The Polish First Lady’s Lack of Respect for Donald Trump

Published in El Mundo
(Spain) on 9 July 2017
by Lola Sampedro (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Caitlin Taylor. Edited by Pam Willey.
Sometimes, the smallest gestures result in great satisfaction. It doesn’t even matter if they’re conscious decisions, sometimes they are merely accidents that only acquire significance for those that contemplate them. But it doesn’t matter, they are enjoyed anyway. The Polish first lady’s lack of respect for Trump is like sticking up two fingers, saying a big “f - - k you” to all the impertinent male chauvinists that women come across on a daily basis.

The U.S. president was in Poland on an official visit together with his wife. The moment of the official greeting arrived, the famous and studied shaking of hands that provides so much to talk about. The first to shake hands was President Andzej Duda, but when his wife, Agata Kornhauser, took her turn, she decided with an absentminded gesture to bypass Trump and leave him with his hand outstretched. She skipped Trump to greet Melania first. From the look on his face, the bewildered American millionaire seemed to be thinking, “How can this nasty Polish girl think of humiliating such a tough guy like me?”

Some bet that Kornhauser did it unintentionally due to disorientation but who cares. With her lack of respect, the Polish first lady turned to her counterpart Melania, who must be a goddess to support him daily. And then, to all the women who are used to always being second best, purely by being women. They greet us after the men, they introduce us as their women, their girlfriends or subordinates. Your job or social position, achievements or failures don’t matter. Society will always take a man more seriously, even when he doesn’t deserve it. We women are always challenged from the outset, but a man will have to mess up on multiple occasions before being called into question. Agata’s actions are a small act of revenge; they may be miniscule and even accidental, but it feels so good to watch.

The worst thing is that we are so used to this that we don’t even realize it. But when you manage to activate this radar, the one that detects the impertinences of men, you know that it will never go out again. You see the attitudes, the gestures, the male chauvinistic idiocy. There they are, now you see it. You know that you can’t get your claws out every time that little red light appears; it’s not the plan to go through life as if in a constant war. Due to exhaustion, for mental survival on many occasions, you let things go. But out there, the street is full of Trumps. And occasionally, you seize upon a tribute like Agata’s rebuff, our accidental nasty girl.


El desplante de la primera dama polaca a Donald Trump

LOLA SAMPEDRO

A MENUDO, los pequeños gestos suponen una gran satisfacción. Ni siquiera hace falta que sean conscientes, a veces son meros accidentes que adquieren significado sólo en quién los contempla. Pero da igual, se disfrutan igual. El desplante de la primera dama polaca a Trump es ese corte de mangas, esa gran peineta, a todos esos machistas impertinentes con los que las mujeres nos topamos a diario.

El presidente de Estados Unidos está en Polonia de visita oficial junto a su esposa. Llega el momento del saludo oficial, los famosos y estudiados apretones de manos que tanto han dado que hablar. El primero en darlo es el presidente Andzej Duda y luego, cuando llega el turno de su mujer, Agata Kornhauser, ésta decide, con gesto despistado, pasar de Trump y dejarle con la mano colgando. Se lo salta para saludar primero a Melania. Por la cara que se le queda, el desconcertado millonario nortamericano parece estar pensando: «¿Cómo se le ocurre a esta nasty girl polaca humillar a un machote como yo?».

Algunos apuestan a que Kornhauser lo hizo sin querer, por pura desubicación, pero qué más da. Con su desplante, la primera dama polaca ajusticia a su homóloga Melania, ese pan dios que debe ser para soportarlo a diario. Y luego, a todas las mujeres acostumbradas a estar siempre en un segundo plano, sólo por el hecho de serlo. Nos saludan después que a ellos, nos presentan como sus mujeres, sus novias o sus subordinadas. Da igual tu posición social o laboral, tus logros o tus fracasos. La sociedad siempre toma más en serio a un hombre, incluso sin merecerlo. A las mujeres se nos cuestiona ya de entrada, pero un hombre tiene que fastidiarla muchas veces antes de ser puesto en entredicho. Lo de Agata es una pequeña revancha de género, minúscula quizá, incluso fortuita, pero qué bien sienta cuando una la ve.

Lo peor, insisto, es que estamos tan acostumbradas que ni nos damos cuenta. Pero cuando consigues activar ese radar, el que detecta las impertinencias de los machirulos, sabes que no volverá a apagarse jamás. Ves las actitudes, los gestos, la imbecilidad machista. Ahí están, ahora los ves. Sabes que no puedes sacar las garras siempre que se enciende ese pilotito rojo, no es plan ir por la vida en guerra continua. Por agotamiento, por supervivencia mental, muchas veces lo dejas pasar. Pero ahí fuera la calle está llena de trumps. Y de vez en cuando, te pegas un homenaje como ese desplante de Agata, nuestra nasty girl accidental.
This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

Hot this week

Germany: Trump’s Disappointment Will Have No Adverse Consequences for Putin*

             

Austria: Trump Is Only Part of the Problem

Nepal: The Battle against American Establishment

India: Trump’s Tariffs Have Hit South Korea and Japan: India Has Been Wise in Charting a Cautious Path

Singapore: The US May Win Some Trade Battles in Southeast Asia but Lose the War

Topics

Ecuador: Monsters in Florida

Austria: It’s High Time Europe Lost Patience with Elon Musk

Singapore: The US May Win Some Trade Battles in Southeast Asia but Lose the War

Ethiopia: “Trump Guitars” Made in China: Strumming a Tariff Tune

Egypt: The B-2 Gamble: How Israel Is Rewriting Middle East Power Politics

China: 3 Insights from ‘Trade War Truce’ between US and China

United Kingdom: We’re Becoming Inured to Trump’s Outbursts – But When He Goes Quiet, We Need To Be Worried

Poland: Jędrzej Bielecki: Trump’s Pyrrhic Victory*

Related Articles

Ecuador: Monsters in Florida

Singapore: The US May Win Some Trade Battles in Southeast Asia but Lose the War

Ethiopia: “Trump Guitars” Made in China: Strumming a Tariff Tune

Egypt: The B-2 Gamble: How Israel Is Rewriting Middle East Power Politics

China: 3 Insights from ‘Trade War Truce’ between US and China