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Peter1469
01-02-2014, 07:39 PM
Feminism 2013: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2014/01/02/the_gender_battlefield_in_2013_the_good_the_bad_an d_the_ugly_121106.html)

I posted this article here, rather than in, say the Pub, with the hopes of attracting quality comment and argument.

I have noticed, and not just in 2013, that the feminist movement is changing to include women who not only advocate for equal rights for their gender, but also realize that bashing men and attempting to demasculinize them is counter productive. It is still a growing trend and I hope that it continues.


2013 was something of an anniversary year for the modern women’s movement, marking fifty years since Betty Friedan’s best-seller “The Feminine Mystique”—which, while hardly without flaws, offered a bracingly positive vision of embracing female achievement and strength without demonizing men or sacrificing family. Some of this year’s events reflect the remarkable progress women have made in those decades.




The Bad and the Ugly:


Unfortunately, the state of feminism in 2013 may have hit a new low, with much of its energy spent on battles that are either trivial or destructive. Between gender-war feminism on the left and old-fashioned sexism on the right, picking the year’s worst in relations between the sexes in [sic] easy; picking the best is much harder, but worth the effort.


The article discusses several mistakes and over reactions made in the feminist movement in 2013, some sexism (from the right), and some trivial distractions from the movement's goals.

The Good (which I will include in its entirety):


* Malala Yousafzai, the fearless Pakistani girl who has continued her fight for girls’ education after being shot in the head by Taliban terrorists, for reminding us of how urgent the battle for women’s basic rights still is in many parts of the world.


* Margaret Thatcher, the former British prime minister whose achievements, after her death, elicited grudging respect even from many left-wing feminists who couldn’t abide her in life—for being a model of a truly liberated woman who did not conform to traditional or feminist scripts.


* Marissa Mayer, Yahoo’s CEO, for charting a similarly independent course in business. Mayer defied expectations of soft and cuddly female leadership when she banned telecommuting—causing much criticism but boosting company stock. Later, she instituted paid parental leave for both mothers and fathers.



And a wish for 214: True equality:


In 2013, there was a fair amount of attention to men’s rights groups—which often raise legitimate issues but have a regrettable tendency to mirror the gender antagonism, hyperbole, and victim mentality of radical feminism. But, with men’s issues on the table, perhaps the next year will see more calls for a balanced approach that promotes fairness and goodwill toward both sexes. That would make a good, if optimistic, New Year’s resolution.


Yes, that is a worthwhile New Year's resolution.

Calypso Jones
01-02-2014, 07:58 PM
"In 2013, there was a fair amount of attention to men’s rights groups—which often raise legitimate issues but have a regrettable tendency to mirror the gender antagonism, hyperbole, and victim mentality of radical feminism. But, with men’s issues on the table, perhaps the next year will see more calls for a balanced approach that promotes fairness and goodwill toward both sexes. That would make a good, if optimistic, New Year’s resolution/"

do I understand this correctly? Laughably, it seems that Womens rights groups are STiLL blaming 'it' on men and men's organizations. I don't put much hope in anything changing except maybe the women's organizations will shut up and let the media beat the testosterone out of the men's rights groups...if there are in actuality any.

Germanicus
01-02-2014, 08:14 PM
* Malala Yousafzai, the fearless Pakistani girl who has continued her fight for girls’ education after being shot in the head by Taliban terrorists, for reminding us of how urgent the battle for women’s basic rights still is in many parts of the world.

That is ludicrous.

And all feminism is now is Imperialism.

It is as simple as that.

Im glad women can smoke cigaretes now. (:

What exactly do western feminists want now? Quotas on boards? There is nothing left. they can smoke and go on slut walks. What else do they want?

Post feminism is the way of the future.

Feminist Imperial nonsense should be outlawed in all developing and emerging nations. How dare western women and imperialists dictate to poor nations of varying levels of development.

Feminists are ego-driven useful idiots used for Imperialism.

edit- China is big on womens rights and equality. Wont be waging war on them and using feminism as an excuse. (: They have female taikonaut and female jet pilots.

edit- also feminists are complete liars. they have no shame. Are happy to twist statictics in obvious attempts to prolong their exhausted and tired nonsense movement. Like the claim that men are paid more than women. That is a complete lie and twisting of the truth. And they must know that. But they dont care. To them the end justifies their menas. And their end is more taxpayer money and more spotlight for sad nobodies that should go away and leave us all alone. Dont they have erotic capitalist soft porn to watch? The Tudors or Game of Thrones? Shouldnt they be reading 50 Shades of Grey or something? And do they really need slut walks? Like I know many feminists are fighting for the right to go topless like us men always do in public and like women are permitted to do in New York but I think that they should at least wear nipple tassles. Dont you think?

edit- when will women in Afghanistan be able to go topless in public anyway? Soon?

edit- the rest of us nobodies need to annoy them back. (:

jillian
01-02-2014, 08:21 PM
Feminism 2013: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2014/01/02/the_gender_battlefield_in_2013_the_good_the_bad_an d_the_ugly_121106.html)

I posted this article here, rather than in, say the Pub, with the hopes of attracting quality comment and argument.

I have noticed, and not just in 2013, that the feminist movement is changing to include women who not only advocate for equal rights for their gender, but also realize that bashing men and attempting to demasculinize them is counter productive. It is still a growing trend and I hope that it continues.



The Bad and the Ugly:



The article discusses several mistakes and over reactions made in the feminist movement in 2013, some sexism (from the right), and some trivial distractions from the movement's goals.

The Good (which I will include in its entirety):



And a wish for 214: True equality:



Yes, that is a worthwhile New Year's resolution.
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how is it "gender politics" not to want to be forced to have an invasive, expensive, medically unnecessary test in order to exercise a constitutionally protected right?

Captain Obvious
01-03-2014, 09:33 AM
The militant wing of the feminist movement isn't as close to the fringe as it should but it's getting there. Mostly because sexual discrimination is becoming less of a mainstream issue.

There will always be loons in every segment of society, but they should be relegated to the fringe.

jillian
01-03-2014, 09:34 AM
The militant wing of the feminist movement isn't as close to the fringe as it should but it's getting there. Mostly because sexual discrimination is becoming less of a mainstream issue.

There will always be loons in every segment of society, but they should be relegated to the fringe.

what ideas were militant?

and i've been trying to figure out what a "feminist" is…

Captain Obvious
01-03-2014, 10:08 AM
what ideas were militant?

and i've been trying to figure out what a "feminist" is…

You don't get out much.

Google "radical feminism".

Next google "give a man a fish and feed him for a day".

Libhater
01-03-2014, 04:20 PM
and i've been trying to figure out what a "feminist" is…

Look in the mirror!

Mr. Freeze
01-03-2014, 04:28 PM
I think the term "feminist" is loaded to the millennial generation. When I was in New York City women were more comfortable with the label, although that decreased the longer I stayed there. I remember a shift, rather like that of "compassionate conservatism" to redefine the same concepts without the connotations of being "man-hating".

When an avowed progressive like Susan Sarandon says that she's no longer considering herself a feminist it opened the floodgate for the twenty-somethings in my office to say they were done with the word, too.

I found that ironic, but as someone who sees labels as a point of departure for conversation only, not the destination I didn't mind. I consider myself a "liberal" but since my methodology of getting my values enacted isn't the use of force as that of many other liberals, I am hesitant to call myself that--and quite frankly my lack of desire to use force would also preclude "liberals" from wanting me in their group, most-likely.

Heyduke
01-03-2014, 09:57 PM
I think that "feminism" has been replaced by "gender equality".

Hardly any women can't do three pull-ups, so they got rid of that requirement to get into the Marines.

Speaking of gender, there's a new gender law that went into effect on New Year's Day, here in California. Now, if you are a student in K-12, and you just happen to identify as a certain gender (regardless of your anatomy), you can use the locker rooms and bathrooms of that gender identity. You can also join the sports team of your gender "identity". So, I was telling my friend's son (sixth grade) that he should change his name to Jennifer and join the girl's basketball team. He is a good player on his boy's teams, but he would be phenomenal in the girl's league. He could eventually lead a girl's High School team to the State championship. By then, California universities will change their laws, and he could get a scholarship (there are more scholarships available to women anyway). And by the time he graduates from college, the WNBA might be allowing male players who identify as women. I said, "Dude, you've got to do whatever it takes to become a pro athlete."