Margaret Wente is bad for my blood pressure
I think that the Globe and Mail might need to rethink its "give old editors a column" retirement policy. Like a rubbernecker at a car accident, I can't help myself from reading her column from time to time, and it seems to be getting worse. Perhaps she's choking on the fumes being emitted by her gas-guzzling SUV as she tools around Toronto thinking up ways to further deride public transit? That might explain her increasingly erratic columns (hidden behind the subscriber wall, but accessible through Google's news server).
This week, she's decided to beat up on the victims of AIDS, and come to the defence of groups like the Catholic Church (which she thinks doesn't get enough credit for running AIDS clinics in Africa. Clinics which, I might point out, wouldn't be nearly so necessary if the church hierarchy wasn't so virulently opposed to condom use), and the Bush administration (Quoting from today's column: I sometimes wonder why the protesters don't denounce South African President Thabo Mbeki the way they denounce George W. Bush. Sure, Mr. Bush is wrong about condoms. But it's Mr. Mbeki who's effectively killing people off.). This follows on Tuesday's column slamming the gay community, Canada's immigration policy and AIDS activist groups.
It's bad enough when she is essentializing how boys and girls learn in schools, and a "feminine" approach to education or attacking aboriginal studies programs, but her recent vitriol at the AIDS conference, and implicit defence of the opponents of condom usage is truly abhorrent.
[August 22 - ETA: Apparently, I'm not the only person who got upset by this column. Visit Wente Watch for a more thorough debunking of her column, and those that followed. Recommend this Post
posted by Matt @ 8:45 am
3 comments
3 Comments:
I loathe that woman more every day, I swear. I was so embarrassed to learn that she was an American immigrant to Canada, because the thought that I could be identified with her in any way makes my skin crawl. I wonder if they would take her back; she'd sure fit in there a lot better.
She's a silly, supercilious twit and should be marginalised. She (and Marcus Gee) are the reasons for which I canceled my subscription to the The Globe and Mail.
She thinks she's it because she's contrarian or something...
She really isn't. She's just stupid.
You could not have said it better. I feel that Wente thrives on provoking people. She often makes my blood boil. Too bad, because I enjoy the Globe all-around.
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