The Next Wave
佩林之谜
Naomi Wolf
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纽约-佩林被选为麦凯恩的竞选搭档就像一场电子风暴席卷了美国。对于她那些挥舞着口红的拥趸们来说，佩林是一个朴实、虔诚的“冰球母亲”，她喜欢捕猎美洲驼鹿、信仰福音教义以及甚至有些混乱的家庭生活，都显示她是一个真实的并且典型的美国人。
反过来，对于她那些同样激烈并且其人数越来越庞大的诋毁者而言，她令人恐惧地预示了一个神权政治的美国、一个将像黑手党一样处理国家事务的执行者，他们对9/11恐怖袭击与伊拉克的联系问题上撒谎、嘲笑奥巴马反对对犯人使用酷刑，另外还藐视传票。我们可以把她想象成是女子版的布什。
两大阵营的反应都来自确凿的证据。她的支持者看到了是一组非常有说服力的符号，而她的诋毁者看到的则是一组更有说服力的事实。
佩林对于许多女性选民而言所象征的主张是非常值得我们去认识的，并且我们必须重视它所反映的愤怒和渴望。这种主张的潜台词就是阶级。
美国的工人阶级白人女性的才能自从这个国家成立以来就一直受到了剥削和低估。尽管一些富有的白人女性或者成功地获得高质量教育的其他背景的女性，就像希拉里、奥尔布赖特还有赖斯，冲过了无形的晋升障碍，甚至通过女权运动成为了名人，但是工人阶级白人女性却可以理解地对她们地位的上升抱以敌视的态度。
她们那些更加富有的女同胞雇佣她们这样的女性去干脏活，或者她们不得不去美国劳工市场的“粉领”集聚地或服务业工作，接受永远停滞不动的最最微薄的工资。她们头顶的障碍是用混凝土制成的，并且远远低于她们的才能和流动性。总之，她们在实际上以及符号上都被排斥在这个国家的政治话语权之外，并且常常遭到政客们傲慢的对待。
种族也是一个因素。尽管有报道揭露佩林曾对一群非洲裔美国人说她并不是必须要雇佣黑人，工人阶级白人女性在种族敌视上常常理解她们自身的经历。她们认为有一个底层阶级获得了她们所无法获得的利益，并且发展中国家蓬勃发展的经济夺去了工资很高的蓝领阶层的工作。
因此，当佩林被推到媒体的聚光灯下时，她成了那些没有机会表达自己的观点、筋疲力尽的工厂工人符号性的报复幻想。看到一位工人阶级白人女性被挑选为美国总统的副手，引起了他们巨大的共鸣。想一想《末路狂花》或者《打工女郎》这样的电影所发出的声音吧，其中的女主角都是一名大胆、受到压制的秘书，尽管受到某位高傲自大的来自常春藤联合会的女上司的欺压，然而最终都获得了梦寐以求的工作、梦想中的大男孩以及处于最佳位置的高级办公室。
就像任何一个生来并不享有特权、家里有小孩需要抚养并且并非是食人肉者或者撒丹的崇拜者的女人一开始肯定会受到所有女性以及一个长久以来一直被压制和蔑视的群体的赞同。如果你以前一直在家里煮咖啡，想象能够领导自由世界一定是件美妙的事情。
然而佩林持续下跌的支持率同样表明尽管这些女性为符号的正当性感到兴奋，她们也并不是傻瓜。她们已经开始注意到佩林怎样在一次车展上像一名模特一样小步走向前，被介绍给这个国家的领袖们，似乎他们是一些当地的汽车分销商，而媒体又是怎样只被允许拍照却不允许提问（“那是我跟基辛格拍的照片！”）。她们还注意到经济正在面临崩溃，而伊拉克平静下来只是因为美国向暴动者和基地组织的同情者每人支付相当于每月一辆车的钱，以换取他们不杀美国的士兵。
此外，当佩林的政治角色慢慢开始为大家所认识时，情况看上去更加令人震惊。问题不仅仅在于麦凯恩的竞选团队在她的周围安排了布什和切尼阵营里的老手（卡尔罗夫手下的随从和职员现在负责为她撰写演讲稿以及安排她的每一项活动）。还有她认为是上帝在安排她在阿拉斯加的立法议程，而在对外国的了解方面她的知识恐怕仅来自于探索频道。
此外，一个被忽略的事实是皮肤病专家正在认定麦凯恩曾接受过治疗的癌症对于像他这样年龄的人来说，按保险计算的生存时间为二至四年。因此，当由佩林长期担任总统的令人担忧的前景开始逐渐被人们所认识时，她对于工人阶级白人女性来说就不再那么伟大了。
那么，这场短暂的佩林泡沫教给了我们什么呢？
在成为只不过是换上另一张标签的布什政府的延续的海报女郎时，佩林显示出她自己与贝隆夫人或者丹麦的反移民运动领袖柯丝高这些老于世故的伪民粹主义者有相当多的共同点。下一次以及以后的每一次我们应该认识到的是我们忽视了那些为我们做饭、在因特网上为我们下订单以及在我们的医院里擦拭病人溅出的液体的女性也可以成为伟大的领导人以及她们伟大的梦想。
这些女性的声音应该受到重视，而不是那些掠夺了美国的财富、糟蹋了它的经济并且把4000名勇敢的男性和女性送到一场用谎言堆积起来的战争去送死的强盗们为了再统治这个国家八年（甚至更长时间）而编造出来的漏洞百出的托词。
作者纳奥米·沃尔夫，作家，她的近作是《美国终点：给年轻爱国者的一封警示信》，另一本书《给我自由：如何成为美国的革命者》也即将面世。她还是美国民主运动组织美国自由运动创立者。
版权所有：Project Syndicate，2008年
www.project-syndicate.org
译者：赵征
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good1 08:58 20 Oct 08
Ms Wolf has again proven that " Women are their own worst enemies ". Any one with Ms Palin status will be a credit to her gender.
As for
"not that of a scary stalking-horse for eight more years (or more) of rule by the thugs who looted America’s treasury, wrecked its economy, and sent 4,000 brave young men and women to die in a war based on lies."
Ms wolf should look for the real culprits. Here is the hints to those who are the paragons of Ms Wolf belief.
Why do we not see or hear from Senators like Chuck Shummer or Chris Dodd since the financial meltdown? The two regulars that are the media favorites for endorsing democratic tickets publicly year after year.
Ms Wolf is best know for her literary achievement in describing women sexuality especially her own unabashedly. Has Ms Wolf ran out of explicit material and now branching into another territory that is more lucrative?
If so I wish you success. Please remember describing others is not as straight forward as describing your own personal intimate experiences. Let us leave historians to be the political voyeur.
good1 11:57 21 Oct 08
I am often amazed by how people presume things and will go on those assumptions to conclude or assume even further. Assumptions/presumptions are double edge swords. It hurts both the assumer and the assumed party. If a presumption is inaccurate or loosely worded, then the assumer is at best guilty of hearsay at worst bearing false witness i.e. deceiving, lying. Often the assumed will then have to live under the assumer unproven assumption until those assumptions are proven wrong.
This go against the basic tenant of fairness. The well known adage of " not guilty until proven ".
In the court of criminal justice one is not guilty until proven otherwise. Presumption of guilt may be the initial cause of the persecution/ detention. Ultimately the accused has his or her day in court where beyond a reason of doubt has to be established before condemned.
Often writer will write or express their opinions based on assumptions that are consistent with their bias view. The assumption upon which these author further assumed on are themselves inaccurate or quote out of context.
Therefore it is very important that when an article is to be published there should be a source that commend critically on the accuracy of these writers. Especially the ones that claim to be an expert in the field that he/she is commenting on. These so called expert usually are academicians, politicians, preachers and media out lets.
Average citizen in USA follow sound bite. Often these are 3rd to 4th generation assumptions that are hard to verified let alone looked up. The catchier the sound bite the more appeal it will have. Give one something to remember without questioning. This is also the essence of propaganda. An element of the brain washing concept.
Lack of having a body that will comment critically on myriad of articles that are published, what can readers do to get to the real truth?
As always keeping some simple rules in mind as one read will quickly make one realize whether the an article that is truthful. There are only two rules.
1) Trust but verify: If the author is trustworthy he or she will produce verifiable source from which the assumptions are taken.
2) Bias: Does the Author admit to his/her bias and painstakingly try to prove the point being made are not self serving.
If the above two rules are applied to any articles one will quickly realize the true validity and value of each and every articles
In order to effectively apply the rules one must be able to see all the assumptions that are made. Usually the main one can be found within the main heading of that particular article.
As for the bias nature of the author, look for the past articles and endorsement. This can be usually done through "googling".
Take the example of this article written by an author whose credentials are presumed impeccable.
The article has the following headings:
The Palin Charade
These are the Assumptions made. Please correct me if I am too presumptuous on these assumptions
1) Ms Palin represent "the symbolic revenge fantasy of many of those silenced, exhausted factory workers and secretaries".
2)These assumed supporters currently are having second thought
3) US Economy is Imploding
4) US is buying off Iraqi insurgent and Al-Qaeda sympathizer
5) It is something bad for Ms Palin to believe that GOD set her legislative agenda in Alaska and learning about places from Discovery Channel is wanting.
6) Ms Palin represent continuation of " Bush " policy. She reminds Ms Wolf of Eva Peron and Denmark leader Pia kjaersgaard.
7) McCain can croak during his tenure. If he died right after inauguration then
8) Disturbing prospect of Ms Palin taking over for 4 years. Or even 8 years !
9) Thugs who looted American treasury are Ms Palin's patrons
10) The same people wreck US economy
11)The same people sent 4000 brave young men and women to die in a war
12)The war is based on lies.
Applying the second rule to evaluate an article for what it's worth.
1)No where in this articles has the author Ms Wolf reveal that she is strongly bias against anything republicans.
2)No painstaking effort to make it sound that her view is reasonable.
Let us take two most important assumptions Ms Wolf is basing her message on. The rest I believe are just icing or detractions.
This grand assumptions that Ms Palin is somewhat not qualified to be a potential President of USA.
No real proof given except innuendoes of racism, "did not travel to a foreign country", looking like a model in lime light, Bush's stooge etc.
The second assumption is McCain can croak due to his history of Melanoma.
Again no real proof.
One can easily google those two questions as well as MS Wolf and find out that
1) Ms Wolf is rabidly anti-Bush, anything Republicans, if not America. She has condemned USA everywhere she went. There are video, audio and published proves out there. Even in this forum " Dear world-- ".
2) Ms Palin is associated with notably this credential there are others.
"Question: What is America 's first line of missile interceptor defense that protects the entire United States?
Answer: 49th Missile Defense Battalion of Alaska National Guard.
Question: What is the ONLY National Guard unit on permanent active duty?
Answer: 49th Missile Defense Battalion of Alaska National Guard
Question: Who is the Commander in Chief of the 49th Missile Defense Battalion of Alaska National Guard?
Answer: Governor Sarah Palin, Alaska
Question: What U.S. governor is routinely briefed on highly classified military issues, homeland security, and counter terrorism?
Answer: Governor Sarah Palin, Alaska
Question: What U.S. governor has a higher classified security rating than either candidate of the Democrat Party?
Answer: Governor Sarah Palin, Alaska
According to the Washington Post, she first met with McCain in February, but nobody ever found out. This is a woman used to keeping secrets. She can be entrusted with our national security, because she already is."
3) As for McCain potential for croaking by any means I will let you find out yourself.
I hope you folks from now on learn to read any articles and value them for what they are worth applying these two simple rules
1) Trust but verify: If the author is trustworthy he or she will produce verifiable source from which the assumptions are taken.
2) Bias: Does the Author admit to his/her bias and painstakingly try to prove the point being made are not self serving.
nribeiro 02:56 10 Oct 08
Yet another winner from Ms. Wolf.