O Canada!

Friday, November 6, 2015
I'm sure you're all aware that Canada swore in their new PM this week, a gentleman by the name of Justin Trudeau. Prime Minister Trudeau made the astonishing decision to have a gender balanced cabinet - 15 men, and 15 women. And there's religious, racial, and ability diversity stuck in there, also - just ALL KINDS of people, working together, willy-nilly like they're all HUMAN or something.

So of COURSE the media had to ask him about his decision to embrace diversity and why it was important. His response was utterly appropriate: "Because it's 2015."

BECAUSE IT'S 2015, BITCHES, AND THIS IS WHAT A NON-DISCRIMINATORY CABINET LOOKS LIKE. SUCK IT.

There are two things that I find both depressing and amusing about this non-story. The first thing is that it's a story at all. Seriously - the guy made an effort to have a diverse cabinet, and include people of all backgrounds. Why is this so damn news-worthy? It's not like Canada is a homogeneous society, with no immigrants, no original peoples. I find it mildly distressing that it's such a big fucking deal.

And then there's the reaction of the Old White Dude Club™.

PM Trudeau's cabinet consists of highly qualified humans. There are Rhodes Scholars. Astronauts. Professional politicians. Economists. Business owners. Attorneys. Veterans. Scientists. Engineers. These people are impressive. And yet, the OWDC™ have taken to the Internets, crying foul and lamenting on how the WIMMINS TOOK OUR CABINET POSTS.

I swear, the way these people are going on (remember, kids - don't read the comments!) you'd think PM Trudeau was randomly picking people up off the street to fill these cabinet posts, not seeking qualified candidates while paying respectful attention to diversity. "Oh, you're a barista working your way through college? C'mon and be my cabinet member for workforce development and labor! You're TOTALLY just as qualified as MaryAnn Mihychuk, a geoscientist and founder of Women in Mining! Because you both have vaginas, and really, that's all that matters!"


I guess the insult to the injury here is that of the 15 cabinet posts occupied by men, only 10 are filled with people who could conceivably gain entrance into the OWDC™. The other five either have suspiciously dark skin or are disabled in some fashion. Only a 33% representation. OH THE HORROR.

Watching people give up their unearned privilege is a truly head shaking experience. They so often don't see the truth of their privilege, and watching them twist themselves in knots trying to justify it is amusing. But it's often uncomfortable, too, in a "I can't bear to watch this loser hit on that gorgeous woman anymore" kind of way.

Seriously, can't you at least wait for the appointees to screw up in some way, thus proving their unsuitability before you cry foul? Of course you can't. What am I thinking.

2 comments:

Keith Wilson said...

Well said! We up here are excited to hell about this and the end results potential. Personally having a Defence Minister who's a bad ass decorated LCol with experience in Afghanistan is kinda neat. The fact that he's a tanker is a plus! Oh, and let's not mention (and nobody has) that he's a sikh. Our last defence minister sent 200 guys up the arctic for an exercise and claimed after he visited that we're ready for Putin. We have idiots here too, fortunately the country has spoken and now they're unemployed idiots. We're ready for Justin, but frankly I'm skeptical. What he's done is a good first step. I can't wait to see what rabbit he pulls out of his hat next.

Janiece said...

Congratulations, Keith, on a semi-sane government.

I haves the envy.