One would think that an immigrant who broke barriers for women in politics would be welcomed at an all-women’s college, especially in the fault-ridden Progressive Paradise of California.  It seems like a perfect fit; Madeleine Albright fled Czechoslovakia during the Nazi occupation, and then left permanently when the Russians decided to make Czechoslovakia their puppet state.  She settled in Denver before moving around to various cities. She earned a PhD in  public law and government from Columbia University while raising her three daughters. She ended up working at the NSA during the Carter Administration, and then went on to be a very successful professor at Georgetown, where she won Teacher of the Year four times.  She also served as an ambassador to the UN, where she was involved in expanding the military role of the U.S. during the Balkan Crisis.

It was only after all these accomplishments that she was nominated to be President Clinton’s Secretary of State. The Senate confirmed her 99-0. You would think, based on her impressive record, this pioneer who broke through the infamous Good Old Boys club of Washington politics would be welcomed by an all-women’s school in the heart of Progressivedom on Earth. Here is a woman who blazed a trail for other women to follow, the woman who paved the way for Hillary Clinton to ring up some impressive accomplishments of her own before being handed the keys to the White House. It is not Albright’s fault that Clinton’s most notable accomplishment was being the first Secretary of State to lose an ambassador on her watch since  1978. Albright paved the way for Hillary, and that is that. Granted, this might not make a very convincing case for people who actually pay attention, but if you’re attending an all-women college in California, hearing the advice of a woman who broke through the Glass Ceiling should the type of thing  that excites and gives you renewed hope for a future of equality and advancement based on merit.

Except it doesn’t. Here’s what the Empowered Women of Scripps College have to say about it:

Soon after officials at all-female Scripps College, in Claremont, Calif., announced Albright would speak to graduates, an article in the school paper derided the Czech-born diplomat for her skin color and previous policy positions, and other students posted their concerns on social media, according to The Claremont Independent.

Spelunking into the warren of passages and chambers that produce progressive thinking is a hazardous business. Many intrepid explorers have delved into those twisted tunnels, never to be heard from again. The Albright Dilemma is a classic case of Progressive Cognitive Disorder, in which a person must believe two mutually exclusive things at the same time.

1) Women have as much to offer as men, and should be evaluated on their merits rather than on their physical attributes.

2) The opinions of white women should be disregarded.

Madeleine Albright is white, which gave her an unfair advantage throughout her life, and thus her opinions on things should be disregarded. Never mind that some of her relatives perished in Nazi death camps, or that she managed to earn an advanced degree while raising three children. That white skin makes anythings she has to say irrelevant.

According to one student:

” … does anyone know how many [people of color] we’ve had as guest commencement speakers at Scripps?”

So there you have it. If she were a black former Secretary of State, perhaps she would be warmly welcomed. This student is in luck, because there is someone who fits that bill. Condoleezza Rice served as Secretary of State under president George W. Bush. She grew up in the segregated South, moved to Denver, Colorado, and earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver, a Master’s from Notre Dame, and a PhD from the University of Denver’s Graduate school of International Studies. She taught at Stanford, where she became the first female and first black Provost of the university. She later served as National Security Adviser and Secretary of State to in the Bush Administration.  On top of that, she plays the cello and is a scratch golfer.

Her accomplishments are at least as impressive as those of Madeleine Albright. Perhaps the women of Scripps College might consider asking her to speak at their commencement.

Lest anyone think that Madeleine Albright is blameless in this spectacular display of PCD, I offer this final though. Madeleine Albright, while campaigning for Hillary Clinton had this to say:

There’s a special place in Hell for women who don’t help each other.

So the Scripps students are opposed to hearing from Madeleine Albright because she’s white. Madeleine Albright thinks that the students of Scripps college should be consigned to eternal torment because of it. Meanwhile, Condoleezza Rice continues to teach at Stanford University, either not black enough, or not progressive enough to meet the standards Scripps expects from its commencement speakers.

The moral of the story, as I see it, is that if you wish to retain your sanity, do not attempt to apply reason to the behavior of unreasonable people.