Glass Ceiling

Hillary Clinton suspended her presidential campaign, finally... Sign... But as she stated in her exit speech:"... The glass ceiling (of working women) is not broken, but it got solidly cracked ..."

I always admire her courage and ambition, as I had admired the only female emperor in Chinese history --- Emperor ZeTian Wu. Usually it would take double or even triple effort for women to achieve the same social positions as their male peers. And, for some leadership positions, it is horribly impossible for a woman to achieve, no matter how she is able or experienced with it --- This is what we called the "glass ceiling" for women in the society. One of the indications would be the "President of United States".

America is not ready, not ready for a female president yet. It is way too conservative, in the gender aspect. Looking at the below picture, it is the first female defense minister in Spain, she got appointed in the position when she is 7 months pregnant! This occured not long ago, in April 2008.



"Spain's pinko prime minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, has just begun his second term, and his commitment to gender parity in government is unparalleled: For the first time, women outnumber men 9 to 8 in the Spanish cabinet. Even more revolutionary is the fact that Spain's first female defense minister, Carme Chacón, 37, is seven months up the stick. Marisa Sotelo, president of the the Spanish Women's Foundation, says, in an interview with Time, that the impression of a pregnant women leading a group of soldiers is "an important image precisely because it conveys normality...It serves a pedagogic function: it shows that women can be and are everywhere." Unsurprisingly, not all of Spain is thrilled that a very pregnant woman will be leading Spanish troops. A conservative military association consisting mostly of retired soldiers called Chacón's appointment a sign of "contempt."

It is a long way to go, for women to really earn their equal rights with men in the society and culture.

论女权

这个题目有些大， 我想我是没有时间来具体长篇大论的。只是想说一些感想。

女权运动在西方曾经轰轰烈烈，现在美国很多保护妇女的法律比如不许性别歧视，同工同酬，兼顾工作和生育的权利等等， 都是争取的结果。加州还有很多州内法保护的更好一些。虽然很多职业女性仍有看不见的玻璃天花板， 但比起一两百年以前， 已是好得多了。不过，不平等还是根深蒂固的， 这次 Hillary Clinton 总统竞选， 就有人公开举标语牌说：＂Iron my shirt!" 象这么愚昧的从骨子里不尊重女性的人， 并不在少数。

女权运动最大的障碍， 其实并不在于男人，而是女人自己。
还是拿这次总统竞选来说， 很多家庭妇女对于 Hillary 就觉得不可理解－－－怎么可能又照顾好家， 又在外面服务于社会呢？这个女人对家庭没责任心嘛！我不选她！－－在 New Hampshire 向 Hillary 提问并让之哭泣以对 （ 好著名的一哭！）的那位女士最终将票投给了 Obama.不过，Hillary 这一哭确是感动了好多职业妇女并使她赢得了 New Hampshire 的决定性初选.

现在再说说东方女权状况吧。也许是文化和重视男性的社会哲学方面的原因吧，东方可以说是没有女权！日本和韩国的男权特征是众所周知的： 韩国70% 的家庭有家暴，女人上不了家庭宴席， 女儿回娘家必须夫家首肯；日本据说女职员女教授要给同等地位的男同事男教授端茶倒水打扫卫生的。－－真是恐怖！

中国相对要好些吧。毛泽东是个很重视女权的人，＂妇女半边天＂就是他老人家提出来的， 这可能与他对母亲的尊重和怀念很有关系。不过， 觉得近些年国内女权反而退步了。男人变相纳妾（ ＂二奶＂），很多女人为了家庭的完整而忍辱负重。很多城市的职业女性经济上独立了， 但精神感情上仍依赖男人， 没有自己的主见，或者非得追寻什么＂爱情＂－－文化上中了琼瑶的毒了。在法律上， 离了婚的女人受的保护很少， 包括她的孩子。还有工作场合甚至招工的时候， 性别歧视是公开的。很多职场女性不敢怀孕， 怕因此丢了工作。

看来中国女权， 首先要争取的是生育的权利， 废除计划生育的愚蠢政策。然后需要立法保护各项相关权益。这些事情， 不在男人， 女人自己的警醒是最重要的。＂女权＂不是做悍妇拿着棒子追打男人， 而是个体相对的经济与精神独立。

John McCain

I have lost my interest in the 2008 US presidential election up to now. Not much variations.

Projections: ( Mostly from HeDou )

Hillary Clinton will win Democratic primary;
John McCain will run for the Republicans;
John McCain will be the next President.

Let's see...

I am looking forward to the 2008 Summer Olymics in Beijing.