The Falklands factor
BEWARE the Falklands factor. Before long the Brits will have
either Theresa May or Andrea Leadsom as prime minister.
Come November and the Americans seem likely to have Hillary
Clinton. The ladies will join Angela Merkel in governing
heavyweight democracies.
The Falklands factor? Not all societies appreciate the
significance and worth of women put in command. They see it
as a sign of weakness, something to be exploited.
An American diplomat friend who was posted in Argentina in
the early eighties tells of his desperate attempts to persuade the
Junta against invading the Falklands as a diversion from internal
problems
"They only laughed at me. 'But the British have elected a
woman as prime minister. She will never do anything about it.
She's only a woman.'"
"I tried to explain to them that Margaret Thatcher had bigger
cojones than any of the men in her party. But they just wouldn't
buy it. And look what happened."
I wonder what Vladimir Putin thinks of women leaders. He
strikes me as a decidedly old-fashioned cove. Not to mention
certain quarters in the Middle East who could be inflamed by the
very idea of a woman considering herself an adversary.
I suppose it's liberating and all very good that women should be
able to get to the very top like this. But it could also be a little
destabilising. Let's never forget the Falklands factor.
Their interests
THERESA May's interests are listed as "cooking and walking."
Andrea Leadsom is more of a dark horse in this respect, though
she's said to be the conservative daughter of a vicar.
They must be having the absolute jitters in the Kremlin.
All gals
MEANWHILE, it seems that today Labour MP Angela Eagle
will challenge the party leadership of Jeremy Corbyn.
If she succeeds, it will mean Britain has a queen, a female prime
minister and a female leader of the opposition. If an election
should exchange parties in power, the gender disposition would
be the same.
This would not have pleased the 16 th century Scottish theologian
and political reformer, John Knox. As he put it:
"For who can denie but it repugneth to nature, that the blind shal
be appointed to leade and conduct such as do see? That the
weake, the sicke, and impotent persones shall norishe and kepe
the hole and strong, and finallie, that the foolishe, madde and
phrenetike shal gouerne the discrete, and giue counsel to such as
be sober of mind? And such be al women, compared vnto man
in bearing of authoritie. For their sight in ciuile regiment, is but
blindnes: their strength, weaknes: their counsel, foolishenes: and
judgement, phrenesie, if it be rightlie considered."
This was part of a pamphlet he published, titled: "The First Blast
of the Trumpet Against the Monstruous Regiment of Women."
Knox was campaigning against the presence on the throne of
various European queens, including his own Mary Queen of
Scots.
But he got nowhere. Mary's cousin became Elizabeth I of
England and was so infuriated by Knox's male chauvinism that
she cut him adrift, withdrawing the support he had expected
from her as a fellow-Protestant.
I think we can safely say that John Knox would not have
approved of the course of events in Britain today – "foolish,
madde and phrenetike". But that was way back in 1595. The
times have changed.
Sharks win
OH BOY, a game of two halves – except we were drilling Free
State for the first 10 minutes. It was only when Beast got
carded for giving a flattie to that guy who was giving him gyp
that we lost the plot.
But then recovery. Great driving, a solid scrum. Fierce tackling.
That interception by Stefan Ungerer. Awkwardly squirted ball
on the tryline could have brought two more tries.
Thanks fellers, we'll bank the points. There's much to build on
as we target the quarters. Great ball clearance, great handling,
superb tackling. We're getting better with every game.
Tailpiece
THE captain of the Titanic calls a meeting of his officers.
"I've got good news and bad news."
"Give us the good news."
"We'll get 11 Oscars."
Last word
It is a far, far better thing to have a firm anchor in nonsense
than to put out on the troubled sea of thought.
John Kenneth Galbraith
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