Was the referencing of Australia. As far as I'm aware I'm one of very few Aussies that hang around here and I don't comment on the political threads except maybe to say that I find some of them interesting.

Antagonistic posting cuts both ways I guess. If you're really a US citizen living in NZ Morgaine I don't really get the Aus bashing. Australia's not perfect but it's all I've got.

Morgaine, I never really thought I was a feminist, until people called me a feminist, because I was attacking the destructive comments and habits of men.

I haven't really read much feminist literature, I have never been a part of a feminism organization, and I have never really talked to a hard core feminist activist, but I could no longer tolerate excuses for date rape (she acted like she was giving me consent before she passed out), excuses for unequal pay in the workforce (she has a greater responsibilities to her children, so how can I expect 100% from her), excuses for glass ceilings (she might get pregnant again, so I have to promote a man over her) and etc, because all of their lame sexist excuses disgusted me, so I started to attack men who gave such lame sexist excuses, and thus I was proclaimed as a feminist, and now that label no longer bothers me (as long as I can keep my guns, enjoy the meat my wife cooks, and acknowledge that women have different anatomy than men do, which makes some issues not gender balanced).

I became a feminist, inadvertently, because I want to make the world a better place where all environments, social and natural, are free of destruction, sexual oppression, sexual pressure, and sexual abuse.

Men like Blackpaw in their hearts want to do the right thing, but they fail to realize that doing the right thing require a change in attitude, habits, and in thinking towards the status quo, because many of the ways that we have done things in the past are destructive and sexist.

The other day I was walking down the street, and I saw a guy throw a wrapper on the ground when a trashcan was only 20 feet away. I grabbed his litter, and made sure he threw it into the trashcan. Destruction of our environment is unacceptable, degrading woman, with false justifications based on some lame ass sexist excuses, is also unacceptable. Lack of equality is a big part of the problem, but the problem is better addressed by addressing people's ill behavior, and if people start behaving better, then equality for all will follow.

"...but when prominent feminists act badly or demand non-equity goals, strategies, actions and other feminists don't question that person on his/her feminism or his/her commitment to human rights. That's when feminism gets a black-eye and strays off-course."

And I'M called fearful and paranoid!

Morgaine seems "hateful" of equalist-feminists, her tone very "antagonistic" towards those that aren't "real" feminists by HER definition. How dare these "counterfeit" feminists talk about equality among men and women and humans. It's the continued advancement of women only, regardless of the cost to others, to society. That's feminism. That's not equality. It's the teapot calling the kettle black. Men rule the world and men oppressed women, now its our turn. Shut up and move over!

IT'S PAYBACK TIME GENTLEMEN!

Why do you use "self-proclaimed" feminist? It seems as though you are denying Blackpaw his feminist credential.

Isn't every feminist a "self-proclaimed" feminist?

Is someone certifying and credentialing feminists now?

I think that if Blackpaw shares to philosophy, goals, strategies, and behaviors of a significant number of feminists, that it is quite reasonable for him to call himself a feminist?

What seems more problematical to me, is not Blackpaw's calling himself a feminist, but when prominent feminists act badly or demand non-equity goals, strategies, actions and other feminists don't question that person on his/her feminism or his/her commitment to human rights. That's when feminism gets a black-eye and strays off-course.

There are many feminists that do not demand equal outcomes for the sexes as a whole, but do demand equal opportunities for people as individuals.

That is what many of us believe "equality" between the sexes mean.

Equal opportunities means no gender based discrimination.

Equal outcomes demands gender based discrimination.

Check into what free speech feminists like Wendy Kaminer or Nadine Strossen have to say. Check into what equity feminists have to say.

It's bogus to claim these women are not feminists. They just have a different perspective on the goals and strategies of feminism.

Well, you can call yourself anything you want to, but in my knowledge, understanding and experience, anyone who thinks that “equal” treatment means “same” treatment is no feminist (nor cultural progressive). Without the recognition that women do not and have not in many millennia had either equal or the same access to political and economic power as men, it’s not possible to understand contemporary feminism at all. So to say you’re a feminist while insisting that women and men are at the same level in terms of social, legal and economic standards is like John Howard claiming to be a champion for the Aboriginal people.

I use that particular comparison after reading that you’re a “Kiwi in Oz”. If you are a Kiwi who would leave the “western” society closest to achieving bi-culturalism with First Nations people and gender equity in politics, for the racist, US-following, war-mongering Australia, then I would question any claim to progressive beliefs you might have. Why not just get it over with and move to the openly racist and misogynistic USA—by comparison with a substantial portion of the population here, you probably are “progressive”.

And anyway, why DO you subscribe to Salon? It, like 99% of US-based publications, is sadly myopic when it comes to anything that doesn’t directly affect the US (and as a US publication, maybe that’s justified), although the US population makes up less than 5% of the world. With all this hullabaloo about a “global” society, you’d think more publications would be up to recognizing a (much) wider scope.

As a US citizen and NZ permanent resident, I feel an obligation to keep up with what my nation of birth is doing to screw up the world. But why do you feel the need—not to mention where do you get the time—to subject every Broadsheet item to such scrutiny? The sheer number of letters you write in response to Broadsheet indicates a borderline obsession. Perhaps if you spent more time honestly assessing the (generally sexist but not misogynistic) Australian society around you, or even trying to work out why such injustices continue to exist in what is supposed to be a civilized world, instead of attacking every opinion that challenges your own comfortably nurtured belief system, you could actually have something to offer other than bitching and moaning.