call it whatever you want

While a large proportion of Australians might bitch and moan about being given a choice about voting for two different kinds of evil, when I read things like what is currently going on in Afghanistan and their campaign elections, I realise how lucky we are comparatively. And just in general.

Every parliamentary candidate is basically in fear of their lives. The Taliban doesn't just threaten to fuck up the elections, it actually does. Through the generation of fear, democracy is a sweetly utterance in a far-off utopia for the time being.

Candidates, campaign workers and their families are feeling the weight of the deaths of recent Taliban victims and the civilians will only go out to vote, if they feel like they won't be the next in the line of fire, which basically rules out anyone who isn't willing to sacrifice their life in order to obtain their say in THEIR election. The BBC reports that people are "indignant" when asked about whether they will participate, because of Taliban mutilations and murders that are bound to happen if people vote.

Female candidates have been the particular target in this election. I find this image particularly disturbing. It was basically this image which prompted me to write this.

Many people have pointed out to me, the way in which I focus on issues through a feminist perspective. I make no apologies for this, it's like once the certain way to critically look at things was introduced to me, I've been doing it ever since. If I see a health and exercise magazine, where a man is standing with a woman wrapped around him from behind, partially obscured, I will ask why.