ur_inner_child said:
Wrong. You're thinking of western countries. Other countries have women supressed the bitter core and you KNOW that.
Some would argue that in certain societies (like Muslim society) "suppression of women" in fact means "protection of women". Gender roles assigned by society, making men the protector of women. Same in Chinese society, both men and women had certain responsibilities which to the Feminist meant that women were oppressed. The men and women of the period wouldn't have agreed though.
The fact is that the women's movement is growing Throughout The World, and not just in the Western world, but the Muslim world, and even the Asian world. It just happens to be most pronounced in a country like Australia.
ur_inner_child said:
I need statistics. I do believe that certain parenting rights favour the women much more than the men, but that's generally because women are still seen as the parenting, mothering role, which is just traditional and old fashioned, not anything new, like the "third wave" of feminists.
And I'm saying that these old fashioned ideals need to be phased out, in favour of equal rights for men. Over 90% of family court cases contested between a mother and father are won by the mother, to the detriment of both the Child and the Father.
ur_inner_child said:
What, the right to vote? Please be more specific. I suppose you mean the choice for abortion, right? I'd rather steer clear from an moral-abortion topic, since I know that you don't stand the same ground as I do, and we'll go off topic. Yet the main concern was about mens rights over an abortion.
Second wave feminism was moderate in comparison to third wave feminism, but introduced the idea of polarising the genders against each other (Men's Rights versus Women's Rights), instead of the view taken by sensible people (like Masculists) that Men's Rights = Women's Rights = Human Rights, and by defending men's rights, you defend women's rights (and by extension if you deny men's rights, you deny women's rights).
ur_inner_child said:
I suppose if a man wanted to keep the child and the woman didn't, what do you propose she do? Carry on for the next 9 months for him? Okay fine, suppose she agrees, thinking that man's decision is valuable, and rightly so.
I'm not saying somebody should be forced to remain pregnant. I'm just saying that if the father wants the child, then the mother shouldn't be protected from the moral consequences of her actions - if the father thinks the mother is a murderer for killing the unborn foetus, he should be able to tell her so in plain language (to a limit) without being put in jail for abuse, or whatever. Some masculists have even suggested that a woman be put in jail for the remainder of the time that the pregnancy would have taken, and to be honest, it's not an idea I would immediately dismiss.
Likewise, if the father Doesn't want the child, he should be able to trade in any legal right to contact or whatever in exchange for freedom from child support payments (though maybe HE should face a few months in jail for abandonment).
Whatever rights the father has should be based upon what rights the mother has. We cannot in good conscience take the decision completely out of the hands of the father in relation to abortion, but a lot of third wave feminists have suggested that we not only take the decision out of the hands of fathers, but that we completely eradicate the male gender from the reproductive cycle (The Feminist Manifesto).
ur_inner_child said:
But she becomes disadvantaged in the workforce (or in schooling) for an extended period of time, simply because she's getting fatter. The father can still work without prejudice, simply because he doesn't exactly have a enlarged tummy. She can't. If something like this happened, where women are forced to give birth to a child for a father's choice, then things like compensation (for the 9 months at least) for the woman will be raised. I wonder if you agree with that sort of thing. Would you see this as merely benefits for women over men again?
According to traditional gender roles, the father is the breadwinner, and the mother rules the house. I certainly believe that if one partner in the creation of a life is incapacitated, then the other should do what he or she can for the both of them. I completely support Government support for mothers-to-be, in terms of job security and maternity leave, but I also recognise that small businesses may not be able to Afford to give paid maternity leave (putting the responsibility of support on the Government), and that paid paternity leave should also be given to a new father.
ur_inner_child said:
As well as this, there are complications of the father backing out on his decision, and forcing her to go with late-abortions. It just simply opens doors to more complex issues. And you may argue that a man who is dedicated to be a father will stay dedicated to his decision, sadly, this is not the case.
If either a mother or a father takes actions to ensure a late term abortion without good reason (like the life of the mother), they should go to jail for murder.
ur_inner_child said:
Maybe there could be a beautiful system where both father and mother receive equal rights. But so far I cannot see any. A "men's movement" sounds highly weird personally, since the issue is much more complicated than merely the treatment of men in parenting.
It's called "Identity Politics". Feminists have pioneered this idea that every single woman out there should vote for the woman candidate because they're the same gender. In the election I contested earlier this year, my opponent used lines like "Rose is the only woman candidate running, so support your sisters by voting for Rose". Imagine the uproar if I contested an election saying that "Andrew is the only Chinese candidate running, so support ethnic minorities by voting for Andrew". Did the fact that Rose is a woman make her a better candidate than myself (a male) for the position of SRC President? No! Just like the fact that I'm Chinese also didn't make me a better candidate.
The fact is that the Men's movement is full of people with many Different beliefs. There are communists, socialists, capitalists, feminists, Asians, Klansmen, Catholics, Agnostics and Atheists (among others) who can be considered all of the masculist persuasion, because unlike Feminism, Masculism merely suggests "equal rights for men", and this may come in the form of "equal rights for men by working for women's rights", or "equal rights for men by repealing affirmative action", or "equal rights for men by instilling Christian values in society", or "equal rights for men by banning Christian activities in society".
The Men's Rights Movement is important for all men, because the fact is that men ARE losing their rights especially in this country. We're disadvantaged from the day we enter schools designed for learning methods proven to be less effective with males than with females. We come out with a less effective education to be pushed into industries like certain types of trade. Men make up an overwhelming majority of waste disposal technicians (garbage
men). Men make up an overwhelming majority of coal miners. Men make up an overwhelming majority of long-haul truckers. Men make up pretty much the entire explosives demolition industry. Who is it that spends freezing nights fixing power lines? Who clears muck from sewage pipelines, drains septic tanks? Men do the dirty, thankless work.
Hell, even in nursing - Women make up a large percentage of nurses, and are highly recognised for their work (and rightfully so). Less likely to be noticed (except as the butt of a joke) are the Orderlies, who are overwhelmingly male.
Here's an interesting point of view: How can we have equal rights if our society imposes upon us the mentality that men are "beasts of burden", while at the same time implementing affirmative action to ensure that at least 40% (and most certainly more, the way society is turning) of leadership positions are filled by women? If this is the mentality that children are raised under, is this not disadvantaging males?
ur_inner_child said:
Patriarchy is a system or a belief that men are superior to women. It is very real. It's all over the highest positions in the workforce and if you cannot see this, well, then we should stop there before I stop talking calmly.
In the 1800's, an anthropologist by the name of Lewis Morgan spent some time studying the Iroquois people in America. He suggested that this primitive society was a sexual free-for-all where, with no discernable leadership, men and women were equal. Feminists suggested that the moral of his work was that once "Patriarchy" took over, women became the slaves of men and endured unrelenting abuse. This is what is known by both masculists and feminists as the Great Lie.
Wendy McElroy justifies this lie: "Victims of men, of the class structure, technology, government, the free market, the family, the church, Western values…everywhere and always women are painted as victims.”
Let's look at some of the reasons why men Aren't advantaged in society. Men live shorter lives than women on average. If women were victims, why do they live longer lives? Why has the suicide rate for men Always been much higher than for women? Even in 1890, the suicide rate for men in the United Kingdom was 2.9 times that of women.
Fact is, "The Patriarchy" is nothing more than a ploy of the feminists. Once upon a time, we were rational enough to differentiate truth and lie. Truth is based on verifiable facts and rational logic. a Lie is the opposite.
Of course, many feminists aren't rational people. The feminist philosopher Joyce Triebilcot once ridiculed the "apparatuses of 'truth', 'knowledge', 'science'".
Feminist theorist Elizabeth Fee: "Knowledge was caused as an act of aggression".
Feminist author Linda Gardiner: "We might begin to question the import of Descartes’ stress on logic and mathematics as the ideal types of rationality"
By ignoring common sense, basic reason, followers of feminism open themselves to indoctrination of the Patriarchical Mythology. And it all begins with the biggie: that there is a cabal of men (the "Patriarchy") who have been scheming from generation to generation to keep women subservient to men - and that all the ills in the world are the cause of this Patriarchy. From this Myth, we derive further myths:
- Men have all the power (being male, I can assure you all from personal experience that it's wonderful to have the world at my beck and call).
- "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle" (Gloria Steinem)
- The
Moral Superiority of Women.
- That feminism seeks gender equality (despite the fact that men have shorter lives, come out of school with less education, make up over 90% of workplace deaths etc.)
So why is it that more executives are male? Not because of a patriarchy. There probably is a few vestiges of an old boys club left, and certainly families will hand down power from a father to a son. But in the overwhelming cases, the answer is simple - because males make up the best candidates. Women may rate as better managers, but men are, on average, willing to donate more time to their careers. A study by the Business Roundtable found that the average CEO will work 58 hours a week, and the most powerful CEO's probably work even more than that. They'll exercise while doing professional reading. They'll spend their time at home getting dressed, showering, thinking of ways to improve their work - every minute is an opportunity.
Fact is, women are more likely to yearn for a part-time, pleasant job so they can have time for home, friends, family, and are less likely to work 60 hours a week, as well as take work home. Not saying that women aren't willing to put in the hours, or that men aren't yearning for family, but that it's just more likely that a man would be willing to dedicate his life to success, while a woman would be willing to dedicate her life to her family and friends.
Dr. Marty Nemko writes:
Imagine you were the CEO of a company and were considering two employees for a senior position. Candidate A had—over her or his 20-year career--worked 50 to 60 hours a week, and in spare time, made great efforts to keep upgrading skills. Meanwhile, Candidate B worked 40 hours a week, and in spare time, focused on family, home, friends, and recreation, and had taken years off to raise children—thereby losing professional contacts and currency with the latest information and technology. You’d almost certainly hire Candidate A. Fact is, more men than women are like Candidate A. That, and not a sexist glass ceiling, is the main reason why women represent only 11% of senior executives in Fortune 500 companies.
ur_inner_child said:
I agree that there are some women who hate men etc, and I assume that you mean "at the expense of men" by those women who are in power to make men pay. Then again, women in such power is incredibly rare. It exists, but in a ratio compared to men in power, it's rare. How many Australian female prime ministers did we have? I think you're blowing the "third wave" out of proportion.
I would argue that while it is mostly men who are determined to actually sit in the seats of power, many rely on feminists to get them there. Don't forget, it was men who brought about gender equality, and through lobby groups et al feminists can control the policies of our leaders.
ur_inner_child said:
I'm merely pointing out that a movement would give an incredibly wrong idea, especially in a patriarchal society. Do you think Australia is equal to men and women, out of curiousity? Because it sounds like you think it is equal, if not in favour to women. I still see society as a very patriarchal one, even though there are some things that favour women better than men, for example parenting. I'll reinforce that it's because of TRADITIONAL values, not something new.
I think that women face disadvantage in many areas, and men face disadvantage in many different areas also. These disadvantages don't manifest themselves in the same way, but they're there for both genders. It is in the best interests of both Feminists and Masculists to work on All of these problems, because we must protect our universal human rights. I do believe that men, especially young men, are becoming More disadvantaged though because even in School they face disadvantage. Without a good education, they lose their rights in essentially everything else, and I think we must address gender inequality in teaching methods as soon as possible.
ur_inner_child said:
Because the men who are generally portrayed in the media as stupid etc is reacted as "that's a stupid person" not "all men are stupid" because generally, Australia is still patriarchal. For rap videos, lyrics and explicit suggestion say "all women are sex objects" repeatedly.
Generally, IMO I think you're blowing it out of proportion and going off topic. Going back to the topic, I agree that a man's opinion is incredibly valuable. The men's movement is ridiculous, especially in a patriarchal society.
I think I've addressed this point through my rather verbose rebuttal.