Letters posted here are associated with the following Salon Premium Member:

Brightstar 2 - The Resurrection

Published Letters: 1894
Editor's Choice: 1

Monday, September 8, 2008 12:47 PM
Original article: Britain to ban sexist ads?

asehpe

My point is: you're exaggerating. The situation is not as you describe, but much, much milder. Just like President Putin exaggerates about the danger represented by Georgia (Saakashivili is a new Hitler! etc.)

Policy in the United States is enacted ON BEHALF OF WOMEN by the political and social system AS IF the only female voice is the extreme radical anti-male voice, the one I challenge and try to counter, despite your best efforts to stop me.

By all means, please continue to challenge anything you think is wrong. You just have to use arguments instead of mere claims. I'm glad to see that you're now against only the most radical anti-male voice, not against all feminists--radicals are a group I'd have no problems fighting against, too.

Right, only the radicals are worth fighting. Until recently, I was staunchly feminist, in the traditional sense, and I still believe women should have equal pay, voting rights, etc. I also believe until men turn their backs against feminism, they will never get women to listen to them and their own grievances because there is nothing to compel women to return the favor.

But you claim policy is made as if the radical anti-male group were the only female voice. Now, I can think of at least one counter-example. One of the most critically anti-male voices I know in feminism is that of MacKinnon and Dworkin. They've tried to influence laws on pornography for quite a while. Yet, as far as I know, they got only one ordinance ever approved (their anti-pornography bid) in Indianapolis--but a US Court District Judge soon struck it down. (The Canadian Supreme Court gave it credence and approved it, which caused, curiously enough, Dworkin's very own books to be apprehended by the police... It seems now this ordinance is not really applied even in Canada).

This is an example in which the extreme right anti-male voice was successfully countered. Not only that: more moderate feminists played a crucial role in countering this ordinance. I hope this example is sufficient to show that not all policy in the US is enacted AS IF the only voice were that of radical anti-male groups. I'll be happy to consider any counter-examples you'd care to give.

This is one example. I can counter with numerous other examples that show how the radical feminist agenda is driving the buggy.

The violence against women act is one. Why not the Violence Against ALL Humans Act? Why are men worth less?

Abortion should be illegal after the halfway point. This is just common sense, but the radical agenda of feminists is now mainstream.

How radical would it be to force women to register for the draft? Or for the courts to award the kids to the dads HALF OF THE TIME? Or for courts to mandate that since men are at a disadvantage vis a vis women since they lack a womb, that therefore laws need to be put into place to place men on an equal footing with women in terms of reproductive rights.

Radical, huh?

Most Active Letters Threads

682

Obama's exceedingly familiar justifications for escalation

The "new" approach to Afghanistan touted by White House officials seems quite old
543

The crazy, irrational beliefs of Muslims

Tom Friedman explains the real problem: stupid Muslims think the U.S. is about war and aggression.
440

The face of rotted Washington

Evan Bayh demands more debt-financed war - fought by others - while boasting that he's a stern "deficit hawk."
341

The commendably missing element from Obama's speech

There was no pretense that human rights is our goal, or the likely outcome, in escalating the war
276

Yes, it's Obama's war now

An uninspiring speech sells a dubious policy, but progressives who feel betrayed have only themselves to blame

View all »

Letters Help

Currently in Salon