Feminist stuff!?

Well, Hillary Clinton seems to have stood up to Donald Trump in the first TV debate in the USA presidential election circus. Good for her. I confess to being a little afraid that she might let herself be knocked off kilter by his blustering, badgering, interrupting, shouting-over-everyone style. However, she appears to have kept her calm and come out as the reasonable one. There are more debates to go, though, so maybe next time Mr Trump will be better prepared.

The whole live debate system is a very odd one. I find myself in two minds about it. Election by sound-bite. And by all accounts the debates can have quite an influence on how people vote. On the TV news last night someone was explaining that in some states they start voting almost a month early. That means that some people could be voting in the presidential elections in a couple of weeks' time. Who knew that you could stagger elections in that way?

Here are a few Guardian Reader reactions to the debate:

"A Trump presidency certainly looks like more of a possibility now than say, six months ago, which is a worrying thought. But honestly, through this whole pantomime it's become abundantly clear that they're both villains. Whatever we think of Westminster, the US political freakshow is a million miles from where we are."

"This was kind of like a shark fighting against a guinea pig in deep, ocean water.
In that: Trump kind of looks like a guinea pig, and smells like a guinea pig (probably), and talks as much sense as a guinea pig.
(No shark-related comparisons for Hilary, she just ate the guinea pig. Simple.)"

"Trump should have watched "The West Wing", season four. "Ten word answers can kill you in debates.""

"Dear Obama could you stay on for another four years please? It would give both parties the time to maybe train or educate some candidates to show themselves worthy and have some statesmen like qualities the American people and the world deserve and can vote for."

While the shark-guinea pig comparison is pleasing, I particularly like the last two. I have heard a number of people say it's a pity Obama cannot stay on. Failing that, they would like Michelle Obama to run for president, something she declares she has NO interest in whatsoever. And as regards the West Wing, well, it would be lovely to live in the world of that fictional America.

Personally, I rather hope Hillary Clinton manages to win. It would be interesting to see another woman in charge of a country. Would she turn out to be a feminist? In this country we have Harriet Harman declaring publicly that Prime Minister Theresa May is no feminist. Donnatella Versace, on the other had says that SHE, Donnatella, IS one because "I show women, you can do it". There you go!

Spain's Guardia Civil, predictably, are not feminist or even really egalitarian. Here's part of their story:

"A failure by Guardia Civil to provide female officers with bulletproof jackets specifically designed for women is discriminatory, dangerous and is affecting their ability to protect the public, a major Spanish policing group has said.

The United Association of Civil Guards (AUGC), which has 30,000 members, has launched a campaign demanding the nationwide police service affords equal protection to male and female officers.
It comes as a female Guardia Civil officer in Salamanca province faces disciplinary action for allegedly disobeying a superior’s order to put on a bulletproof jacket for men. According to the association, the guard was working at a police checkpoint in August when she asked if she could wear the €500 (£430) women’s bulletproof jacket she had bought herself rather than an official-issue men’s one that did not fit. Despite being refused permission, she put on her own jacket. The guard is now facing insubordination charges under Spain’s military penal code as the Guardia Civil is overseen by both the interior ministry and the ministry of defence. "

But then, we never expected them to be feminist, did we?