Scotland's 'feminist foreign policy'

[ArabellaScott]

I'm sure women in Scotland will be heartened to hear of Sturgeon's new 'feminist foreign policy'.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/fcd26848-5b94-11ed-9b1f-f7c251e9dfdc?shareToken=fe411889ee09c1a434054f00bf634725

'For Women Scotland, the feminist group that opposes SNP legislation to make it easier for people to change gender, said it was monumentally ironic for the Scottish government to pursue a feminist foreign policy when it “seems determined to render the very word ‘woman’ meaningless in Scottish legislation”.

The group said that the SNP had no moral authority to lecture others on feminism when Sturgeon’s government had fallen short on all the big tests.

It said: “They have failed in promises to introduce the Nordic model to help victims of prostitution and trafficking; they refused to protect women in the hate crime bill; they issue schools guidance which fails to protect the basic dignity of girls; and they continue to wash their hands of responsibility for putting violent male offenders in women’s prisons.'

www.gov.scot/publications/background-note-scotlands-feminist-approach-foreign-policy/

That's what happens when your go-to experts all drink from the same fountain of knowledge as you.

What I'm puzzled by is how little criticism the Scottish Government gets from across society for the incestuous relationship it has with these groups.

I just read an excellent analysis of the corrosive effect social media has had on democracy in the US and American society in general which I think is relevant to Scotland too. And one of the worst results is that tribal thinking is now elevated by our government as the progressive way to approach anything. And yet:

The most reliable cure for confirmation bias is interaction with people who don’t share your beliefs. They confront you with counterevidence and counterargument. John Stuart Mill said, “He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that,” and he urged us to seek out conflicting views “from persons who actually believe them.” People who think differently and are willing to speak up if they disagree with you make you smarter, almost as if they are extensions of your own brain. People who try to silence or intimidate their critics make themselves stupider, almost as if they are shooting darts into their own brain.

We're seeing that play out right here, where a "feminist" foreign policy report not only uncritically recommends not centering the needs of women and girls, but instead of robust internal debate highlighting the embarrassing stupidity of that idea, they echo that several times.

The article I quoted is called Why the past ten years of American life have been uniquely stupid. It’s not just a phase. By Jonathan Haidt. You'll find it here.

Thanks for this @CharlieParley . It's a fantastic article. I really admire Jonathon Haidt. I didn't realise he was on the board of Braver Angels. I've watched their stuff on YouTube before. An amazing organisation and I recommend looking at the work they do too.
This is an amazing (but long) interview with the founder.