A while back, a friend of mine gave me a copy of Nancy Tuana's The Less Noble Sex and I've finally gotten around to reading it. It's one of the best/most interesting books I've read in a long time and I highly recommend it, especially for anyone interested in the history of sexism in the West (or anyone who doubts its existence/influence, for that matter). In particular, it details how patriarchal biases about women's innate inferiority (along with a healthy dose of Eurocentrism) have permeated philosophy, religion, and science for centuries, conditioning everything from how we interpret myths to how we view and treat women (as well as non-whites) today. For all the positive contributions of great minds like Aristotle and Darwin, there's a lot of negative social conditioning that must be understood and ultimately undone.
I've long thought, for example, that most of social and legal barriers to the use of contraception, as well as a woman's right to choose, stems from patriarchal ideology. And The Less Noble Sex has further solidified that opinion. In particular, the book details the extent which patriarchal biases on the part of philosophers, religious leaders, and scientists (the majority of which have statistically been male) have influenced their ideas and empirical observations, both shaping and reinforcing the image of man as intellectually and rationally superior to woman, limiting women to their "natural" role as mothers and caregivers, leaving the sphere of public life to the care of men.
For centuries, the dominant ideology has been that a woman's place is the home, and anything that gives women the ability to share equally in public life and pursue things like education and careers is anathema to that. It's no surprise, then, that the majority of those who are against these things are the ones who have the most to lose, men. Ultimately, it's about power. Allowing women (and men) to use contraception and decide whether they want to have a child if pregnant, not to mention having those things be safe, easily accessible, and covered by insurance, takes what little power patriarchal institutions still have over women, which is why I fully support women's reproductive rights, as well as anything that gives women an equal share in the sphere of public life.
Friday, November 27, 2015
Saturday, November 14, 2015
my two cents on the tragedy in paris
Gandhi once said, "An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind." To me, that saying reflects the reality that violence has a tendency beget more violence, a cycle with no obvious winner.
Within the sphere of geopolitics, for example, the imperialist policies and actions of nations (often over generations) both directly and indirectly sows the seeds for future violence. There's the initial military and economic violence that's imposed by one nation(s) onto another, and then there's the obligatory resistance and violent retaliation on the part of those who become radicalized as a result. And violent retaliation, in turn, engenders a violent response, both as punishment and as a reassertion of power and dominance.
In essence, most violence doesn't arise in a vacuum; and while one can feel horror at acts of terrorism and feel sympathy and compassion for the victims, one shouldn't allow that to blind them to (1) the violence done to other communities in the name of national socio-economic interests and (2) the role of so-called legitimate violence (i.e., violence carried out by the state) in conditioning the material and ideological foundations/justifications for what's then framed as the illegitimate use of violence (e.g., protests, uprisings, terrorists acts, etc.).
Everyone blaming ISIL will likely ignore the direct role that imperialist actions and policies of the US and Europe played in helping to give rise to ISIL in the first place; and the more we try to fight this 'enemy' by things like invading and bombing foreign nations, imposing harsh economic sanctions, and treating immigrants and refugees like criminals and second-class citizens, the more we radicalize those we're trying to subdue/tame, sowing the seeds for future violence with no end in sight.
So while I feel for the people of Paris right now, I'm frightened by all the talk of waging a pitiless war on the group responsible, since that will only lead to more violence, more racial and religious tensions, and more civilian casualties (on all sides).
The obvious response to this will assuredly be, So how should France and the world respond to these constant attacks? I think we should start by ceasing all punitive economic and military actions and occupations in the Middle East. I think the West needs to admit that it's been meddling the region for over a century for its own socio-economic interests and stop. I also think that people need to stop treating Muslims in general as terrorists, and places like France need to reevaluate how they treat their Muslim (and immigrant in general) populations, which is often as second-class citizens.
Then, I think we need to practice patience because this kind of violence and ideology won't disappear overnight. We can't just start invading and/or bombing other nations every time a small group commits an act of violence like this. Invading Iraq didn't help; it actually made things much, much worse. Same with Afghanistan, Syria, etc. It took generations to produce these problems, and it's going to take time to fix them because it means fixing people's lives, or at least giving them the space and time to fix it themselves.
Ultimately, we need to face the fact that there's no easy solution here, especially a military one.
Within the sphere of geopolitics, for example, the imperialist policies and actions of nations (often over generations) both directly and indirectly sows the seeds for future violence. There's the initial military and economic violence that's imposed by one nation(s) onto another, and then there's the obligatory resistance and violent retaliation on the part of those who become radicalized as a result. And violent retaliation, in turn, engenders a violent response, both as punishment and as a reassertion of power and dominance.
In essence, most violence doesn't arise in a vacuum; and while one can feel horror at acts of terrorism and feel sympathy and compassion for the victims, one shouldn't allow that to blind them to (1) the violence done to other communities in the name of national socio-economic interests and (2) the role of so-called legitimate violence (i.e., violence carried out by the state) in conditioning the material and ideological foundations/justifications for what's then framed as the illegitimate use of violence (e.g., protests, uprisings, terrorists acts, etc.).
Everyone blaming ISIL will likely ignore the direct role that imperialist actions and policies of the US and Europe played in helping to give rise to ISIL in the first place; and the more we try to fight this 'enemy' by things like invading and bombing foreign nations, imposing harsh economic sanctions, and treating immigrants and refugees like criminals and second-class citizens, the more we radicalize those we're trying to subdue/tame, sowing the seeds for future violence with no end in sight.
So while I feel for the people of Paris right now, I'm frightened by all the talk of waging a pitiless war on the group responsible, since that will only lead to more violence, more racial and religious tensions, and more civilian casualties (on all sides).
The obvious response to this will assuredly be, So how should France and the world respond to these constant attacks? I think we should start by ceasing all punitive economic and military actions and occupations in the Middle East. I think the West needs to admit that it's been meddling the region for over a century for its own socio-economic interests and stop. I also think that people need to stop treating Muslims in general as terrorists, and places like France need to reevaluate how they treat their Muslim (and immigrant in general) populations, which is often as second-class citizens.
Then, I think we need to practice patience because this kind of violence and ideology won't disappear overnight. We can't just start invading and/or bombing other nations every time a small group commits an act of violence like this. Invading Iraq didn't help; it actually made things much, much worse. Same with Afghanistan, Syria, etc. It took generations to produce these problems, and it's going to take time to fix them because it means fixing people's lives, or at least giving them the space and time to fix it themselves.
Ultimately, we need to face the fact that there's no easy solution here, especially a military one.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
happy birthday, artpop!
Confession time. I'm a big Lady Gaga fan. I mean, what's not to like? I like her style, her outspokenness, and the fact that she uses her fame to promote things like gay rights and, on occasion, support working-class issues. (And I love the fact that Slavoj Zizek analyzes her theoretical contributions to cultural theory, as well as her "actual theoretical project.") I'm not quite 'monster' status or anything, but I definitely like to dance around the house to "Bad Romance" or "Applause" once in a while. Her music is one of my guilty pleasures. Whenever I'm down, it lifts me up. And whenever I'm happy, it makes me want to dance (which is an admittedly rare and frightening occurrence). Lately, I've had a bunch of songs from her latest album, Artpop, stuck in my head; and as I was watching the video for "G.U.Y." for the umpteenth time, I realized that today happens to be the two-year anniversary of its release. So, Happy Birthday, Artpop!
happy veterans day
In many ways, Veterans Day is a working-class holiday, albeit a somber one. Wars are supremely tragic events that take the lives of countless living beings, both soldiers and civilians alike; and it changes many of those who are lucky enough to come out on the other side. But today is primarily about honouring those who fight our wars, wars that the ruling class declares and that the working class and poor must fight. As Eugene Debs famously said in his 1918 Canton, Ohio, speech:
So for me, today isn't just about celebrating military heroism. Rather, it's about the sacrifice so many working people have made for the few at the top who, in their tangled web of geopolitics, treat human lives more like commodities in their lust for wealth and power. While every war is portrayed as a just war, they're often the machinations of plutocrats whose primary concern is the protection of their own economic interests, not the best interests of those who fight them.
We should honour our veterans for the things they've had to do and give up, as well as for the physical and emotional scars they must now bear. And we should honour them further by working to subvert the imperialism that drives most wars.
They have always taught and trained you to believe it to be your patriotic duty to go to war and to have yourselves slaughtered at their command. But in all the history of the world you, the people, have never had a voice in declaring war, and strange as it certainly appears, no war by any nation in any age has ever been declared by the people. And here let me emphasize the fact—and it cannot be repeated too often—that the working class who fight all the battles, the working class who make the supreme sacrifices, the working class who freely shed their blood and furnish the corpses, have never yet had a voice in either declaring war or making peace. It is the ruling class that invariably does both. They alone declare war and they alone make peace.
So for me, today isn't just about celebrating military heroism. Rather, it's about the sacrifice so many working people have made for the few at the top who, in their tangled web of geopolitics, treat human lives more like commodities in their lust for wealth and power. While every war is portrayed as a just war, they're often the machinations of plutocrats whose primary concern is the protection of their own economic interests, not the best interests of those who fight them.
We should honour our veterans for the things they've had to do and give up, as well as for the physical and emotional scars they must now bear. And we should honour them further by working to subvert the imperialism that drives most wars.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
fuck starbuck's holiday cup, this is what religious people should really be up in arms over
I just watched this clip from the Rachel Maddow Show:
Three Republican candidates speak at anti-gay pastor's rally
Holy fuck. This is some seriously messed up and disturbing shit. I don't even know what to say. Part of my thinks, "These people are just a tiny, crazy minority. Nothing to worry about." But then I think about the fact that three presidential nominees were there, which in and of itself illustrates the influence these growing number of voters have, and gives this insanity some sense of legitimacy. And then I think about how religious nutjobs in the US like Kevin Swanson have already helped to pass anti-gay legislation in places like Uganda and Nigeria, making homosexuality a crime punishable by lengthy jail sentences. And I think about how, even though being gay is no longer criminalized here, violence against the LGBTQ community is still frightfully common, which makes me worry even more for my LGBTQ friends.
I consider myself a spiritual person, but I absolutely agree with everyone who says religion is dangerous because it makes hating and oppressing others so easy when you're 100% sure God is on your side. I love aspects of religion and philosophy. But historically, religious people seem obligated to push their beliefs and values onto the rest of society, ideas that tend to oppress and discriminate against segments of society in the name of love and acceptance. Moreover, religion as a broader social phenomenon has been more about constructing moral absolutes than personal transformation and enlightenment. In this sense, religion, as opposed to personal faith, has primarily been about control over the hearts and minds of people via dictating and then enforcing societal norms that, because of their 'divine' origins, are notoriously difficult to challenge, let alone amend, becoming immune to things like compassion and reason.
As sympathetic towards religion as I am, I'm also aware of religion's proclivity to fall into absolutism and dogmatism, as well as its historical reliance on things like authority and tradition over evidence and rationality. Religion may be "the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions"; but it's also the impetus for a great deal of intolerance and oppression. It's a double-edged sword that, like the personification of wisdom, Manjushri, has the potential to cut through our greed, aversion, and delusion; but which more often than not seems to be used to oppress and kill those who are different and/or don't hold the same beliefs and values. And this kind of thing makes me embarrassed to have religious and spiritual interests. I don't want to be associated with such people.
We absolutely can't let this kind of misguided bigotry go unchallenged, even when they cry out that they're being persecuted for their beliefs. We can't let people like this hide behind the banner of religion, as if that somehow makes their ideas immune to criticism and justifies their threats of violence against others. We must continue to stand up against homophobia, as well as against racism, sexism, and all other forms of discrimination. To quote an apt line from John Stuart Mills, "Let not any one pacify his conscience by the delusion that he can do no harm if he takes no part, and forms no opinion. Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing. He is not a good man who, without a protest, allows wrong to be committed in his name, and with the means which he helps to supply, because he will not trouble himself to use his mind on the subject."
Three Republican candidates speak at anti-gay pastor's rally
Holy fuck. This is some seriously messed up and disturbing shit. I don't even know what to say. Part of my thinks, "These people are just a tiny, crazy minority. Nothing to worry about." But then I think about the fact that three presidential nominees were there, which in and of itself illustrates the influence these growing number of voters have, and gives this insanity some sense of legitimacy. And then I think about how religious nutjobs in the US like Kevin Swanson have already helped to pass anti-gay legislation in places like Uganda and Nigeria, making homosexuality a crime punishable by lengthy jail sentences. And I think about how, even though being gay is no longer criminalized here, violence against the LGBTQ community is still frightfully common, which makes me worry even more for my LGBTQ friends.
I consider myself a spiritual person, but I absolutely agree with everyone who says religion is dangerous because it makes hating and oppressing others so easy when you're 100% sure God is on your side. I love aspects of religion and philosophy. But historically, religious people seem obligated to push their beliefs and values onto the rest of society, ideas that tend to oppress and discriminate against segments of society in the name of love and acceptance. Moreover, religion as a broader social phenomenon has been more about constructing moral absolutes than personal transformation and enlightenment. In this sense, religion, as opposed to personal faith, has primarily been about control over the hearts and minds of people via dictating and then enforcing societal norms that, because of their 'divine' origins, are notoriously difficult to challenge, let alone amend, becoming immune to things like compassion and reason.
As sympathetic towards religion as I am, I'm also aware of religion's proclivity to fall into absolutism and dogmatism, as well as its historical reliance on things like authority and tradition over evidence and rationality. Religion may be "the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions"; but it's also the impetus for a great deal of intolerance and oppression. It's a double-edged sword that, like the personification of wisdom, Manjushri, has the potential to cut through our greed, aversion, and delusion; but which more often than not seems to be used to oppress and kill those who are different and/or don't hold the same beliefs and values. And this kind of thing makes me embarrassed to have religious and spiritual interests. I don't want to be associated with such people.
We absolutely can't let this kind of misguided bigotry go unchallenged, even when they cry out that they're being persecuted for their beliefs. We can't let people like this hide behind the banner of religion, as if that somehow makes their ideas immune to criticism and justifies their threats of violence against others. We must continue to stand up against homophobia, as well as against racism, sexism, and all other forms of discrimination. To quote an apt line from John Stuart Mills, "Let not any one pacify his conscience by the delusion that he can do no harm if he takes no part, and forms no opinion. Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing. He is not a good man who, without a protest, allows wrong to be committed in his name, and with the means which he helps to supply, because he will not trouble himself to use his mind on the subject."
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