French Election

And just remember, there's a special place in hell for women who don't help each other.

Madeleine Albright, Campaigning for Hillary Clinton

 

I saw this link on Instapundit and suddenly realized that I have not read of the feminist support for Marine Le Pen, the first woman who might win the French presidency.  Why is that?  Is it only important to break the old boys' network when the woman in question is leftwing?  Isn't it interesting how it is sexist to speak against a leftwing woman but hanging Sarah Palin in effigy didn't trigger a firestorm about a war on women?

 

Marine Le Pen is the National Front (FN) candidate.  The National Front is described as right-wing populist and nationalist.  Among the horrible things that the FN proposes is law and order, especially as regards immigration.  Anti-immigration strongly defines the party and that aspect has only grown stronger in the face of Islamization.  Though in favor of lower taxes, less government intervention, and a diminished bureaucracy, the FN - at least as Le Pen has espoused - is entirely content with the state running healthcare, education, transportation, banking, and energy.  Hardly free market capitalism.  Moreover, FN views protectionist policies favorably.  Oh, the horror!  Such right-wing villainy!  FN would like to do a Frexit, getting France out of the EU and dumping the Euro.  FN is much more isolationist and opposed both Iraq Wars as well as recent French interventions in Africa.  Amazingly, FN is generally pro-Russia and views Vladimir Putin favorably.  The biggest black mark against the party is party founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, Marine's father.  He has unfavorable ratings that make Trump and Hillary look beloved by comparison.

 

France has been in decline for decades.  Once a great power, it now plays second fiddle to Germany in the European Union.  As half-baked and inconsistent as the FN platform is, it is the only party that offers policies that might reverse the cultural suicide that France is currently pursuing.  The French have a fertility rate that is below replacement rate while culturally incompatible immigrants have a fertility rate that will overwhelm the nation.  Where Charles Martel turned back the invading Muslims at the Battle of Tours in 732, the modern French are mostly surrendering without a fight, believing their multicultural proclamations will protect them when they are no longer the majority culture.  How are the Copts fairing in Egypt?  Hmm, that's about the best some future French Christians can expect.

 

Germany is committing cultural suicide to atone for Hitler.  I have no idea why France is doing the same.

The War on Women

There is much talk of the Republican War on Women. When was this war declared? How did it come about? What kind of idiot politician declares war on half of his potential voters?

As part of the evolving healthcare law, the Obama administration announced that religious institutions would be required to offer birth control in the health insurance plans they offered. This, of course, is in direct opposition to the beliefs of these institutions. The government was saying that they must sin against their religion or be in violation of the law. This is clearly stepping on the First Amendment 'free exercise' provision. Unsurprisingly, the religious institutions complained. Republicans came out in defense of religious freedom.

Now the spin. Democrats cry out that Republicans have declared a war on women's reproductive rights. Republicans want to deny women contraception. Sandra Fluke testifies that her friends at a Catholic college are going broke trying to pay contraceptive bills. To make the story fly better, the administration provides for an 'accommodation' in which the insurance companies are required to provide contraception coverage at no cost.

It is a clever move. Suddenly, religious liberty is forgotten and now all the reports are about Republicans against contraception. It isn't true but it plays well in the press. The Obama administration started the conflict and then spun it after the fact to make it seem that it is on defense from a Republican attack. A cooperative media makes that possible.

The status of women and contraception would not change one bit with the Republican policy. They are standing for no change. It is Obama that wants change and his change is to deny religious freedom. The accommodation is a trick. Insurance companies can't supply anything for free so they will raise rates on all policies to pay for this 'freebie.' So, the religious institutions are still paying, it just doesn't show up on the bill.