feminine-genius

Marxist roots of feminism

For those interested in the Marxist underpinnings of feminism, this article helps to connect the dots, though it is ponderous and difficult. Suffice to to say that feminism is best understood as the last step of the dialectic, though they seldom reveal this dimension of their strategy to the public at-large. Remember, the proletariat (producers) were to attack those who owned the means of production to create the workers paradise? Well, after that, there was another stage in which the women (re-producers) were to attack the men (who controlled the means of re-production) in order to bring about an androgynous society without sexual inhibitions. That's the part of the struggle we're "enjoying" now. Without understanding the philosophy, it's hard to get a real handle on what radical feminists want. It also explains their blind eye towards leftist dictatorships (which often harbor total sexual liberty, abortion, etc.) and fierceness towards right-wing dictatorships (which often maintain traditional male-female differences).

In reality, though, comunism/socialism is always a bust. What has it gained for women who thought it was their salvation?

Communism was men's nightmare and women's dream, or so the left wing version goes. In reality it was a gender-neutral hell. Women under communism were, indeed, encouraged to participate in the labour force. An array of conveniences facilitated their participation: day care centres, kindergarten, daylong schools, abortion clinics. They had their quota in parliament. They climbed to the top of some professions ... But this - as most other things in communism - was a mere simulacrum.

Reality was much drearier. Women, however mettlesome, groaned under the "triple burden" - work, marital expectations cum childrearing chores and party activism. They succumbed to the lure and demands of the (stressful and boastful) image of the communist "super-woman". This martyrdom - now threatened by the dual Western imports, capitalism and feminism - served as a fountain of self-esteem and a source of self-worth in otherwise gloomy circumstances.

Now, sadly post-communism, those without an understanding of the true complimentarity of male-female relations are horrified that they may slip back into the dark days before the communist experiment, with its own host of abuses and confinements.

Indeed, in feminist lore and theory, both nationalism and capitalism are "patriarchal". Nationalism allocates distinct and mutually exclusive roles to men and women. The latter are supposed to act as homemakers and have babies. Capitalism encourages the formation of impregnable male elites, disseminates new technologies mainly to male monopolies, eliminates menial and low skilled (women's) jobs and puts emphasis on masculine traits such as aggression and competitiveness. No wonder female political representation in parliaments and governments diminished dramatically since 1989.

This scenario is why we must counter the misunderstandings in the academy and on the street about authentic femininity, and spread the good news about what the Gospel offers women. This is our mission, ladies. We are the good news.

Believing God's promises

This is a beautiful story about one family and a restoration.

"I still remember the horror, the devastation of the separation and abandonment," recalls Lior, sitting in his sun-drenched living room in Mitzpeh Yericho overlooking the Judean Desert, where he now lives with his wife and three children. "I grew up knowing that I was adopted, that somewhere there are other parents, brothers and sisters. It was an awful feeling that accompanied me through my youth."

In the Alhanati household, Lior was raised observant, and recalls as a 7-year-old being in shul and reading Psalm 27. When he reached the words, "Although my father and mother have forsaken me, God will gather me in," it shook him up.

And gather him in, He did -- as He does with all of us. Trust!

Keep the home fires burning

This Memorial Day, we remember so many who made the ultimate sacrifice over the years so that we could remain a free people. Now, increasingly, those who give their lives for ending tyrrany and promoting justice worldwide are ... women. Wrong and bad. We don't indict the cause, nor their heroism, but simply the philosophy that placed them in harm's way to begin with.

"If we as a nation endorse the idea of women in combat that engages the enemy deliberately, we would be saying that violence against women is OK as long as it happens at the hand of the enemy," says Ms. Donnelly. "That would be a setback for our civilization." Elaine Donnelly, of course, is the president of the Center for Military Readiness and one of the most outspoken critics of current military policy on women in war zones.

That is one argument, much like the general theme that a society that doesn't protect the most vulnerable of its members has lost its bearings. I think the bigger picture is that chivalry, as a backdrop, has diminished as a driving force in men's life. I don't blame them: faced with a constant barrage of ridicule from women, who insist that they can take care of themselves (dammit!) they shrug and say, fine.

In a way, the job expansion is a pattern that has occurred since the Vietnam War: Women demonstrate excellence in such positions as fighter pilot, military police officer, and heavy equipment operator, and then are more likely to have perilous assignments - particularly during a recruiting shortage. Some welcome the opportunity; but some do not, according to surveys of women in uniform.

Here, too, the changing nature of war seems to accelerate the pattern.

"Modern wars will be fought 360 degrees, which means women will be on the 'front lines' whether the Congress likes it or not," says retired Army Col. Dan Smith, a military analyst with the Friends Committee on National Legislation in Washington.

Only women can talk to other women about this and explain that its not about proving one's courage or being one of the boys. It's about letting men live up to their responsibility to protect and provide in that venue, so that we can keep the home fires burning.

The inherent danger in not speaking out sooner rather than later? The draft. For now, it's much like abortion: Proponents  of "choice" say, "If you don't approve, then don't have one," and yet women in China don't have much choice. Similarly, if this continues and the nature of warfare is what it is, the next time there is a draft, your daughters won't have a choice either.

Blessed Pier Giorgio reminded us that men must have a patrimony to defend. Women are taking that off their plate, and neglecting to nurture what the fight is all about.

Humanity speaking

This gentleman is the Federal Health Minister of Australia.

He described abortion as a national tragedy and claimed women were being railroaded into abortion by parents, husbands, boyfriends and a culture of convenience.

"The fact that there are 100,000 abortions a year is a tragedy," Mr Abbott said at a Wesley Mission worship service in Sydney yesterday.

"But it's not the fault of potential mothers, it's our collective half-heartedness and inability to give people the support they need in difficult times which is responsible for Australia's abortion epidemic."

Of course, the women in question aren't "potential" mothers, but basically he's willing to take the heat for talking common sense.

Corporal work of mercy

This represents the kind of priest I know. Bless him for his efforts.

Circles and teams

Men and women are naturally different. This should be obvious to all but the densest radical feminists. The question is how can we explain these differences without falling into negative stereotyping.

          An article by Richard Dujardin (who in the interests of disclosure is a friend) on a forum on the differences between men and women held at Brown University is one of the few balanced discussions of the question I have seen.

          The article suggests that the differences between sexes are caused by a combination of nature and nurture, genes and gender socialization, that even before birth there are real differences between the brains of boys and girls. Once children are born, boys react to stimuli differently than girls and parents recognize and anticipate these differences and treat boys and girls differently which causes the differences to increase.

          For years I have asked myself what are the fundamental differences between the sexes and which are merely stereotypes. This question was important to me, because I wasn't a "stereotypical" girl. I liked math and science. I was attracted to things generally considered male and turned off by a lot of girl stuff. And yet as I matured I saw there were parts of the male world which were alien to me. Eventually I developed a theory of sex difference. So here is Dale's theory:

          The family is the center of society both men and women are called to support the family, but their responsibility to the family is not identical.

Just plain fun

What kind of fortitude do we display?

She encouraged younger Masters' wives in matters of dress - she always had the best hat at the annual Peterborough Hound Show - and rebuked them if they had the temerity to wilt or eat an ice-cream in the stands during the long summer day of judging.

Look for the good in these, and enjoy. I could probably take a leaf from her entertaining book (Wal-mart style, of course).

Wandering blind

This story reminds of the man whom God asks to push an enormous rock up a steep hill. After years of trying and seeming failure, he asks God why. The answer: forget the rock, look how strong you are now!

I heard the readings this morning at Mass, and got my golden nugget early:

Moses said to the people:
"Remember how for forty years now the LORD, your God,
has directed all your journeying in the desert,
so as to test you by affliction
and find out whether or not it was your intention
to keep his commandments.

For all my abundant blessings, I am in the desert of motherhood now, wondering how these kids (ages 19-4) will turn out. That is God's mystery. I must walk by faith, not sight, without much visible fruit, and few visible signposts that we'll arrive in the right place at the end, save the promises of God. I must remember that the test is for me, more than for them. Where is my faith? Happy feast day!