WHEN we think of liaisons, we often imagine romantic entanglements, usually illicit extramarital affairs. However, the liaisons I’m talking about are more insidious. These are the dangerous connections between political apologists and the prevalent sexism that still lurks in our society.
There’s a similarity between a political apologist and a sexist. Both share similar behavioral and ideological traits. It’s time to unmask them.
For one, both groups are selective in acknowledging facts and evidence. A political apologist ignores or downplays the negative aspects of their political stand, while a sexist dismisses proof of gender inequality and chooses to uphold patriarchal norms. It’s a sad reality that the world is still highly fixated on a machismo society. We claim to be modern, techno-savvy, and progressive, yet we still look at women as inferior beings.
Political apologists often defend controversial political actions, rationalizing them as a necessary evil. Take, for instance, a recent personal incident. I commented on a popular post on Facebook. The comment was generic, with no mention of popular names. The next thing I knew, I received private messages questioning my comment. It did not stop with a few messages; it was a litany, to the extent of that person sounding like a political apologist.
Another common trait between these two groups is the use of rhetoric. Both use similar rhetorical strategies to defend their views and commonly used are ad hominem attacks. They resort to character assassination just because someone challenged their views. They would lure you to shift the focus away from the issues and will not think twice about pointing out flaws or bringing up unrelated issues to distract criticism of their stance. Similarly, sexists use these tactics to defend discriminatory behaviors and attitudes.
One last trait I’ve noticed is the feeling of entitlement and superiority. Both the apologist and the sexist feel their ideology and their gender, respectively, are inherently superior to others.
I read a comment on Facebook about a person not understanding the line of questioning because she was acting on emotions. That would have been ok if it had stopped there. However, it further qualified that she’s acting that way because she’s a woman, not a critical thinker. This comment undermines our intellectual capabilities and rational thinking. It cultivates the stereotyping of women.
We live among these people, yet we prefer to keep a blind eye for reasons that remain incomprehensible to me. Sexism is not exclusive to men. Some women have sexist ideologies, and that’s sadder than men being sexists. What’s worse are those women advocating pro-women rights yet tolerating philanderers for financial gain. A paradox of pro-women, indeed.
It's about time to stop laughing at jokes about women, especially when these jokes single-handedly point to singles and widows whom they think are vulnerable to men. Don’t laugh with these DOMs (Dirty Old Men) in our society. They are what makes our society darker.
Both political apologists and sexists thrive on the basics of selective truth and superiority. Let's begin dismantling the toxic ideologies they cultivate by recognizing the existence of dangerous liaisons and striving for a society where equality and integrity are not just ideals but realities.
