News just in: Dumb Opinion Piece Published on The Drum.

Acknowledging that the above probably reads like a headline from The Onion, allow me to say that I am nonetheless shocked. Why, oh why can't Clementine Ford and Virginia Haussegger unite and fight against the common enemy, The People's Front of Judea, I hear you ask?

Well, in a sense, they can. Virginia Haussegger's article (abridged from a speech given in a debate) is a thoughtful enough kick in the pants to western feminism regarding it's (I think) cowardly cultural relativism and the resulting moral crisis she claims it finds itself in. Enter Clementine Ford, who says 'Waaaa! All this nasty stuff not our fault! We do plenty! P.S. I'd like to subtly hint that people who agreed with Hausegger are all Islamophobes, if I may', thereby neatly demonstrating Haussegger's point presenting a devastating rebuttal.

Ford's was, I think, the most mind-bogglingly silly piece of writing I have seen on the Drum. This is a highly competitive category.

A few rants at points of consideration for Ford, in the highly unlikely event she reads this blog:

1. Considering how often in subsequent comments you show frustration at people misconstruing comments about males perpetrating violence against women as meaning all men are violent towards women, you might like to take a moment to reflect on how ridiculous it is for you to take any criticism of Islam or Middle Eastern culture as an indication that the speaker thinks all Muslims are inherently evil. There is nothing at all inherently wrong with cultural criticism or even vilification, and I would submit that Islam, as it is currently practiced today, is quite profoundly misogynistic. I think that is bad. I would also like to submit that any culture that accepts honour-killing as a part of it is a culture that contains some profoundly shit elements. You might also remember certain evil acts of vilification regarding such cultural practices as disallowing women the vote and maintaining that a woman's place is in the home. I know, hey? They shock me too.
2. If you title an article Stop blaming feminists for the world's problems, you might like to consider indicating or referencing a single, solitary instance of someone actually blaming feminists for at least one problem in the world. Haussegger sure as shit didn't. She did seem to imply that systematic gross human rights abuses against women should be of special interest to those who would consider themselves feminists. I, too, was shocked by this scandalous assertion.
3. You write "Her argument is so fundamentally flawed that it's difficult to know where to begin." Might I suggest you begin with something she actually fucking said.

In any case, Clementine, on the off-chance that I'm currently coming off as too reasonable or sane or something I thought I might just sign off as follows:

Clementine, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Whose gonna do it? You? You, Clementine? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a woman who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to.