Taking a strike at President Donald Trump’s MAGA campaign slogan, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo claimed that “we’re not going to make America great again. It was never that great.” The rebuke is already drawing harsh criticism from President Trump and others.
Cuomo made the remark while discussing gender equality. Cuomo elaborated: “We have not reached greatness. We will reach greatness when every American is fully engaged. We will reach greatness when discrimination and stereotyping of women, 51% of our population is gone…”
For Cuomo, America must empower every woman to unleash her full potential and to contribute fully to society. America has made tremendous progress in integrating women into the workforce and encouraging the attainment of higher education (women were all but barred from universities just a century ago).
Cuomo will be facing off against Democrat Cynthia Nixon in a gubernatorial primary race. After that, if he advances, he’ll have to face Marc Molinaro, who slammed Cuomo, claiming the governor “owes the nation an apology,” and that “he should be ashamed of himself.”
President Trump weighed in on Twitter:
“WE’RE NOT GOING TO MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, IT WAS NEVER THAT GREAT.” Can you believe this is the Governor of the Highest Taxed State in the U.S., Andrew Cuomo, having a total meltdown!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 16, 2018
Many claim that continued progress is necessary. Women still earn only 80 cents per every dollar a man earns. The wage gap widens even more when job titles and industries are taken into account. Further, only 23 Fortune 500 companies are headed by female CEOs (less than 5 percent), and the United States has never had a female president.
However, some argue that the wage gap is primarily due to different life decisions, such as child-rearing and career choices. Of course, sexism could still play a role in those decisions. For example, women may feel pressured to have children, and to set aside their careers to be primary caregivers. Career opportunities could likewise be influenced by culturally reinforced gender roles.
