Misogyny against Liz Truss

[PersonaNonGarter]

Is anyone else seeing endless misogyny against Liz Truss painting her as ‘thick’ or ‘stupid’? While there’s an acceptance that Rishi is a clever nerd?

I am finding it quite disconcerting. Both she and Rishi Sunak have PPE degrees from Oxford. Yet so many memes about her being dumb. I haven’t seen any attacking Rishi’s intelligence.

Obviously, many many people disagree with them both politically. But that’s not what I am talking about. This is about a specific sort of criticism that really seems directed at her as a woman.

Isn't politics more about the skill of pragmatism that needs to be applied to deliver the agreed manifesto upon which an election is won? I am not sure how much having a superior intellect succeeds in that context.

To all those calling her thick, over-educated etc - Liz Truss went to comprehensive school. (You can look it up).

If anyone just talked about 'Liz' though, I'd think they were talking about the Queen!

@antifascist Do you have a link to the full original document please before the edit was made? Thank you.

In a red wall area, and the school was not very good I hear, due to government underfunding.

@Oestrogelsmuggler

"We do feminism no favours by blaming everything on misogyny."

+++

Exactly.

yes, i'm wondering if all the people writing pithy one liners to explain how thick they think she is translate that into a view on her ability to run the country

I mean she's demonstrably not academically thick, so leaving that aside, what's the evidence of her thickness that makes her particularly stupid and unsuitable as prime minister compared to Rishi Sunak who is her direct comparator here?

I thought that too, not sure why Eton was mentioned by pp

It’s easy to see she was academic enough to get in

Even if people don’t agree with her policies or think her communication style isn’t the best - fine to say either but I agree re thick probably more suited to AIBU or general dislike women get often in professional life than FWR section

The thread is not about backing Truss, or at least it shouldn't be. Challenging misogyny if and when you see it does not mean you back the politician concerned. But thank you anyway antifascist - I couldn't have asked for a better demonstration of my point.

One example of why Liz Truss would be an appalling PM.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-60544838.amp

www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/liz-truss-slapped-down-chief-26399326.amp

Sexism is rife in politics. Saying that Truss would be a disaster for social care which has been in spiralling deeper and deeper into serious crisis since the Tory party took over. At least Rishi had a plan to tackle the social care crisis and was taking steps in the right direction. Truss will throw the disabled and elderly under a bus

I stopped posting links when people said they couldn't be bothered to open them. You can google if you wish.

thank you, that's helpful and much more the kind of post I expect to find in FWR (i.e. evidenced). That does indeed display a woeful lack of judgement

Ah - Agnesta - unfortunately my XH wasn’t or isn’t from a privileged background. Father a labourer, mum in admin, he was brought up in social housing and he went to a comprehensive. He was academically clever (not insanely so though, he got a C at maths GCSE) and in his particular case, his background really worked for him rather than against as there was no one really like him there. Not quite a poster boy for “look! They’re not all Eton!” But close enough. I don’t know how much he loved it either but it set him up for life. As long as someone else can remember all basic things for him, like how to change a duvet cover or make rice…

his Inability to understand someone else’s point of view in a discussion “you’re wrong and you know you are, you’re just saying this to annoy me” as well as his unwillingness to learn new things (why won’t you let me show you how to make couscous), just made me realise that Oxbridge genuinely is not a measure of someone’s intelligence. It just is “book learning”.

Apologies heres the link
humanists.uk/2022/07/22/norway-denmark-and-human-rights-groups-challenge-uk-over-abortion-rollback/

@GottaLoveTheCold , gotta say, you don't sound keen on him. 😬Glad to read he's XH, not DH.

I absolutely agree. Its way too easy to look for misogyny in everything.

Yes, Liz Truss got an Oxbridge PPE degree, so theoretically she should be intelligent. But she is incredibly inarticulate, does not come across as a leader, and yes, does appear at least, stupid.
That's nothing to do with her sex. Every politician gets this stuff. And frankly, she deserves what's coming her way.

In appalled that we are left with these two. I really am.

Roundhay is not and never has been red wall
She had a Tory MP growing up!

Regarding image and bows, I am reminded of Angela Merkel. Whatever your views on her, she was a very successful Chancellor. she swerved comments on her appearance by deliberately and consistently wearing a " trouser suit". She never varied from that and therefore her politics and policies were more important than her appearance ever was.

It should never have to be like that, everyone should be able to wear what they wish (within decency laws), but she showed how making her appearance bland led to little or no commentary on her dress sense or the fact that she is a woman.

But she was clever, bright and on the ball. Not sure about either of the current two candidates before us. I think Truss is being played in order to govern during what appears to be a horrible time coming down the tracks, while someone else is in the wings waiting to pounce. Now who could that be I wonder?

Truss is for people who liked Boris but wished he was a bit more stupid

i have no strong feelings on this, I'm here to be persuaded.

but I do find the posters who've got nothing beyond 'She's thick' quite interesting

I think we all accept that we operate in a sexist society. if you violently dislike or despise a woman but can't articulate why, it's probably a good idea to examine what's driving your viewpoint.

I thought the Kemi Badenoch thread was similar. lots of people happy to vociferously state that she's 'scary', but seemingly getting quite sensitive when asked to explain why they thought that

and a rather ironic cross post!

Not at all. I've provided plenty of links on this thread with evidence of her stupidity. Her promise to get rid of all the EU laws by next year if she wins is further proof.

@GreenLunchBox

"Truss is for people who liked Boris but wished he was a bit more stupid"

++++

I don't disagree but I would amend your comment to :

Truss is for people who liked Boris but wished he was a bit more dangerous.

I mean Liz Truss encouraging British people with no military experience to volunteer to fight in Ukraine. I mean what could possibly go wrong with that idea!!!