Feminism: The Hate Movement That Will Not Die
By Rod Van Mechelen
Most western women have never identified as feminists. So why won't the hate movement die?
Epitaph for a Hate Movement?
2012 Olympia, Wash. - Every few years or so somebody announces that feminism is dead:
The study starkly shows modern women feel traditional Feminism is no longer a label they feel proud to wear - it is seen as aggressive, divisive and doesn't take into account their personal circumstances. - Rise of the Modern FeMEnist, Netmums, October 28, 2012
And every announcement is quickly followed by pustulant assurances that, like herpes, the misandrous infection is here to stay:
I can’t tell you how many feminists there are by percentage, or geographical location or ratio. But I can tell you there are a lot. Far more than you might expect of a ‘dead’ movement. I can think of no corresponding concept which critics and media alike are so wildly keen to loudly proclaim ‘Dead!’ ‘Finished!’ ‘Over!’ on the basis of the flimsiest of evidence. And that, in itself, speaks volumes. - The end of feminism? There are more of us than you think, Laura Bates, The Independent, October 30, 2012
In support of her statement, Bates describes websites where feminists fulminate over the "sexist" behavior of men. What sexist behavior? Only the worst kind: ogling.
When a woman writes on our website: “My shorts are a practical choice of clothing for the sport I train in; not an invitation for stranger's comments/judgements. I shouldn't even need to justify that” That’s feminism. - The end of feminism? There are more of us than you think, Laura Bates, The Independent, October 30, 2012
Poor dear, dealing with all those horrible sexist men who are ogling her. Thanks to hostile environment sexual harassment laws in the US, it's a problem most American women don't have. And that is one reason why most women do not identify as feminists.
Male attention is good
Most women want male attention, and most men want to give them attention. It's normal, natural, and good for the species. It's a biological imperative:
In one-fifth of a second, before the conscious mind has had a chance to react, the male brain has rendered judgment on whether the oncoming stranger is sexually hot. If the ruling is favourable, physical manifestations are immediate. Pupils dilate, heart rate spikes, testosterone surges and the eyes assume a vacant stare — sure signs that the “man trance” has set in. For genetically preprogrammed men, the offence is as involuntary and natural as breathing, says brain researcher, neuropsychiatrist and author Louann Brizendine, whose book, The Male Brain , mounts a unique defence for such male indiscretions. - Ogling women a natural reflex, Robert Cribb, The Star, August 27, 2010
Another reason most women don't identify as feminist--and never have--is because of the hypocrisy.
Hypocritical harpies
There is no feminist--at least, none of the harpies at Ms. Magazine, NOW or any of the myriad of blogs, like Jezebel, who would call me a feminist. In fact, during the past twenty years many feminists have accused me of hating women. Why? Because like most modern men, my very existence exposes them for hypocrites and hate-mongers, because I stand for what they only pretend to believe:
But to be a feminist, you only have to believe that men and women should be treated equally – it’s that simple; not something many people even stop to think about, much less put a label on. - The end of feminism? There are more of us than you think, Laura Bates, The Independent, October 30, 2012
If they truly believed that, they would all stop calling themselves "feminists." The very term is sexist, because it's about women, not equality. It's about female superiority. Not the superiority of all women, but only the New Rage Women, who believe in female supremacy.
Women give their passive support
Most women do not identify as feminists because they are better than that:
Feminism is dead and most women believe they have achieved equality with men, the Equal Opportunities Commission admitted yesterday. ... Now, many women see feminism as old-fashioned and "ball-breaking". - Feminism 'is dead', study claims, Steve Doughty, Daily Mail
The problem here is that, while most women do not actively support or identify with feminism, they give passive support. This is not without precedent: when I was a child, jokes about women's foibles were common, and male superiority was taken for granted. Most men didn't really believe that, but they wanted to believe it and accepted the perks that went along with it.
Like the "glass ceiling," long since shattered, that feminists still whine about today. Yes, men had privileges in the 1950s. But along with those privileges came responsibilities. Like the (oh no, you're not going to go there, are you?) male draft. And the dirtiest, most dangerous jobs. And the presumption that it was the man's responsibility to put dinner on the table.
These are among the many reasons why men in the 1960s and on saw male liberation in the feminist movement: by becoming equal with men, women would liberate men from these burdens. But that was never what feminists wanted. They wanted power, control, dominance and the subjugation of men. And this, too, is one reason why feminism will not die.
The main reason feminism will not die: they are useful idiots
But the primary and far more sinister reason is because of all the support they get from the wealthy and powerful elites. Feminists disrupt society. They destroy nuclear families, prevent marriage, derail male careers, and, with the notable exceptions of talk radio and the blogosphere, silence the voice of the people.
Distracted, we pose less of a threat to the elite classes. As long as they keep us distracted and disrupt society, feminists will be of use to the elite classes. So the real reason why feminism will not die is that they are useful idiots.
Regards
Rod Van Mechelen
Rod Van Mechelen is the author of What Everyone Should Know about Feminist Issues: The Male-Positive Perspective (the page now includes several articles by other authors), and the publisher of The Backlash! @ Backlash.com. He is a member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and served for 9-1/2 years on the Cowlitz Indian Tribal Council.
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