[FRIAM] A Question For Tomorrow

[uǝlƃ ☣]

On 5/1/19 2:23 PM, Nick Thompson wrote:
> Historically, women have not found us much fun.  

Induction is the Devil.

On 5/1/19 2:22 PM, Marcus Daniels wrote:
> There are "leadership positions" on this mailing list?!    Wow, there are two words that make me leave a party.

Ha! Unfortunately, leadership is that way. What's the saying "nature abhors a vacuum"? Leave it open and whatever corrupt moron *wants* the seat will have the seat. I find it interesting how seldom our leaders (talking about government, here, not this list) seem to sacrifice their selves for their "service". Even in the cases where it's debatable, the leaders seem to be less interested in sacrificing their selves to serve the collective.

To make that point concrete, I'll talk about the local VFW, which is populated with racist, self-righteous jerks. Renee' and I tend to like aged drinkers ... partly because we are aged drinkers in the making. So there's a natural affinity with the regulars at the local VFW. I can be a member because my dad "fought" in Korea.  (In reality, he was a flight engineer and helped bomb people from the abstracted heights.) But the only reason they (barely) accept me is because I speak respectfully (in their presence) about what it means to kill people, mostly with other skin colors, because our leadership told us to kill them. Anyone who bears the slightest resemblance of skepticism/disrespect for "those who served" is quickly shown the door. They are much more interested in their *identity* than they are in any facts surrounding the issues.

Renee' still wants to join. Her dad did not "serve". So I get the veto power. I'm not hangin' with those ... [ahem] people.

> I don't think the sexism is just from men, but the overt stuff is mostly from men.   

That's a safe position to take. But I think it's ultimately wrong. If, however, we lived in a matriarchy, I would likely object to the parallel idea that sexism was not just from women. I tend to think that the sexism is systemic and programmed in by the reigning -archy. This is enlightened, I think, by reactionary ideas like "reverse racism" and "all lives matter" ... or even the victim blaming rampant in sexual abuse media stories. It's fine to rationally assert a non-zero participation on the part of the victim. But such rhetoric will always be overblown. In our society, I think men are the overwhelming majority cause of sexism, both overt and covert.

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