OR Kerry's name.

 

 

I must tip the cap to you on this. But If Kerry was the Jon Koncak of the political world, I'm not so sure that Romney won't be the Adam Morrison.

Edited by bushwacked
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It also amazes me that the liberals and media roll this crap out every election cycle because they know if they debate what are the most important issues facing they general population currently (see any poll) they know they will get destroyed (the economy, national debt, joblessness, taxation, etc). Yet all they have to do is inject some question about controlling an individuals social freedoms and the right wing nuts of the republican party just can't help themselves.

 

Not for nothing, but in 2004, in the midst of a rather unpopular war, the right played the boogie man card, proposing a federal amendment defining marriage and all that. To do exactly what you're talking about. Rally the base and take everyone's mind off what was actually happening.

 

Next thing you know, they've got horseface and the Breck girl talking about whether gheys should be able to marry instead hammering Dubya on war that shouldn't have happened and was paying his VP's former company insane amounts of money.

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Earlier this week, Senator Al Franken of Minnesota joined Vice President Joe Biden for a campaign event in Minnesota.

"Biden got plenty of support from Minnesota Democrats," PostBulletin.com reports. "Sen. Al Franken praised Obama for pushing the health care law, saying it will help more seniors get help paying for prescriptions and will ensure Medicare's solvency for an additional eight years."

But before Franken was a senator he was a writer on the TV show Saturday Night Live. Then, he famously joked about raping CBS reporter Lesley Stahl.

As New York magazine reported in 1995, from a writing session that the reporter sat in on:

 

Franken: “And, ‘I give the pills to Lesley Stahl.
Then, when Lesley’s passed out, I take her to the closet and rape her.
’ Or, ‘That’s why you never see Lesley until February.’ Or, ‘When she passes out, I put her in various positions and take pictures of her.’”

 

With the national conversation now turning to women's issues as a result of the bizarre and offensive comments by Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin over the weekend, it seems a bit odd that Vice President Biden would take the stage with Franken, considering his own lack of sensitivity to the horrors of rape.

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Earlier this week, Senator Al Franken of Minnesota joined Vice President Joe Biden for a campaign event in Minnesota.

"Biden got plenty of support from Minnesota Democrats," PostBulletin.com reports. "Sen. Al Franken praised Obama for pushing the health care law, saying it will help more seniors get help paying for prescriptions and will ensure Medicare's solvency for an additional eight years."

But before Franken was a senator he was a writer on the TV show Saturday Night Live. Then, he famously joked about raping CBS reporter Lesley Stahl.

As New York magazine reported in 1995, from a writing session that the reporter sat in on:

 

Franken: “And, ‘I give the pills to Lesley Stahl.
Then, when Lesley’s passed out, I take her to the closet and rape her.
’ Or, ‘That’s why you never see Lesley until February.’ Or, ‘When she passes out, I put her in various positions and take pictures of her.’”

With the national conversation now turning to women's issues as a result of the bizarre and offensive comments by Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin over the weekend, it seems a bit odd that Vice President Biden would take the stage with Franken, considering his own lack of sensitivity to the horrors of rape.

 

 

Wow that's a reach. What's next finding things that somebody said when they were elementary school and treating it the same as a politician in and running for office?

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She apparently enjoys it enough to pay whatever the exorbitant fees are to belong to Augusta.

 

 

I'm more or less of the opinion that the headline should be "wealthy, influential people (who happen to have vaginas) join previously male club."

 

 

Surprisingly enough, Augusta is quite affordable compared to most upper tier clubs. The masters subsidizes a LOT of operating expenses every year.

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