Give the Lady a Break
Feb 29th, 2008 by Donagh
In our modern, Western, enlightened and post-feminist world referring to entities such as cars, warships, aeroplanes or countries as female is, if not frowned up, at least is considered no longer the done thing.
I’m sure we all remember those old World War 2 films in which it was perfectly acceptable for a fighter pilot to rush to their plane waiting on the run way and shout “Let’s get this old girl off the ground!” to their square jawed co-pilot, who was probably busy at the time trying to chat up a mechanic.
In early 20th century cartoons countries were represented frequently as women. Ireland for example, was always a comely maiden, or a woman who was getting a spot of bother from John Bull, a burley Englishman with top hat and tails.
There was a problem with this of course. And it had a lot to do with how women were unfairly treated back then. They were considered inferior perhaps, certainly subordinate. There was also a sexual angle which mapped the attitude towards a country on to the rather negative image that was imposed on female sexuality. A country, like a woman (following the notions of sexuality at the time) was only virtuous when it was chaste, as in not allowing itself to be led into temptation by the lascivious amorality of ‘rebels’.
Alternatively, if it did allow rebels to cavort within its frilly borders it was a wanton lass, and deserved the dishonour (and inevitable whipping) brought upon it by the aforementioned patriarch – John Bull with those sideboards and the garters.
At its extreme it was seen as a ‘whore’, who, once one person had their wicked way with ‘her’ everybody was free to have a go.
I was thinking of this while reading Juan Cole’s Informed Comment this afternoon and his post on the invasion of Iraq in the Kurdish North by the Turkish Army. According to Hurriyet.
“Turkey declined to give Iraq a timetable for withdrawal of troops fighting PKK on Wednesday, while Turkish army announced that 77 more PKK militants were killed, taking the death toll to 230 since the operation launched last week.
The Turkish army said in a statement five more Turkish troops were killed in heavy fighting. Turkey’s fatalities now rose to 24. It described the Tuesday night’s operation as “the most extensive one since the beginning of the cross-border land operation”. Its forces had hit 475 new targets, including shelters, anti-aircraft facilities, training bases and command centers, it added. On Wednesday Turkish warplanes are bombing hide-outs of PKK terrorists in mountainous area in Siladze region to neutralize terrorists and destroy the organization’s infrastructure in the region, the official Anatolian Agency reported.”
And what is America doing about it?
Well they’ve asked that they keep it short and focused. Yea, says Turkey, short term, but in a millennial kind of way.
“Short term is a relative notion,” Gen. Yasar Buyukanit told NTV and CNN-Turk television news stations.
“Sometimes it is a day, sometimes it is a year,” Buyukanit said. “We have been struggling against terrorism for 24 years. That is why our struggle against terrorism will continue.”
It seems once any one has had poor old Iraq, anyone can have a go.
Except Iran of course.
Congrats on the pol blog nomination, you’re in good company, might see you
there tomorrow night..
Kind of related: ever noticed how often Israel gets referred to by its many fans as ’she’? As in ‘Israel will not shrink in her quest for world peace’. What’s the story with that? Israel is a man’s name for YVHW’s sake!
Still, we should protect Israel because she is the only transgender state in the Middle East.
One thing that worries me mightily is how the concentration on the US as the font of all evil tends to render all other instances of aggression somehow less significant. And curiously here is an example of an incursion where we (i.e. the EU actually has some leverage to dissuade the Turkish government).
Still, we should protect Israel because she is the only transgender state in the Middle East.. There must be a connection here between national identity and the Eurovision - I just don’t know what it is yet. Dana International, as you know, was a transgender performing artist representing Israel in the Eurovision some years back. This year, much to the disapproval of (the Irish) Dana a turkey is representing Ireland at the same competition. This probably means nothing but I just thought I’d mention it.
Good point, WorldbyStorm. And I notice today that everyone is worried about Chavez sending troops to the Columbian border but less about the fact that Colombia’s military are carrying out operations in Ecuador.
Reading this from France (and even from the point of view of Irish) that PC point on the gender of inanimate objects seems a bit absurd (in both languages, everything is gendered). Are the PC police going to impose the same restraint on me speaking French ?? Do I have to neuter ‘la tasse’ from which I’m drinking my coffee ?
Always thought that even from satellite, Ireland looks like it’s being buggered by the island to our right - not that that’s conclusive proof of what gender the place is.
Your John Bull in the cartoon looks like he’s been working down the sorting office with Bukowski though - non ? Or played rugger for Wales in the 70s
I wasn’t trying to argue that its right or wrong to refer to a country as female. I was only attempting to comment on the fact that invading a country used to be seen as a big deal. Indeed, in the case of Iraq it was. But after a country has been invaded once it seems that from the occupier’s point of view its fair game to be invaded by any one else - as long as they make it quick.
The gender of inanimate objects was a ‘conceit’ and not a very well thought out one at that.
I suppose our trivialities about gendering of words/countries must look a bit grotesque to the average Kurd. Yet again they fall victim to international Realpolitik. Whoever wrote that line for a song referring to Ireland as the ‘most distressing country I have ever seen’ should’ve held off until they saw poor Kurdistan.