You might ask yourself what could possibly be deemed offensive in this statement made by Michelle Obama in her speech earlier this week at the United Nations.
“We must look inside ourselves and ask, do we truly value women as equals, or do we see them as merely second-class citizens? We must look around at our societies and ask, are we clinging to laws and traditions that serve only to oppress and exclude, or are we working to become more equal, more free? These are the very questions we are asking ourselves every day here in the United States.”
Trust Bill O'Reilly to be offended, but I'm thinking perhaps there was a bit of projection in his outrage, accompanied by a healthy dose of corporate protectionism.
Like this:
It is true that only 15% of women hold top executive positions in the Fortune 500 companies, and it is also true that an old boy network makes it tougher for the ladies to gain establishment power.
That does not seem to be fair, but life is not fair.
Aw, damn. Suck it up, baby and live with it because well, you're a woman and you're emotional. That excuse preceded this pronouncement. Women are emotionally different and somehow that means the old boy network wins.
Then there was this:
Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party will try to convince voters that the fix is in against American women. That theme will be front and center in the upcoming presidential campaign.
But to me, that's not a major issue. I do not believe there is a war on women. I do not believe our capitalistic system is holding the ladies back.
I believe some stupid men are, but that's something individual companies will have to deal with.
Wait, what? The fix is in, women have to suck it up and live with it, and it's just not a major issue because....wait for it...
Many companies now fear women: they are afraid of lawsuits ... controversy ... negative branding.
And believe me, that's a big reason some women are held back. Children being the big other reason.
Shorter Billo: Women are the problem, and they just have to live with it while they stay home and take care of the children. It's a crappy thing, but that's just the way it is.
Not in my world, it isn't. No one should settle for second-class citizenship at the hands of the old boys.
We know Billo is still rankled over the lawsuits he's faced, but I somehow doubt that's stopped him from hiring women, provided he can pay them less than a man.
Back in the 70s we had a term for guys like that.
