I Detest What Society Has Become As Result Of Gender Wars

I have been a strong advocate for women’s rights all my life. Having started out in my career in areas that weren’t the traditional domain of women it has subjected me to my fair share of discrimination and general put downs. That’s ranged from being told to just sit there and look pretty and let the men get on with running the business to outright discrimination in having far less qualified men promoted over me. I’ve never played the victim card because my parents taught me life wasn’t always fair. When life deals a tough card, you had three choices; 

1. Play the victim and blame everyone else 
2. Fight back, prove your worth and win (my preferred option)
3. Know when to walk away if you can’t do that 

I have with a single exception chosen 2. Once I walked away. That's another valuable life lesson. Know when to walk away. I now drum that into the heads of the young people I coach and mentor. 

So where is this leading? I feel compelled to speak out about what I see happening as a result of gender wars citing two recent examples. 

I’m becoming increasingly hacked off with those who have played the victim card which has led to so many woman being vilified when they shouldn’t be. I was reminded of this, when reading through recent reports in the Australian about the acting Chairwoman of the ABC, Dr Kristin Ferguson. 

The first story focused on a text message Dr Ferguson had sent to Emma Alberici following Alberici’s since discredited report in naming 400 Australian companies that allegedly hadn’t paid tax in the past four years. Besides a flawed critical critique of the Government’s corporate tax policy. The first paragraph in the story reads; “Yet another explosive leak — this time a text from the freshly appointed ABC acting chair Kirstin Ferguson — is threatening to derail the ABC’s relationship with Canberra again after a week of unprecedented chaos at the public broadcaster.” What unadulterated sensationalist bull-dust. 

The comments that followed the highly inflammatory report highlight the predicament we now find ourselves in. Where people are simply vilified for nothing more than sending a text message and being a woman. The sanctimony of some is breathtaking. 

I posted a comment about Dr Ferguson’s impressive CV, board roles etc in an attempt to bring some balance. In reply one suggested that he’d seriously doubt Dr Ferguson would remain on any serious Boards again “after demonstrating her lack of a simple but fundamental concept”. Simple but fundamental concept? Corporate Tax law? He’s got to be joking. And for the heinous crime of sending someone a text message which said, “Great work on the tax story. Thanks for making company tax digestible and understandable for the average punter watching” according to the commenter Dr Ferguson should never be taken seriously again!!! I have deduced from that the writer has also never made an error of judgement and should he ever do so he would expect to be relegated to the ‘failed bin’ and never to be trusted again. I didn’t expect he would respond to my question and, I was right he didn’t.

That Emma Alberici’s report contained nine errors and was deemed biased leading to it being withdrawn and rewritten to a another matter. But, to suggest Dr Ferguson is a total incompetent based on her sending one text message is sheer lunacy. She isn’t incompetent her successful career proves that.  Kirsten Ferguson has a very impressive CV from her military career and following business and consulting career. She has taken enormous risks in her life and it has rewarded her for those risks. She is an experienced director, with 10 years’ experience on the ASX100 and ASX200 boards and private company and government boards. In her role as Acting Chairwoman, note ACTING, she is the best placed to step into that role. 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has similarly been singled out for his fair share of criticism. Readers have accused him of caving into PC nonsense and gender quotas. That the ABC Board since the resignation of Chairman Milne now comprises five women out of a Board of seven doesn’t offer him a wide choice. I suppose he could have appointed one of the two men as acting Chair. But Dr Ferguson is well qualified to take on the acting role and reports suggest the male members weren’t interested anyway. I think the PM has picked the right person regardless. So is it the fact Dr Ferguson is a woman who sent a text message to a much hated ABC journalist that has upset so many? I’m thinking perhaps yes. 

Today the readers of the Australian were doing a hatch job on Dr Christine Blasey Ford. This followed her testimony against Brett Kavanaugh. On the surface Dr Ford presents as a credible witness who recalled a traumatic event in her life going back to 2012 in sessions with her therapist. That was well before Trump was President and Brett Kavanaugh became a household name. 

Whether Dr Ford’s recall is correct is yet to be proven, and the same applies to Brett Kavanaugh’s denial. The FBI investigation will root out the truth. That hasn’t stopped the armchair judges being the Australian readers media court. They have made their decision based on media reports (with a few even quoting in evidence You Tube opinions). In doing so they have determined she is a fraud and a Democrat plant; on a mission to bring down  to quote ‘an honourable man’. The bias and malice voiced by many astounds me. It’s really disgraceful what some people say. 

I was so incensed I posted a comment highlighting that Dr Ford had undertaken a polygraph test (yes I know of the legal standing) with an ex-FBI Agent and referenced her 2012 notes. Highlighting she a well credentialed professional, she isn’t the type who usually makes these accusations. Pointing out if I had to make a determination before the official FBI report I would believe Dr Ford and an ex-FBI agent over armchair judges as to her guilt. This is one reply I received. Seriously, I roll my eyes over comments like that. 

For the record I don't believe in Grey's with probes but perhaps the poster does. He seems to know about them. 

So it is with thanks to the victim culture and gender wars we now find any woman who is successful or who steps up and puts themselves out there in trying to correct what they judge wrong will in turn be judged a virtue-signaller or their appointments (on merit) merely PC quotas. These women are set upon by those armchair judges who don’t want to, or can’t be bothered to take the time, or who are not intelligent enough to judge each on merit. Any man who supports these women will be branded and his actions deemed PC nonsense or playing the gender quota card. Any person who tries to engender balance into the discussion with be labelled a believer in Grey’s with probes. Everything is distilled to the political level; right vs left, left vs right. Facts, truth, probability, long forgotten.  

I hate what this society we have collectively created has become. It’s nasty, judgemental and spiteful. Truth, honesty and the concept of a fair go are dead. Innocent until proven guilty long forgotten in the court of media warrior-ship. Courage to stand by your convictions are vilified and ridiculed. This battle if that is what it is shouldn't be about gender it should be about fairness. I would equally fight for any man who has been treated as these two women have by armchair warriors. It's also about decency.

As they say ‘reap what ye sow’ and we sure as hell are doing that and it’s a damn ugly crop. It's about time we started to plant and more importantly demand a new one. We start that in having the courage to speak up and declare this is not good enough.