{"id":3892,"date":"2012-10-17T20:58:46","date_gmt":"2012-10-17T17:58:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/processworkhub.gr\/blog\/?p=3892"},"modified":"2012-10-17T21:07:43","modified_gmt":"2012-10-17T18:07:43","slug":"when-the-attack-is-political-and-personal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/processworkhub.gr\/blog\/when-the-attack-is-political-and-personal\/","title":{"rendered":"When the attack is political\u2026 and personal"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>\u03a0\u03b7\u03b3\u03ae: A User’s Guide to Power<\/a><\/p>\n

When the attack is political\u2026 and personal<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

by Julie Diamond<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s one thing to have your policies criticized. To be condemned by your political opponents. To be second guessed by pundits. But it\u2019s another to have pornographic or racist cartoons and bumper stickers, as well as fabricated stories about you circulating freely in the media and on the internet.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what both the Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard<\/a>, and President Barack Obama<\/a> are putting up with. In Gillard\u2019s case, even though Australians are used to a bare-knuckle style of Parliamentary debate, the vulgar, misogynist attack on Gillard goes way beyond even the most salacious rant. And the racist attacks on Obama, as well as challenges to his nationality, education, and religion are far out of line from simple political disagreement.<\/p>\n

Both Gillard and Obama are firsts. They broke through a glass ceiling, And in both cases, right after their election, their countries basked in a post-election glow that quickly dissipated in the wake of reactionary and vicious attacks.<\/p>\n

Can they defend themselves?<\/p>\n

Gillard just did in a video clip<\/a> going viral here in America, reported in a New Yorker article entitled, What Obama Could Learn from Julia Gillard\u2019s Speech on Australian Misogyny?<\/a><\/p>\n

But the title belies the fact that that at least 50% of the Australian public is comprised of women. To defend yourself, knowing you are also defending a sizeable segment of the population is different from defending yourself as a part of a smaller minority. And while conversations about gender and race are difficult, in America, real conversations about race are almost nonexistent.<\/p>\n

Barack Obama is a Jackie Robinson for the 21st century. There\u2019s nothing for him to do but be the best he can be.<\/p>\n

Or is there?<\/p>\n

What can one do when the attack is not only personal, but an attack on one\u2019s social or racial or gender group?<\/p>\n

This is not just about Obama or Gillard. It\u2019s about everyone. We all have a social identity and stepping up in the public eye, in our current cultural climate means our social identity is fair game. If we actually make it past the stigma and get elected, or in the workplace, rise to a place of prominence, then we have to endure attacks, bullying, and in some cases, sabotage.<\/p>\n

So what can we do when we are attacked not just for our policies, but for our social identity? There is nothing simple about this. There is no solution to this, no five easy steps for managing it. One reason it\u2019s not so simple is because it\u2019s a collective responsibility, not just the individual being attacked. It\u2019s a cultural problem and requires a cultural solution. Here are some attitudes and frameworks I find helpful.<\/p>\n