I avoided posting this last year because I thought that anger may have clouded my judgement. Nearly a year has passed and I am no longer smarting, but I haven't changed my mind.
Australia's first woman prime minister, Julia Gillard, has made a dignified exit. It was the culmination of a destabilisation campaign that has lasted three years, conducted as much from within her own party as the political party that her government opposed.
While the criticism that accompanied the picture of Gillard knitting in The Australian Women's Weekly a few days ago was the predictable rubbish that the mainstream media churns out, I doubt that it really contributed much to her demise. A cultural cringe about craft is the subtext of many of these news stories.
Knitting was/is therapy for former US Secretary of State, Madeline Albright. It does not define her any more than it defines Julia Gillard. I love that Albright was able to use a brooch as a metaphor in her top level meetings and knitted bright red beanies for her grand kids to let off steam, rather than uncorking a bottle of wine.
Maundy and maun
5 weeks ago
Interesting! I used to knit when on yard duty at school, and I reckon it helped me stay calm and assertive while I death with schoolyard bullies, foul language, and the many other issues where children are crowded together. It's a pity Gillard didn't introduce knitting into the parliament itself. Maybe then we could have calmed down the bully boys there.
ReplyDeleteSuch a pity that aberrant schoolyard behaviour is so often perpetrated into adult life.
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