When a movement, like 3rd wave feminism, openly and publicly calls for the castration of men, praises the lack of parental rights of the father, the destruction of the family unit, and equates consensual sex between males and females as rape, we should begin to see the decidedly non-egalitarian nature of the movement.
Tag: class
Tacit Submission
Do you and I willingly give up our freedom and property for the benefits of living in these United States? Do we tacitly consent to oppression by not moving to another country? Do we tacitly consent to the authority of our governments by not rebelling, by not throwing the tea into Boston harbor? John Locke and many today say “yes”; we tacitly accept the State by paying our taxes, by receiving its benefits (such as property protection!), and by not emigrating. They say we acquiesce in an implicit contract in which we give up freedom or accept compulsion in exchange for other things that we value. This view is dead wrong.
The Demonization of “Anarchists”
I’m actually somewhat glad to see the media talking about how “anarchists” are rioting and breaking crap. No, it’s not because it’s true, or because actual anarchists should or would do that. I’m happy about it because it means that “the powers that be” know they can’t simply ignore anarchists and voluntaryists anymore.
What Does Democracy Look Like, Actually?
Occupy Wall Street’s resurrection of the old chant — “this is what democracy looks like!” — rings new in the ears of some, but raises old worries in the minds of others: Fear of tyranny of the majority. Fear of the crowd’s imposition of its will on the minority merely because “there are more of us than there are of them.” Fear that “democracy” may come down to two wolves and a sheep voting on what’s for dinner. Such fears are not unreasonable. “The will of the majority” is a common excuse for forcing things onto others.
Oppression: Symptoms and Causes
It doesn’t take any great perceptiveness or astute powers of observation to notice that a lot is wrong with the world today. But if those loudly reporting the “wrongness” aren’t also aware of the root causes, and what can be done to actually change things, then mostly the message just becomes frustrating and depressing to listen to. And if people continually express righteous anger and indignation at the injustice they see, only to then propose pointless, worthless solutions—or no solutions at all—that doesn’t really help.
Con Trolling
Here’s how it works: a troll preys on your need to be affirmed. Nearly everything that a troll does is to signal a message to you that says “I don’t like you and I’m not going to grant you the gift of my approval.” Once you start using arguments as a means of begging the troll to become your ally, the troll wins. Now he/she can simply play the easy and endless game of using everything you say as a basis for offering responses that make you feel more desperate for their acceptance and more frustrated for not receiving it.
The Relational Anarchist Primer
According to relational anarchists, the better humans connect with each other, the more peace and understanding that will exist between them. The greater the strength of the relationships, the less likely rulers will become necessary or begin to emerge. Anarchism means “without rulers.” And besides being a political assertion, this is a psychological and relational preference. It is apolitical, based on preferred relationship standards. Instead of dispensing violence, these anarchists dispense compassion.
Constitutions, and Other Magic Tricks
So, according to constitutionalists, the “founders” got together, did their rituals and meetings and made their documents and stuff, and then presto chango, the United States “government” suddenly had the right to boss people around here – albeit in a supposedly “limited” way. And now, if you want something changed, you have to go through the amendment process, or vote different “representatives” into office, use the established “checks and balances,” and so on. Because hey, it’s the “law of the land,” and all that.
The Man Behind the Curtain
Although the Grateful Dead told us that “every silver lining’s got a touch of grey” (lyric by Robert Hunter), it’s my nature to look for one anyway. At the risk of being accused of gross naivete, I’d like to hope that the Trump presidency (I still can’t believe I have to type those words) will once and for all sour people on government and politics.
From Waldorf to Unschooling
My husband and I have been Unschooling our daughter (age fifteen) and son (age nine) for nearly seven years. I’m a former Steiner Waldorf Class teacher turned Unschooling Mum, as well as an artist and blogger. We are very blessed that my husband works freelance and is a very hands on dad. He’s a filmmaker, editor and all round computer genius which is very useful for our children, who have a keen interested in creative technology.