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Originally Posted by Mounds  I'll be the first guy to say that I don't know the actual definition of feminism. That word falls under the topic of politics, and politics make me sleepy.
There's a reason debates about politics never end. They're always win-lose! |
Well, if we want to get into the nitty-gritty of it, it's because the victors of the win-lose scenarios mostly have their own power/careers in mind when they make decisions. Politics is a realm of ideas and of course some ideas are going to lose-some of them should-and what ends up causing damage is politicians playing to corporate interests, religious fanatics, etc.
Not engaging a win/lose that the world has forced on us isn't changing things for the better, it's forfeiting. People who would oppose religious rights or women's empowerment or free speech should be completely and unequivocally defeated. That gets rid of the bad and paves the way for something better to take its place. Without destruction nothing new can be made.
Anyway, that's pretty far removed from the actual subject matter. It's relevant to the extent that it's a part of my philosophy concerning feminism but it's not addressing the core question. Regarding that... What Mariana said, basically. I'd add that denying women their due hurts men just as much, and the stereotypical macho-meathead persona is so far removed from real masculinity that catering to it kills the spirit and sustains systems of psychological control to such a degree that I'd cite it as a reason we don't have a more advanced and educated society in America. (Perhaps the west as a whole but I don't know enough to comment.) Gender is allowed to say too much about who someone is without their choosing and I think, perhaps, it's time feminism evolves to a larger movement that focuses on that and all the issues it creates.