Breaking Rank | Jackson Free Press | Jackson, MS

Breaking Rank

Margaret Thatcher opposes the war in Iraq, and Miers can't count on her gender to win her support among feminists. It's a sad day for groupthink.

picFrom a fascinating Washington Post article on how feminist groups haven't rallied behind Miers and what that means ("The Sidney Poitier phase is definitely over") comes this interesting tidbit:

It's easy to forget that Margaret Thatcher -- whose "Don't go wobbly on me, George" famously stiffened the spine of Bush One before the Persian Gulf War in 1990 -- was there first, even down to a husband who was not so much invisible as comical. England's Iron Lady celebrates her 80th birthday tonight with a guest list dominated by the adoring circle of powerful male admirers whose loyalty she rewarded with seats in the House of Lords when she was prime minister.

The former chairman of the Arts Council of Great Britain, Lord Palumbo, who lunched with Mrs. T six months ago, told me recently what she said when he asked her if, given the intelligence at the time, she would have made the decision to invade Iraq. "I was a scientist before I was a politician, Peter," she told him carefully. "And as a scientist I know you need facts, evidence and proof -- and then you check, recheck and check again. The fact was that there were no facts, there was no evidence, and there was no proof. As a politician the most serious decision you can take is to commit your armed services to war from which they may not return."

As for the article's more general argument: I'm not quite as hard on Miers as the author is, but her overall point resonates with me. Seems to me that the feminist movement has advanced to the point where it's possible to move beyond group identity without putting the cause at risk. I can't help but see this as a sign of strength, of progress, of maturation. Maybe one day the rest of society will catch up.

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