The Row « POWIP

17Mar/112

The Row

I chose to address the quarrel between my friends Stacy and Joy by means of an allegory that was also an essay. People who read it are free to interpret it as they like, because that's really all I care to say on the subject.

I've never made an historical study of feminism. I don't pretend to know. Jeff's categorization of the subject seems useful to me, but that's a function of my own polemics.

I have written about it because I wanted to demonstrate to both of them that I care, but I'm not going to choose sides, because I believe that they're arguing at cross purposes. Everyone has his own non-negotiables, and one of my own is caritas, however short of it I may often fall. That, in turn, is because I am a hypocrite, but I like to believe that I get points for trying not to be.

Was the Wife of Bath a kind of feminist? Was Christine de Pisan? Neda? I think it depends on what you mean. I think it's absurd for us to criticize Obama for playing golf and meddling in state politics while Japan reels and American-killer Gaddafi clings to power while focusing on this. So, I am done.

Many thanks to Mike for the link.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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Bob Reed
March 17th, 2011 - 10:27

Dan, I don’t think you a hypocrite, really, outside of the imperfection of us all in that regard.

And I don’t know or understand the dust-up between McCain and LMA, but I’ll weigh in re:feminism.

I think that feminism, in terms of equality, more of a watchdog type of movement now more than a pioneering one, is a valid outlook. That said though, I believe that most “feminists” in this are actually concerned more about merit based treatment than in gender based (I know, duh!). I view this as legitimate a mindset as any since they’re fundamentally looking to ensure their liberty and opportunity.

This is diametrically opposed to the “mainstream” feminism in our society, which is merely another suit in the identity politics card deck. As opposed to equality and merit based treatment, they’re looking more for set-asides in the interest of reparation for the “evils” of the past; which were more about societal inertia than any form of government oppression.

I don’t have a dog in their fight, so to speak, and wish them both well. And as with many on the starboard side of the ideological spectrum hope that they can bury the hatchet and focus on our mutual adversaries.

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Joy McCann/Miss Attila
March 17th, 2011 - 16:08

Well, as I’ve said over and over, I honestly think the solution is for people (like Stacy) for whom that word has negative connotations to forego using it, and leave the rest of us in peace.

And I share your concern, Dan, that this dispute is taking too much oxygen out of the room.

But I’m not going to start lying about my perceptions, and I’m not going to stop using a particular word–which has a perfectly narrow, innocuous meaning–because Stacy McCain doesn’t like it.

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