Sometimes it’s hard to be a woman
Giving all your love to just one man
You’ll have bad times
And he’ll have good times
Doin things that you don’t understand
But if you love him
You’ll forgive him
Even though he’s hard to understand
And if you love him
Oh, be proud of him
Cause after all he’s just a man
Stand by your man
And tell the world you love him
Keep giving all the love you can
Stand by your man
——-
In the days that this song was popular, so was the belief that it was just a woman’s lot in life to be abused by a man. Women were taught to accept it, even to accept responsibility FOR it, and love their man no matter what. Women were, after all, second class to their male counterparts. Men were the controllers, and women were the controlled. Suck it up, lady – get with the program.
Today, as women, we have come a long way in understanding the affect of not only physical abuse, but psychological abuse as well, as it is doled out by the men in their lives. Psychological abuse does not have to come from a partner or husband, and we now know that it does not even have to be handed out by males only targeting females only. There are men who are victims of spousal abuse, employee victims of superiors abuse, etc. Battered wife syndrome has changed over time to battered person syndrome, and there are many victims.
Victims are typically those who, in some way, feel inferior to their abuser. This inferiority often is a result of a long and tedious process of breaking down a person and exposing a weakness. Now, this does not mean that the person, to the outsider, is a meek and introverted person. I know a male police officer who is a victim of psychological spousal abuse. It happens when the abuser uses a persons weakness to acquire their submissiveness.
In my opinion Hillary Clinton’s acceptance of the Secretary of State appointment from Barack Obama is indicative of psychologically battered person syndrome. During the primaries, Hillary was repeatedly attacked by the media ways that were specifically geared towards her gender. No such attacks (obviously and appropriately) were aimed at Obama based on his race. Obama himself did absolutely nothing to repudiate the remarks made by media icons such as Keith Olbermann or Chris Matthews. Even female reporters jumped on the bandwagon to denegrate Senator Clinton. No word of disdain from Obama.
His silence indicated his agreement and his approval of her treatment. It was that treatment, combined with the sleazy politics employed by the Obama campaign, the outright cheating in the caucus states, and the donations via PAC’s to superdelegates who had either previously supported Clinton or at least represented states and/or districts that she won in the primaries, that caused him to take the nomination. It was a sham of a political process, supported by the DNC. If you think Obama was “elected”, think again. He was “selected”.
So, Obama inherently suceeds to “break” Hillary and her efforts for the nomination. Now, let’s take a look at this politically extremely sucessful woman. OK, I love Hillary, I really do – and I absolutely think Bill is the greatest president of our lifetime. But look at their marriage and relationship. Hillary is a “stand by your man” kind of woman. It doesn’t matter what he has done to her, it doesn’t matter how badly she is treated, or how many women he cheats with – she takes him back. She will continue to do so until she dies. He will continue to cheat on her (tho there’s no new media attention on it, I absolutely believe he still runs around). This psychological weakness of Hillary’s has nothing to do with her ability to be independent in her work – a strong political force – or anything else. Because this particular problem has to do specifically with men that she has a more personal relationship with.
Hillary will let Obama keep abusing her, and will always forgive him when he offers her a present and an “I’m sorry”. Watch this situation closely, for if she accepts the Secretary of State position from him, we will see it play out for us time after time. Until Obama decides that he’s tired of her, that she’s just not the fun girl that she used to be. I don’t give them long. Yet that’s not even the whole of it.
Obama, by offering her the job, is determining by her response just exactly how much abuse he can exert and keep her in line at the same time. This time he will control her political destiny, for she will serve entirely at his pleasure – and when he’s done with her, she’ll be out of work.
Mark my words, Obama will, if he so desires, make her his scapegoat for any failed policies, ensure that her good name is smeared (and the way people adore Obama, they will do and say anything that he wants), and that she will essentially become a laughing stock in the face of America and the world. If he wants to, he can, and I believe that he will.
Ultimately, however, I believe Obama wants her out of the senate, where she would be a voice of temperance for the democratic party. He fears, I believe, that on many issues she may side with the republicans, and let’s face it – without her there he could have (depending now on 2 state elections) a fillibuster proof senate. I don’t think that’s something that America can afford right now.
