MOTHER EARTH vs THE FERENGI

Isn't it interesting how confidently the talking heads of the media determine what the polls mean? They act as if they are endowed with a superior knowledge to the rest of us -- knowledge about what we are what we think and us.

Just recently we were told the results of several polls on the Cheney/Bush Ferengi-policies: Energy, Social Security, Education and Star Wars. The reporter listed the results for women and for men. By a few points, women were shown NOT to favor the administration's policies and men were shown also by a few points to favor them.

When the margin of error is figured in, the "gender difference" was hardly conclusive of anything, but the talking head continued declaring that the majority of men favored these policies while the majority of women did not. Thus men supported Cheney/Bush.

Furthermore, the poll reporter went on to say, that the reason men favored them was because men were risk takers and conversely women, as nurturers, wanted the protection of safety nets which the Cheney/Bush Ferengi-proposals keep threatening to destroy.

In a space of only a few seconds the reporter went from poll results, that essentially showed that a few more men favored these policies then did women, to inflating these slight margins by accentuating the word "majority."

Seconds later he abandoned the word majority and we were told that women are nurturers and that men like to take risks. See how carefully the listener or reader is brought to the conclusion the media wants us to accept. We must be always alert to the fact that a majority indicates anything over 50%, even 1 point. Always look for that margin of error.

So once again, the underlying message is to marginalize women, make it appear that they are outside of the political norm and interested only in "women's issues" and alone. It is important that we recognize this and learn to take advantage of our political allies.

Several polls have shown that when it came to environmental policies, men as well as women were against this Ferengi administration. Well, duh! Of course! Most thinking people of either gender are against this destructive agenda. Opponents are speaking out and to no one's surprise, Robert Redford (a real man's man) is among them. http://www.truthout.com/0224.Redford.Norton.htm

Perhaps some males do favor the Ferengi-policies of Cheney/Bush, but concern for the environment certainly indicates that a compelling majority of men are nurturers and are unwilling to take chances with the environment.

It becomes more and more apparent every day that the present administration and the majority of Congress are dedicated to the Ferengi "profits-are-all" agenda. Women must enlist the support of everyone possible. Environmental protection appears to be a terrific point to rally around.

We would, of course, never abandon our quest for important issues such as women's human rights or equal protection under the law. But we need allies if we are to vote out the Ferengi face of Congress in 2002 and the Ferengi hearts and souls in the White House in 2004. http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Nebula/4156/infirmary/xeno/ferengi.html

Molly Ivins writes:

Anyone who has ever been on the right wing's email and fax list knows how much of what comes out of the mouths of national commentators is actually straight from attack releases put out by right-wing organizations funded by corporate special interests. The single most ominous words heard in the media today are on the Fox News network: "fair and balanced, as always." If you believe that, let's talk seafront property in West Texas. http://www.star-telegram.com/columnist/ivins2.htm

twanda@gendergappers.org       

2001-021

Copyright 2001 Renee T. Louise and Ruth M. Sprague, Ph.D. These articles may be republished for noncommercial use only, provided that they are copied intact, and that this copyright notice is attached. Address all queries to: twanda@gendergappers.org.

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