WikiLeaks: Catty Embassy Gossip Directed at Azerbaijan’s First Lady
With all the horrific and disturbing headlines exploding before the world’s eyes on a daily basis, there is something almost comforting in knowing that in many quarters, gossip remains the order of the day.
Rather a sweeping statement, I concur, but its truth is verified when one reads the WikiLeaks documents.
The knowledge that the U.S. State Department is populated with a cadre of Liz Smith wannabees is information I could have happily lived without, but isn’t it comforting to know that as we are busily fighting terror and battling religious extremists for our very survival, the government gossips are cattily tearing Azerbaijan’s first lady apart from head to toe?
The comments were juicy, and I am certain a welcome aside to the usual hard-core political issues our State Department faces hourly, presumably. The Guardian reports on U.S. embassy cables released by WikiLeaks:
Aliyeva is dubbed more “fashion-conscious and daring” than the “average woman in majority-Muslim Azerbaijan.” …“The first lady “wears dresses that would be considered provocative even in the Western world,” it says.
There was also a derogatory mention of Aliyeva’s cosmetic surgery. These are the tamer and nicer comments taken from official U.S. diplomatic cables.
Should I be happy this gossip created a brief respite in their tedious care-worn day? Or should I be shocked at the inappropriate behavior this displays toward a nation that is genuinely and steadfastly friendly to the United States, Israel, and our allies?
I choose the latter.
As a journalist who is adamantly opposed to censorship and any impediments to free speech, I still can’t help but be appalled by the backbiting beauty salon barbs our officials delivered toward Mehriban Aliyeva and her nation, Azerbaijan, and their contemptible attitude.
If she were to walk about dressed in rags, unkempt and looking saggy and baggy, their comments would have surely castigated her for a lack of self-esteem. Even for refusing to show oneself in the public forum with a regal and attractive demeanor.
Jackie Kennedy was the darling of the world and she certainly presented herself as the most elegant and couture-driven fashionista of any past or future first lady.
Written by a man, the gossip-ridden official U.S. dispatch is a typical representation of the misogynistic inadequacy of someone who likely wouldn’t dare to criticize his own wife’s/partner’s fashion choices, yet feels comfortable enough putting that in an official correspondence to the U.S. secretary of State. Of course, nowhere in the embassy cables emanating from Azerbaijan is there any reference to male politicians’ clothing or style.
Even more disturbing is that the official recipient of a cable is Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who, having broken through several glass ceilings herself and readily complained about being a target of sexism in her career, should have been appalled by such malicious nonsense. What would she think of a foreign embassy spending time during major international crises discussing her fashion and hair styles or, perhaps, her predecessor’s skirts?
Much ado about nothing. A rather mundane report on the first lady of Azerbaijan, notable only for the fact that there apparently isn’t much effort to being made to develop personal relations with these people.
Oddly, the report is dated from January of last year. The real scandal might be WTF were we doing before that in Azerbaijan? Why was this report, which reads like a tourist postcard, written? It refers to a visit from Lynne Cheney. Was no dossier ever before created on Mehriban Aliyeva? Or did the Obama crew throw out every report from the prior administration, seeking a fresh start?
There were no secrets in this report. Whatever passes for the Oprah show in Baku probably dishes better stuff every day.
Ever met anyone from that part of the world before? Where I work, other contractors come from all over the world. Guess what? The women, right done to their shoes, are stylish and attractive. Wow! Women the world over love western fashion! Even in Azerbaijan!
The next cable might confide that Azerbaijanian men think their women look hot, too. At least we might have some influence, somehow.
“Written by a man, the gossip-ridden official U.S. dispatch is a typical representation of the misogynistic inadequacy of someone who likely wouldn’t dare to criticize his own wife’s/partner’s fashion choices, yet feels comfortable enough putting that in an official correspondence to the U.S. secretary of State. Of course, nowhere in the embassy cables emanating from Azerbaijan is there any reference to male politicians’ clothing or style.”
Or perhaps the “man” or “men” who wrote these cables about this woman are gay? Maybe they have nothing better to do than to be catty towards a woman they secretly admire, like Paris Hilton? Nothing would surprise me by a government department headed by a man, er, “woman,” like pant-suit Hillary Clinton.
These stupid people in the Embassies of the world did NOT learn one thing from the first round of Wikileaks.They are the ones who will shake their fingers at the ruling bodies of the countries that fall to the Muslim hordes. Shame,they will say,but inside they will know that they played a part in their downful.Whether it disturbs them or not remains to be seen but reading of their handywork and seeing constant reminders that you don’t need to be knowledgable in a street sense to have a diplomatic posting,I would not be surprised if the latter were true.By that time it would not matter anyway.
Perhaps the State Department is projecting their resentment of Sarah Palin on Azerbaijan’s first lady. Gov. Palin is another attractive accomplished woman who rubs the conventional grain of feminism the wrong way. Personally I long to see characteristics embraced by both Ms. Palin and Ms. Aliyeva in our own first lady.
Emelda Marcos was the first lady of a steadfast US ally. Was criticizing her in-your-face fashion excesses in a poor country that inflamed anti-government sentiment misogynistic, too?
At #5, BBC – Possibly I missed it, but where is it written in the article that Ms Aliyeva is guilty of ‘in-your-face fashion excesses’?
A better question would be, “When will women realize that the ‘progressive’ movement is not really interested in the equality or dignity of women?” Women make up far too large and diverse a group to be a special interest; if you elevate all women, you suddenly have no worker bees. So progressives pay lip service to feminism while working diligently to undermine it.
The sad part is, the feminist movement has by and large fallen for it. There are a few old-school feminists who have not (Violet Socks of Reclusive Leftist springs to mind) but for the most part, cattiness and nastiness rules the day.
This is the first PJM article I’ve read since 2007 that I completely disagreed with. The author is “appalled by the backbiting beauty salon barbs” but doesn’t reproduce any. All that’s here are banal observances from a diplomatic flunky who merely described the dress of a leader’s wife. So what? Are women so privileged in the US that they are “appalled” by mundane discussion? Further, let’s all remember that its perfectly fine to criticize women. They’re human beings, not overlords. Treat women just as you would anyone else. If someone dreads being called “fashion-conscious” then they should eschew membership in the cult of stuff. Very poor overall.
I respect where you’re coming from, Mr. Chapin, and I like your work, but you’re too severe here.
I don’t like hearing about Hillary’s ugly pant-suits, but if Gov. Christie’s belly is fair game, so’s Hillary’s butt. Still, yuck!
The “backbiting barbs” you demand are in the Guardian story linked by the author. Still, there was only one good barb I could see.
The author is certainly wrong to long for that horrid Betty Friedan, more the mother of Cultural Marxism than feminism. And who’s that other woman, the pedophile from Australia? If she really has shut her pie-hole, let’s all go Waltzing Matilda!
That said, I’m sick of the treatment heaped on Palin, Christine O’Donnell, and Bachmann. MSNBC and other execrable outfits go on and on about their inappropriate shoes, their hair, their make-up, their glasses, possible plastic surgery, and too much other crap. Let’s yell misogyny, why not? It doesn’t mean there’s no misandry.
The big problem here is the State Department skoolkidz. Not only can’t they protect their communications, their communications make us all look like jackasses.
America’s great. The worst thing about America is its government, which is still better that most governments. The worst thing about the government, though, is the Department of State. And the Department of State is the face we show the world!
Oops, Ms. Zager mentioned Steinem, but I was thinking of Greer.
What is this propaganda doing on this website?
“when women are mutilated and murdered daily throughout the world”\
I suppose you will only be happy when it is only men who are murdered daily
inappropriate behavior this displays toward a nation that is genuinely and steadfastly friendly to the United States, Israel, and our allies?
this presupposes our people overseas are pro Israel
and it is an interesting contrast to the way the Jordanian Princess has been feted,swooned over as some example of modernity who wears designer duds while the women of her country live under burqua and poverty and oppression-same goes for Michelle Obama- ooh her arms her clothes? anyone know what designer made Obama’s suit?
the LEFT never fails in it’s hyposcrisy- ever – you can count on it
American men- yes many hate women, especially good looking ones- – Sarah Palin for example- one can contrast the media treatment of her as well-and Hillary too- more coverage and comment toher clothes than her views-
demeaning and marginalizing women by insulting their looks helps them avoid having to confront the MINDs inside the bodies which they are unable to see as anything but sex objects
a witch a bitch or a psycho- they must reduce a woman to one of those to SHUT HER UP-
This article has a valid point. What is not addressed is that the overwhelming majority of government positions are filled by Leftists, because they love big government. These Leftists also are invariably misogynistic.
Conservatives love a beautiful, accomplished fashionista. The woman is clearly a lady, and it would never occur to us to criticize her.
For example, I like Geraldine Ferraro. I have always found her to be every inch a gracious lady. I disagree with her politics, but I do not find her disagreeable.
More likely, its just that leftists always have this poorly thought out knee jerk reaction that “the people” are always good and noble while anyone who accumulates wealth or power and doesn’t join their causes)is to be hated and scorned.
It’s their inability to see that all of their ideas are derived from well worn, collectivist ideologies that have a 100% failure rate.
It’s that they just can’t accept that anyone (especially themselves) can be a loser in the game of life unless it is the fault of some else who was given an unfair advantage.
Speaking of WikiLeaks: Groundhogs, WikiLeaks, and Nukes
Now that the annual excitement of Punxsutawney Phil is over after Phil made his shadowy prediction that we will have an early spring and then returned to his groundhog burrow and the good folk in Punxsutawney, PA turn their thoughts to more important events such as the Steelers winning the Super Bowl, it might be worthwhile to consider another prediction.
The other prediction isn’t new. It’s been made repeatedly in one form or another by various sources but, although it involves far more dire consequences than when spring will arrive, this prediction receives far less attention than does a woodchuck.
The Vancouver Sun has reported that, “Al-Qaida is on the verge of producing radioactive weapons after sourcing nuclear material and recruiting rogue scientists to build ‘dirty’ bombs, according to leaked diplomatic documents. A leading atomic regulator has privately warned that the world stands on the brink of a ‘nuclear 9/11.’ “
Now, some will say that that report isn’t real news, and it isn’t since America and the rest of the world has heard over the last six months similar reports, of terrorist internet “chatter,” of Islamic plots against the West foiled and in progress, of various alerts and warnings. It’s almost as if we’re being prepped for a catastrophic “nuclear 9/11″ which our president has already said we could withstand and still be just hunky dorey.
The Sun article does add somewhat to that old news. In its article, “Al-Qaida on Brink of Using Nuclear Bomb,” it reveals that among those tens of thousands of classified American cables made public by Julian Assange’s WikiLeaks . . .
(Read more at http://www.genelalor.com/blog1/?p=3554)