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Tuesday, January 17, 2006 12:00 AM

My lunch with an antifeminist pundit

Kate O'Beirne, author of the new book "Women Who Make the World Worse," says most women don't want the things feminists are fighting for.

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  • Monday, January 16, 2006 07:21 PM

    Kate O'Beirne

    She's smart, funny and totally clueless as to the modern middle class world of women. She is an upper class conservative cliche' who believes that every women's life is just like her own tidy neat one. Its great that she had the option of choosing not to work because her husband made enough money to support their family. However,for the vast majority of women, having both partners in the marriage work is not some feminist social statement, it because in our low wage economy it takes two working people to pay the bills. Conservatives like Mrs. O'Beirne simply refuse to believe this because its easier to blame feminism than to take on the corporate economy. And I'm holding my breath waiting for Kate to defend those welfare mother's staying home to bond with their children instead of being forced into government work programs only weeks after they have had their children to keep their benefits.

    She, scorns claims of domestic violence and it effects on the family and women. I guess it interferes with her nice story book ideas of male and female relationships. Does she know anyone who has been in an abusive relationship or is she beyond those kind of people? I challenge her to spend one day in a domestic violence Court and not have her views change forever.

    She doesn't think women want subsidized daycare, even though quality daycare in the year 2006, frequently costs more than most people's monthly mortgages and is a terrible struggle to pay. Tellingly her proof that women don't want daycare is some obscure right wing poll. She believes the daycare problem is easily solved by letting a relative provide day care for little Junior, clearly not recognizing that today, the relatives (granny and auntie) are ususally working themselves and aren't available.

    Finally, she talks glowingly about the two parent family, and who isn't for that? But when a marraige doesn't work, when a partner is unfaithful, an addict, an alcoholic or abusive, or the parties just don't like each other she wants them to stay together for the sake of the kids! But again, her scruples are flexible, in the past Kate has attacked Hillary Clinton for doing just that. Kate is lost in the 50's and needs to join the real world. Donna Reed left us a long time ago. Oprah's audience would laugh in her face.

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