"But you weren't born to be brain dead, which is what happened to smart women in the old system, either that or they became hopelessly neurotic. "
I don't think that's true. Do you have statistics on this either or thing? From what I remember, the creative ones became amazing homemakers, were active in the community, and did all that community social work that now we have to pay government to do (taking meals to elderly neighbors, for example).
"It's hard to imagine you accepting that with good grace any more than I did."
I am not arguing that we should be treated as unequal in matters like that. What I am arguing is that treating women as if they were men isn't much better, because we aren't. Both ways of treating women are unreasonable- and (imo) destructive.
"But would they be better off with no career arena with which to compromise. "
I think we can be pretty sure the children would be better off. And if the children are better off, society is better off.
"Having children isn't any more difficult than it use to be, all thing being equal. Woman making the choice to take on too much is more at fault than the women's movement. The only difficulty that I can think of directly attributable to the women's movement is the cost of close-in housing.
PS and FWIW, around twenty percent of women past their child bearing years are childless and the numbers are going up. The numbers among younger women are much higher although they still have time so who knows what the final count will be."
Having children isn't any more difficult than it used to be? Really? Having a job AND raising children is just as easy as staying home and raising children? Does that make sense to you? Do you really believe that?
I'm sure women are forgoing having children- it's too hard to have a job and children, and do two tasks, where in the past women did one, and that one wasn't easy (even though you think it's no harder to do two). I'm not sure it's a good thing for society that women are coming to the conclusion that they can't do both, and are giving up on children. I guess if you don't care about the health of society going forward it doesn't matter, but I am concerned for the future. |
